Monster Rally & Jay Stone - Foreign Pedestrians

Format: 12" Vinyl (Special Splatter [100] & Opaque Purple [400])
Run: 500
Design: Ted Feighan
Release Date: January 27, 2015
Price: $15.99 (Purple Edition of 400), $17.99 (Splatter Edition of 100)


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Foreign Pedestrians is the first collaborative album between LA-based exotic-beatsmith Monster Rally and Jay Stone, a thought-provoking emcee out of Oakland. The album's production focuses heavily on Monster Rally's "global haze" sound combined with funk and jazz elements. Stone has the unique lyrical ability to seamlessly bounce around these unconventional beats. The collaboration's tracks cover an immense amount of both physical and temporal space, ranging from the slow-motion smoke-out of "Lake Merritt" to the lounge soul of "Cognac".

Tracklist

01. Monster Rally & Jay Stone - Lake Merritt
02. Monster Rally & Jay Stone - Permeate / No Cilantro
03. Monster Rally & Jay Stone - Recollection
04. Monster Rally & Jay Stone - Melancholy
05. Monster Rally & Jay Stone - Cognac (feat. Brandon Rayson)
06. Monster Rally & Jay Stone - Mr. F.T.S.
07. Monster Rally & Jay Stone - Parthenogenesis (feat. Brandon Rayson)
08. Monster Rally & Jay Stone - Lake Merritt (Instrumental)
09. Monster Rally & Jay Stone - Permeate / No Cilantro (Instrumental)
10. Monster Rally & Jay Stone - Recollection (Instrumental)
11. Monster Rally & Jay Stone - Melancholy (Instrumental)
12. Monster Rally & Jay Stone - Cognac (Instrumental)
13. Monster Rally & Jay Stone - Mr. F.T.S. (Instrumental)
14. Monster Rally & Jay Stone - Parthenogenesis (Instrumental)

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PRESS

"The upcoming Foreign Pedestrians is the first full-length collaboration between Los Angeles producer Monster Rally and Oakland MC Jay Stone, but it shouldn't be the last. The two are already locked into the groove it takes most DJ/rapper combos years to achieve."
- SPIN Magazine

"Jay Stone’s style recalls the super-scientifical mentality of early Heiro, while still capable of the crossover into the lavish braggadocio side of the coin in rap currency. It is this universally-Bay identity that dominates the introduction to his Monster Rally collab, “Cognac”. Jay Stone has the elocution of his forefathers like E-40 or Gift of Gab—it’s in the way he says increment—and a casual comfort within the grooves that never disrupts the stylish twinkle of the 70s funk production. While the track feels like a slight departure from Monster Rally’s definitive exoticism, the album title Foreign Pedestrians, suggests otherwise and that Jay Stone came into the project with an understanding of his producer’s picturesque backdrops."
- Impose Magazine

"Monster Rally is about escapism; cut 'n' paste beats creating collaged instrumental tour guides to places far flung from the metropolis you're hunkered down in. Opener, Lake Merritt, drops us squarely in this world: laconic tropicality conjuring palm trees vistas silhouetted against perfect sunsets, an insouciant Jay Stone contemplating "sitting, just chilling", but we don't stay put long, and it's the Oakland rapper's lyrics that swap this revery for city-living realism. Drunk bus drivers, Isley Brothers LPs, Capri Suns, and emo kids "who give no fucks" are just some of the touchstones in a world Stone spins with acute social awareness and lighting wit. Ted Feighan's imagination is on fire, too; especially on Cognac, where his strutting 70s motif is enriched by Stone's demand for "vegan donuts", rivaling even Kanye's croissant needs."
- London in Stereo

"Exotic rhythm manipulator Monster Rally (a.k.a. Ted Feighan) is back and this time he’s brought friends. His latest, Foreign Pedestrians, is the first collaborative release between the LA-based producer and Oakland-based emcee Jay Stone. On the album’s smoky lounge set first single “Cognac” Feighan lays out a funky, sax-sampling vibe for Stone and guest emcee Brandon Rayson to spill out juicy narratives about chasing girls, sipping on IPAs, and noshing on vegan donuts. The whole thing has a nice old school vibe to it that we’re totally feeling.
- Turntable Kitchen

"The pairing of producer Monster Rally (real name: Ted Feighan) and rapper Jay Stone is the kind of musical kismet that's much rarer than you'd hope. Feighan was an exotica-tinged Los Angeles hip-hop producer in a Clams Casino vein, but tinged with the cinematic majesty of Air and the globe-trotting euphoria of the Avalanches, with a couple of instrumental albums under his belt. Looking for an MC to pair with, he found one in Stone — an Oakland-based spitter reminiscient of Curren$y and MF Doom, who'd become increasingly stream-of-consciousness over his handful of EPs and was looking to do something a little different. Based on their first collaboration together — the Foreign Pedestrians LP, out this week — it's the union that both have been waiting for their whole careers, whether they realized it or not."
- SPIN (8/10 Album Review)

"The album features Jay Stone on all A-side tracks and instrumental versions of the same tracks on the B-Side, creating a concept that rewards frequent listens. Jay’s rhythmic and melodic flows mesh seamlessly with the tropical rhythms on the A-side, but flipping over to the instrumentals reveals nuances, colors, and moods in the beats that you might have missed."
- The Bay Bridged

"Stone issues such quotidian commentary like a loose slot machine. In song, he's the same: Every verse on Foreign Pedestrians strikes the jackpot. A generous lyricist, Stone crams keen day-to-day observations into dense narratives that elevate even seemingly trivial scenes."
- East Bay Express

"We were already fans of LA producer Monster Rally and his exotic concoction of samples and beats. Seeing him team up with Oakland rapper Jay Stone feels like the most logical of progressions, captured perfectly on "No Cilantro": A beat constructed around the riff from the James Bond theme "You Only Live Twice" over which Jay rhymes about Isley Brothers LPs, "emo kids who give no fucks" and how he likes his tacos prepared. Perfect."
- Hype Machine

"There’s really nothing else out there that sounds like Foreign Pedestrians. A summery hip-hop record that feels like it was recorded somewhere outside the States. With seven tracks the biggest complaint is that the journey is over all too soon. Flip the record over though and you have an all instrumental side showcasing Monster Rally’s production. It brings to mind a more traditional Feighan album and one can pick apart his lush samples. There’s something very satisfying about listening to Monster Rally’s music multiple times. While it may not be the duo’s breakthrough success it is an extremely promising start and will hook listeners in (new and old) to look forward to future projects."
- Punchland (8.8/10 Album Review)

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