Ahead of next May’s release of the new Monocle album Transpacific Sound Paradise (co-produced and engineered by Scott Solter), the band’s leader Rich Bennett and vocalist Ana Breton (also of Dead Leaf Echo and ex Mahogany) have produced the first episode of a tasty new podcast called ‘Please Hold The Elevator‘. Rich describes the show perfectly:

“Lounge, muzak, exotica, library, Brazilian and everything else on the fringes, ‘Please Hold The Elevator’ takes an hour to delve into the music that so many consider “background,” revealing craft, emotion, and beauty where it was thought inconceivable.”

Fans of Rich’s solo work will be able to swim through a sea of influences and inspirations, many of which directly infuse his debut mini-album Music For Underwater Supermarkets and can also be found nudging his other work, including the forthcoming sophomore Monocle album.

‘Please Hold The Elevator’ is hosted exclusively on MixCloud. The first episode is available for streaming now. Click here to get stuck in!

Excerpt: “… Neo-lounge composer Rich Bennett is sure to find favor with the modern yacht rock crowd, but truth be told, his stylistic lineage traces back through folks like Esquivel, Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman. His 2010 release,On Holiday, found plenty of favor with both critics and the martini set, and coming at this point in time, his new video for the gauzy Misty Valley almost feels like a lackadaisical afterthought. Not that I’m complaining. It’s all a passing sad daydream, with found footage casting a soft focus on the breezy buttermilk sky pop. Highly recommended with cocktails and nostalgia.”

My Old Kentucky Blog

Excerpt: “We featured Rich Bennett back in August 2010 on the strength of his superb album ‘On Holiday’. So the following from Hidden Shoal a week a go was a nice surprise. Today, Hidden Shoal Recordings found an old VHS cassette stuffed down the back of a sofa in their label office. Delighted to discover a playable copy of the movie Buddy Cop, the label is now proud to share its soundtrack, for free, with the world. The back of the tape reads: Dan Lyman (Rich Bennett, star of Badge of Fury and Miami Lockdown) is a classy, refined cop from uptown. When the Deckard Crime Syndicate steals a mysterious mineral, Lyman teams up with streetwise colleague Timothy Sanna (Rich Bennett). Together, travel to the Andromeda Galaxy before syndicate boss Xavier Graffin (Greg Hoy) can turn the minerals into a gateway to a mainframe computer game, from where he can rule all communications of the universe. When Marilyn Miranda (Pam Yawbus) comes into the picture, the question of who is an enemy and who is a friend threatens to unravel the whole mission … Discover how the whole slippery can of worms unravels by downloading the album and checking out the Buddy Cop trailer on YouTube. The download includes a code for 50% off Rich’s other releases, including the much-praised Music for Underwater Supermarkets and this year’s gorgeous album On Holiday.”

Beehive Candy

Excerpt: “Not content with releasing a beautiful album of songs towards the end of last year (On Holiday, also on Hidden Shoal), Mr Bennett is back with a soundtrack to a fictional (or is it?) movie. Taking its cue from John Carpenter film music (Assault on Precinct 13 in particular), Bennett weaves an entertaining sci-fi noir atmosphere. Did I mention that it’s free? And comes with a 50% discount voucher for his last two albums, both highly recommended from this direction.”

The Underground of Happiness