~aD – Pharis Wheel {mtkdj08}

Artist: ~aD
Title:
Pharis Wheel
Label:
Monotonik
Catalog #:
mtkdj08
Release Date:
2002/08/07


Well, we certainly don’t release many DJ sets here at Monotonik – in fact, the last one was over 2 years ago, wow. And the main reason for this is that there’s very few good eclectic mixes out there. Until now, that is.

We first heard the mixing skills of Chicago’s ~aD being spread via, of all places, Usenet. So we’re proud to present the first of a number of stunning DJ sets we’re going to put out from him – hop on the “Pharis Wheel” 😛

So, why do we love this mix so much? Well, firstly, it’s the track selection, twinning cut-up delights like Yoshinori Sunahara with the genius sleaze of Jamie Lidell, and some of the new-skool beat heroes like Si Begg and Prefuse 73, then the swift slip-in of more unlikely but totally fitting material like Pop Will Eat Itself.

Secondly, it’s the way it’s mixed, an almost Coldcut-esque multi layered approach which means not only seamless mixing, but entirely new sounds created when 2 or 3 tracks overlap each other. Thus, we get Pete Namlook battling Orson Welles, and even, in one of the highlights of the disc, Moby duelling both a drug-ranting Bill Cosby and Orbital’s “Halcyon” all at once – at least, that’s what it sounds like to us.

Please be aware that the mix is semi-bootleg quality, since it’s encoded at 112kbps (intentional!) and has a few speaker-overstressing waveform-maxing moments (unintentional!). Hopefully, this means that it’s listenable without upsetting the copyright holders, but will also encourage you to go out and buy material from the artists ~aD has mixed up here – that’s the way we want it.

The tracklisting for “Pharis Wheel” (some track names are made up from multiple songs!) is:

1. War of The Namlook – “Hoshi No Koe”
2. Yoshinori Sunahara – “Cross Wind Take-Off”
3. Bola – “Mauver (feat.Dennis Bourne)”
4. Moby Huckstable – “Porcelain Addiction”
5. Jamie Lidell – “Daddy’s Car”
6. Persona – “Thumper (Warn Defever mix)”
7. S.I.Futures – “I’m The Bomb”
8. Prefuse 73 – “Nuno”
9. Yoshinori Sunahara – “Journey Beyond The Stars”
10. Persona – “Release The Dogs”
11. Prefuse 73 – “Hot Winter’s Day”
12. Talvin Singh – “Ha Sandwich”
13. Machine Drum – “Fury (feat. Poly-Sci)”
14. LFO – “Tied Up”
15. Pop Will Eat Itself – “Everything’s Cool (Alien Invasion)”
16. Paul Haslinger – “World Without Rules”
17. Drome – “Hoax! What did you got?”
18. MC Conrad – “Logical (Blame RMX)”
19. Niraj Chag – “The Firefly”
20. Wink – “Young Again”
21. Yoshinori Sunahara – “Sun Song 80”
22. Prefuse 73 – “Afternoon Love-In”
23. Unkle – “Guns Blazing”
24. Atomic Babies – “Cetch Da Monkey (Sonology Mix)”
25. Aphex Twin – “Ziggomatic V17”


Credits:
cover+photo by h0l


Tracklist:
01 – Pharis Wheel

Artwork:
Front Cover


Published
Categorized as aD Tagged

Mistress Nine – Not Gonna Happen {mrv009}

Artist: Mistress Nine
Title:
Not Gonna Happen
Label:
 monoRAVEik
Catalog #:
mrv009
Release Date:
2002/07/29


We got our Nine. Mistress that is, not millimetre. Here’s a joke: What do you get if you put a vaguely gothic D&B chick, a 303, a female voice choir, the complete Macross saga on DVD and the rhythm section of the Cardiff Turntable Orchestra in the same room for four months? You give up? Well, I don’t know either, but there’s one crawling down your ‘net connection.

Love her or hate her, and believe me we do both when it’s her turn to do the washing up, Nine knocks out the funky beats once more. A bit of choppy choral to add to the mystery, but mostly this track is down the subterranean end of the spectrum with a deep growling bassline and drums just not audible on normal speakers. Zentradi commanders discussing the merits of invading 21st century Earth merely add a barely needed surreal element to the proceedings.

Be sure to listen for the KCORKIRVARONOM Satanic messages.


Credits:
cover by subi


Tracklist:
01 – Not Gonna Happen

Artwork:
Front Cover


Braces Tower – Psshh EP {mtw028}

Artist: Braces Tower
Title:
Psshh EP
Label:
Mono211
Catalog #:
mtw028
Release Date:
2002/07/28


It’s interesting that Mono211 was originally meant to be the ‘main label’ that us here at Monotonik released music on. This was mainly because we were known in our early .MOD days for being eclectic, unclassifiable genre jumpers, and we wanted to carry that tradition on. But in the end, we found our love of idm+videogamebleep action on Monotonik took front stage (and rightly so!) But most of all, we found that there’s just not that many artists making good but ‘unclassifiable’ music that really _works_.

However, in Braces Tower, the London-based artist who submitted an EP of tracks to us earlier this year, we found exactly what we were looking for – the style-straddling, the inspiration, and most of all, the panache.

If his music can be compared to anything, it’s the sample-stitching of the ‘new chill out’ UK massif such as Bent, Lemon Jelly, Mr.Scruff, and so on. [In fact, Braces Tower’s Destiny’s Child vs. The Specials cut-up is already pretty well-known in bootleg circles, showing the kind of cheeky angles he enjoys mining.]

But trying to describe music always brings in dirty or overmined words, and it’s the music that stands on its own. In fact, it towers, with the lead-off track “Ten Fingers” weaving vocal samples and loops hypnotically all of the place, and “Scissorman” skanking up the place something tragic with its frantic brass hits and flamenco-ish trumpet. And when the final two tracks are “King Of Rock”, with feelgood hooks strewn all over the place, and “Valedictory”, a truly majestic flute and vocal sample-littered halcyon fade-out.. well, words fail us.

So yep, we know this isn’t exactly the kind of music we _normally_ release, which is why it’s on our sublabel, Mono211. And Mono211 will continue to be the sublabel we use to break things up with genre-confusing, breaks-borrowing pieces of genius that otherwise wouldn’t make it out there. And this EP is one of those. It’s actually probably far too classy for us. But psshh, don’t tell anyone.


Credits:
cover by h0l


Tracklist:
01 – Ten Fingers
02 – Scissorman
03 – King Of Rock
04 – Valedictory

Artwork:
Front Cover


License:
Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial 1.0 Generic (CC BY-ND-NC 1.0)


Epoq – Simpel {mtk083}

Artist: Epoq
Title:
Simpel
Label:
Monotonik
Catalog #:
mtk083
Release Date:
2002/07/20


Another of those musicians whose work we’ve known for a long time, and now finally have a chance to put out, Australia’s Epoq has been around ever since his contribution to the Surgery’s excellent “Initial Release” compilation a year or two back. And now, with net.releases from online labels like Kahvi, Quanta, and Corewatch, and his debut “Scintilla” CD just released, also on Surgery, we’re proud to present the lead-off track from that album, “Simpel”.

So, what to say? “Simpel” is anything but that, since it’s almost symphonic in scope, with alien choral leads soaring over multiple layers of serene synths, and the meandering bass in the breakdowns taking us away before the swooping, multi-tracked leads meander back in again. It’s almost as if a classical composition background (as Epoq has) transposed into mellow electronica brings a whole different perspective to the table. In any case, for the height of the languid summer, explore your proclivity for torpidity by lying back and enjoying this creativity?


Credits:
cover+photo by h0l


Tracklist:
01 – Simpel

Artwork:
Front Cover


License:
Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial 1.0 Generic (CC BY-ND-NC 1.0)


Idmonster Vs. Stina Nordenstam – Wittle Star {mtk082}

Artist: Idmonster Vs. Stina Nordenstam
Title:
Wittle Star
Label:
Monotonik
Catalog #:
mtk082
Release Date:
2002/07/10


The return of Brighton, UK-based composer, Idmonster, to Monotonik is always an auspicious event. Former member of Butterfly Child and now a TV documentary composer, his side projects under the Pendle and Idmonster monikers are nothing short of gorgeous.

In this case, Idmonster takes a single vocal line from Stina Nordenstam’s contribution to, of all things, the “Romeo And Juliet” soundtrack, and re-orchestrates a sublime idm-house trip over the top, complete with what sounds like a theramin solo, and all the mellowest, smartest keyboard and string arrangements you could ever hope to hear.

So, relax in the summer sunshine whilst you hear “Wittle Star” build and build, all EBTG-esque passion and longing, til it peaks, you stare directly into the sun, and lose your sight permanently – set the controls for the heart of your retina.

Or, like Hunter Thompson, don’t electrocute your friend at the climax of the track, just throw an unplugged electrical appliance in the bath without his knowledge, and get all the pleasure without the permanent physical disfigurement. You dig?


Credits:
cover+photo by h0l


Tracklist:
01 – Wittle Star

Artwork:
Front Cover


License:
Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial 1.0 Generic (CC BY-ND-NC 1.0)


Mark VIII – Presents Action Replays {nmomp2}

Artist: Mark VIII
Title: Presents Action Replays
Label: No’Mo’
Catalog #: nmomp2
Release Date: 2002/06/29


We were hoping this day would never come. That is, the day our copyright-ruffling cousins at No’Mo’ moseyed back into town. But sadly, they’re here. And they have a new champion, a Mark VII. And they absolutely insist that we release this 5-track piece of perverse.. well, quite frankly, c64.gametune.hiphop.mashup.evilness.

So, if you’re the type of sicko who dreams of Rob Hubbard’s classic Commodore 64 videogame theme to “Commando” with Outkast’s “Ms.Jackson” over the top.. they gave us that. Martin Galway’s “Comic Bakery” besmirched by the dulcet tones of Chuck D? Check. Jeroen Tel (Maniacs Of Noise)’s “Children’s Song” splattered all over with vintage Brithop-per MC Duke? Got it. Kathy Brown and Matt Gray fighting in a corner? Sure. Chris Huelsbeck’s “Spherical” theme all crunged up with Busta Rhymes? We’re afraid to admit it.. but we got that too.

So, they’ve got our Flat Eric doll, and they won’t give it back until we release this. What’s a selfrespecting label to do? Go cry in a corner, that’s what. And then unleash the dragon on you. And, dear friends, consider this dragon unleashed (and tell them if you play it out anywhere cool!).


Credits:
cover by mark vii


Tracklist:
01 – Spherical Rhymes [Chris Huelsbeck vs. Busta Rhymes]
02 – Duke Of Noise [Jeroen TelMON vs. MC Duke]
03 – Comic Enemy [Martin Galway vs. Public Enemy]
04 – Brown Vs. Gray [Kathy Brown vs. Matt Gray]
05 – Commando Jackson [Rob Hubbard vs. Outkast]

Artwork:
Front Cover


Hoffman – Future Thief {mtw027}

Artist: Hoffman
Title:
Future Thief
Label:
Mono211
Catalog #:
mtw027
Release Date:
2002/06/22


Just to mix things up a bit, and to prove that Mono211 itself isn’t entirely dead in its guise as our breaks/freestylin’ sublabel, we’re proud to present another track from the recently elusive DJ Hoffman.

He’s still hiding out in the South-West of England and providing us with dangerously good, dangerously unclassifiable breakbeat-ish tunes which help us hark back to the classic, more beat-leaden days of Mono .MODs which he was a big part of under his Dreamfish pseudonym 🙂

This time round, “Future Thief” takes its cues from the harder techno that Hoffman loves, and applies some of the looping, phasing, and layering facets to a much more breakbeat track. So, take a mini-sonic pan-sonic journey with us, flip to the pulsing bass, helicopter to the nimble drum programming, and headspin to the cut-up lead synths, wontcha? Then watch it all fade away like a really daft skinhead and hit you back up, hard. Wham?


Credits:
cover by h0l


Tracklist:
01 – Future Thief

Artwork:
Front Cover


License:
Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial 1.0 Generic (CC BY-ND-NC 1.0)


Mosaik – Among Plants {mtk081}

Artist: Mosaik
Title:
Among Plants
Label:
Monotonik
Catalog #:
mtk081
Release Date:
2002/06/13


We gladly return to the gorgeously lush hunting-ground of ex-demo-sceners, with this sublime ambient release from the artist formerly known as Radix/TPOLM and additionally known as Rymdlego, Sinespree, and his pseudonym for this release, Mosaik. Originally from Sweden, but last heard of heading to Holland, his last two Monotonik releases (as Radix and Mosaik respectively) were sinetastic in the purest way.

So, having caused at least a minor buzz on the idmlist with his confusing multiple pseudonyms and refreshingly pure sound, and with much love from demo-scene denizens for his perfect ‘chiptunes’ (he’s currently voted 3rd best of all time at chiptune.com), we decided to crassly attempt to shove his subtlety in your face some more. if you don’t mind, of course. But it’s just too yummy to pass up.

Anyhoo, “Among Plants” starts off with haltingly swelling synths and an almost Eno-esque repeated piano riff, and kicks in bubbling bass and almost imperceptible heightening through gyrating arpeggios and sound swells and eddies. For us, it sounds swell, mighty swell, something like the most blissed out eddies of an Apu-impelled Squishee coma.


Credits:
cover+photo by h0l


Tracklist:
01 – Among Plants

Artwork:
Front Cover

Additional Links:
[Bandcamp]


License:
Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial 1.0 Generic (CC BY-ND-NC 1.0)


Tim Koch – Thug:Remixed Sampler {mtk080}

Artist: Tim Koch
Title:
Thug:Remixed Sampler
Label:
Monotonik
Catalog #:
mtk080
Release Date:
2002/06/02


To coincide with the release of the long-awaited Aural Industries CD, “Thug:Remixed” (go to their page for info on how to order!), us here @ Monotonik are proud to release a 3-track sampler with a taste of the re-interpretations of Tim Koch/ Thug [Defocus, AI, Surgery] available on the disc itself.

Although the CD contains remixes by a whole bunch of other supercool idm types (Pimmon, Aspen, Superscience, Octopus Inc, Sense, and more!), we picked three of the most intriguing to put out there.

First up, Swedish duo Boulderdash, best known for their landmark 2000 release on RUC, “We Never Went to Koxut Island”, re-interpret Thug’s “123Heart” in heartbreaking style, all irregular drum gorgeousness and soulfelt layered shuffle.

Secondly, we find Sydney, Australia-based Quark Kent re-editing Tim’s “Let Us Chip” into an almost dub-sharp drum idm pot-pourri, with Orb-ish Pepperpot weird-ass vocal samples sneaked into the mix too. Eerie.

Finally, Finland’s Lackluster, not a stranger to Monotonik release-lists himself, contributes a typically pure-of-heart remix of “Quasipede”, starting out all coy and shy, before slipping in a marvellous sine-bass and allowing it to skip all around our head for the final part of the song. All in all, a satisfying conclusion.


Credits:
cover by thug/friends


Tracklist:
01 – 123Heart (Boulderdash Remix)
02 – Let Us Chip (Quark Kent Remix)
03 – Quasipede (Lackluster Remix)

Artwork:
Front Cover


License:
Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial 1.0 Generic (CC BY-ND-NC 1.0)


Ilkae – Jump Math Cupboard EP {mtk079}

Artist: Ilkae
Title:
Jump Math Cupboard EP
Label:
Monotonik
Catalog #:
mtk079
Release Date:
 2002/05/17


A Canadian/Polish duo who’ve been floating around the Monotonik nexus for a good while, and finally got sucked in, this deliciously playful EP mirrors the v-idm-eogame aesthetic of their recent, and very well received “Pistachio Island” album on Merck Records, and their two smart tracks for Neo-Ouija‘s “Cottage Industries 2”, in a deft touch and wonderful attention to detail.

The mini-journey starts with “Lagomorph Jump”, replete with layered chord jams, clever stops and starts, and intriguingly offbeat melodies, before “Let Irmine Do The Math” slides into view, pushing a quiet storm with initially proud ambience, then oddly proto-jazz groove. And to end it all, “New Cupboard From Ikea” is absolutely classic idm, with noble squeaks and proud stutters to the fore.


Credits:
cover by ilkae


Tracklist:
01 – Lagomorph Jump
02 – Let Irmine Do The Math
03 – A New Cupboard From Ikea

Artwork:
Front Cover


License:
Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial 1.0 Generic (CC BY-ND-NC 1.0)