Tag: Monotonik

Delayscape – VCOs or DCOs EP {mtk199}

Artist: Delayscape
Title: VCOs or DCOs EP
Label: Monotonik
Catalog #: mtk199
Release Date: 2008/03/16

Danish idm musician Delayscape has been prolific since his debut ‘Everybody Drops’ release for Monotonik in 2006, with releases on netlabels including Acrylik, Musicartistry and Cold Room, and we’re delighted to welcome him back to us with the funky, borderline squelchy electronics of ‘VCOs or DCOS’.

It all starts out with ‘Patch Point Blank’, which throws around the fuzzy warbles in alluring ways, before ‘Breaking The Square Waves’ gets funkier still, with some surprisingly guttural synth noises and hippedup drums infusing the EP with a little grit.

Some of the later highlights of this 5-track EP include ‘2am’, which echoes out some almost dub techno effects, before ‘Trains Not Taken’ ends things up on an almost ’80s-infused Vangelis-y vibe, oddly but happily. Overall, a smileworthy second release for us – thanks to Delayscape again for proffering the goods.

Credits:
pic by h0l

Tracklist:
01 – Patch Point Blank
02 – Breaking The Square Waves
03 – The Jet Age
04 – 2am
05 – Trains Not Taken

Artwork:
Front Cover

Download

License:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US)

← Back To Netlabel

Jet Jagur – Biddy Bids {mtk198}

Artist: Jet Jagur
Title: Biddy Bids
Label: Monotonik
Catalog #: mtk198
Release Date: 2008/02/24

So, a long-awaited Monotonik solo debut from New Zealand’s Michael Upton, aka Jet Jaguar, with the beautifully minimal, almost dub-infused electronica of his ‘Biddy Bids’ EP.

Having previously released physical CDs on Involve Records and Capital Recordings, as well as being one half of recent Monotonik releasers Malty Media – alongside Aquaboogie – Upton seems to revel in oddly clipped, funky stylings.

For example, lead track ‘Red’ is all echo-drums and spotty, static-flecked skank, while another standout, ‘Enjoy Mask Aesthetic’, is burbling synth backgrounds topped by a roving bassline of some repute. It all ends with ‘Kent’s Windchime Recording’, which seems to mix ambient samples with pulsing, almost heartlike beats. Different is good!

Credits:
pic by h0l

Tracklist:
01 – Red
02 – Basashi Aisu
03 – Enjoy Mask Aesthetic
04 – Disasters In Reverse
05 – Kent’s Windchime Recording

Artwork:
Front Cover

Download

License:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US)

← Back To Netlabel

Muhr – A Lonely Gust Of Wind {mtk197}

Artist: Muhr
Title: A Lonely Gust Of Wind
Label: Monotonik
Catalog #: mtk197
Release Date: 2008/01/26

It’s been in the queue for quite some time, but we’re proud to finally debut ‘A Lonely Gust Of Wind’ from Canadian artist Vincent Fugère, once known as Vizion but nowadays known as Muhr – a 3-track ambient EP of stark beauty and obtuse goodness.

We start off, naturally enough, with ‘Part 1’, which drifts in and out almost entirely for the first half or so of the track, before laying into some repeated ambient phrased, before ‘Part 2’ starts to swell a little, laying on the almost orchestral waves – of one of the most ambient releases we’ve put out on Monotonik for a good while.

Fortunately, the final track ‘Post’ turns up and bears fruit, kicking out a carefully charged ending that’s just slightly ornate but fully wonderful. Thumbs up to Muhr.

Credits:
pic by h0l

Tracklist:
01 – A Lonely Gust Of Wind – Part 1
02 – A Lonely Gust Of Wind – Part 2
03 – A Lonely Gust Of Wind – Post

Artwork:
Front Cover

Download

License:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US)

← Back To Netlabel

Pliant – Musical Endeavor {mtk196}

Artist: Pliant
Title: Musical Endeavor
Label: Monotonik
Catalog #: mtk196
Release Date: 2007/12/31

Monotonik rounds out 2007 with a bit of a gem – a free digital release of the super-rare Pliant mini-CD ‘Musical Endeavor’, the quirky video-game inspired electronica blast originally released on New Yorkbased label Systorm Technologies back in 2000.

What do you need to know about this? Well, the super-perky 9 track, 18 minute release is chronicling a fictional video game of some kind, and from the dynamic, spider-bass infused ‘Title’, it’s clear that you’re being taken through the game in aural form, thanks to previous Monotonik release Pliant’s bleep-pop stylings.

Some highlights? ‘Options’ is funked-up loping, slightly sinister pseudo-game music, and ‘Forest’ conjures up previous Monotonik release ‘Maruera Gum’ with some aplomb, before the super-weird waltz-ish ‘Volcano’ and the reprise of ‘Credits’ finish things off in dischordant, intriguing form. Bravo.

Credits:
pic by pliant

Tracklist:
01 – Title
02 – Options
03 – Village
04 – Forest
05 – Hills
06 – Cave
07 – Volcano
08 – Boss
09 – Credits

Artwork:
Front Cover
Back Cover

Download

License:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US)

← Back To Netlabel

Planet Boelex – Live At Virus Festival ’07, Lithuania {mtk195}

Artist: Planet Boelex
Title: Live At Virus Festival ’07, Lithuania
Label: Monotonik
Catalog #: mtk195
Release Date: 2007/12/10

We’re delighted to welcome back multiple Monotonik releaser Planet Boelex, who’s provided us with an awesome 60+ minute live set, featuring all self-composed Boelex material (much of it new!) recorded at the recent Virus Festival in Lithuania.

Boelex, whose tracks have also appeared on Kahvi and Ogredung in recent years, has a beautifully layered pure idm sound, and the mix showcases the downtempo, chilled nature of his sound briefly, starting out with ‘Forever And Always’ and moving on through several untitled tracks.

All in all, it’s a wonderful, cleverly mixed set of all Boelex, all the time – and it’s particularly notable because the entire hour-plus is completed without Mr. Boelex ever raising his voice, but it’s authoritarian nonetheless. He who composes quietly carries a big impact stick, we’re guessing? Bravo.

(Track order is as follows – ‘Forever and always’, ‘Untitled’, ‘Shower Curtain’, ‘Seagull Scene’, ‘Untitled’, ‘Suunta’, ‘Blinded Of You’, ‘Sim Ten’, ‘Direction Backwards’, ‘100kn’.)

Credits:
pic by boelex

Tracklist:
01 – Live At Virus Festival ’07, Lithuania

Artwork:
Front Cover

Additional Links:
[Bandcamp]

Download

License:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US)

← Back To Netlabel

Distruc – Junctions EP {mtk194}

Artist: Distruc
Title: Junctions EP
Label: Monotonik
Catalog #: mtk194
Release Date: 2007/11/25

A Monotonik debut from UK-based electronic music artist Distruc, whom you might know from releases on Hippocamp and his co-founding of Japanese electronic japesters the Freeta Corrective, as well as his debut physical album ‘Clip & Glide’, released on Australian label Artists Known As.

In any case, his debut EP for us, ‘Junctions’, is a satisfyingly crunchy set of almost electro-tinged, pure headphone listening idm, which we continue to cherish like we’re Gollum, and ‘Path’ sets it up beautifully, all loops of life and whooping drums.

All of the long, flowing tracks work wonderfully, but ‘Unlock’ is another highlight, with mechanical percussion and sweeping chord repetition, plus a surprisingly funky robotic bassline at play. Things finish out with ‘Crossings’, another bass-heavy jam through Detroit vs. idm super-pure sine wave skronk – and we are happy.

Credits:
pic by h0l

Tracklist:
01 – Path
02 – Unlock
03 – Slumber
04 – Crossings

Artwork:
Front Cover

Download

License:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US)

← Back To Netlabel

Ocbalt – As Is {mtk193}

Artist: Ocbalt
Title: As Is
Label: Monotonik
Catalog #: mtk193
Release Date: 2007/10/27

A debut on Monotonik, then, for Finland-based electronic music artist Ocbalt, with some delightfully bubble, vocoded tracks from his upcoming ‘Vintage Art’ album.

The full album should be out on a physical label pretty soon, but we, luckily enough, get a digital EP to precede it, with the brief spoken word ‘What Is Art?’ seguing swiftly into the surprising bleep-pop of ‘Bribe’, which showcases sweet multi-tracked vocoded singing and super-catchy synths, all stutter-step.

The other two tracks are dead-on, too, with ‘As Is’ blasting a little tarantella on drums before spooky synths wander in and looped spaceman vocals wander across the top somewhere or other. Finally, ‘Okno’ has an odd spoken word loop to start out before some absolutely delightful idmpop wanders into view, catchy and smart. ‘Ok yes’, Ocbalt – and thanks for sharing with us.

Credits:
pic by h0l

Tracklist:
01 – What Is Art?
02 – Bribe
03 – As Is
04 – Okno

Artwork:
Front Cover

Download

License:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US)

← Back To Netlabel

Dead Eros – Cycle EP {mtk192}

Artist: Dead Eros
Title: Cycle EP
Label: Monotonik
Catalog #: mtk192
Release Date: 2007/09/30

We first released Michigan-based foreboding idm superstar Dead Eros on Monotonik back in 2005, and are delighted to welcome him back with this 4-track release, ‘Cycle EP’, all slightly spooky, overlapping electronics in a distinctly regional, but distinctly original way.

We start out with ‘Specific Ocean’, which is fuzzed-up angular metal funk, in a laid back way, before going on to the keyboard-flecked, downtempo ‘Ignite Alarm’, which is heavy on the shuffle, almost halfspeed drill and bass rhythms. It’s like if you got Squarepusher a bus pass and made him reminisce about the old days of cloth caps, innit?

Following rapidly on, ‘Idyll’ is incredibly ambient, smile-inducing melodic haze, and closer ‘Respite’ drifts almost into Biosphere territory with some powerful drone overlaid with some strong, catchy loops, while the radio chatter jerks up and down, and eventually overwhelms the piece for a blissout, dubladen ending. This is, my friends, original electronic music, while is why we’ve released it on Monotonik. End.

Credits:
pic by Dead Eros

Tracklist:
01 – Specific Ocean
02 – Ignite Alarm
03 – Idyll
04 – Respite

Artwork:
Front Cover

Download

License:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US)

← Back To Netlabel

Bird Lantern – DuD {mtk191}

Artist: Bird Lantern
Title: DuD
Label: Monotonik
Catalog #: mtk191
Release Date: 2007/09/15

Introduced to Monotonik by long-time friend Tim Koch, we’re delighted to present an EP from the kinetic Australian duo of Bird Lantern. The group comprises Greig Thomson and Al Thumm from Adelaide, to be precise, with extra personnel when playing live, and they have been making music since they met in 2000, and are signed to Australian indie Kinderbox Records.

In any case, ‘DuD’ is a delightfully loop-centric EP that reminds vaguely of laid-back compatriots The Avalanches, but artfully mixed with a whole raft of guitar-based, hiphop, and sample-heavy influences. Opener ‘Phasers’ is scrappy hiphop loops with odd spoken word snippets dotted all over it, whereas ‘Sweet Papa Fridge’ is wah wah and low-key funk all over the shop.

For the rest of the EP, we have ‘Off The Beaten Track’, sorta transposing Old West charm into the Australian melange, and finally the flute loop charm of ‘Thrill’ ends everything out, smiling off into the sunset. It’s another shift of pace for Monotonik, but that’s just how we like it. Happy September, all.

Credits:
pic by Bird Lantern

Tracklist:
01 – Phasers
02 – Sweet Papa Fridge
03 – Off The Beaten Track
04 – Thrill

Artwork:
Front Cover

Download

License:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

← Back To Netlabel

Muxu – Show Us Your Weak Side {mtk190}

Artist: Muxu
Title: Show Us Your Weak Side
Label: Monotonik
Catalog #: mtk190
Release Date: 2007/09/02

This new release is most definitely Monotonik’s first from Malaysia, thanks to duo Euseng and Liang, also known as Muxu, who’ve followed up their self-released debut album ‘Above Us, A Clear Summer Sky’ with this wonderful 6-track EP, ‘Show Us Your Weak Side’, here as the 190th release on Mono.

The duo first met for a joint band project – with Liang playing guitar for delightfully named band Citizens of Ice-Cream, but set up Muxu in early 2006. They’ve also contributed a track to the Mu-nest label compilation ‘We Are All Cotton-Hearted’, alongside other artists such as Lullatone, Piana, Park Avenue Music and Aus.

In any case, Muxu starts out with the delightfully meandering ‘Hishiko’, all sliding ambience and strong melodies – reminding of previous Monotonik artists Sleepy Town Manufacture through a distinct guitarinfused Asian blend, perhaps? It only gets lusher from there, with ‘Let’s Walk On The Frozen Sea’ weaving almost Harold Budd-esque piano into the mix, and ‘Meeting Snow During Summer’ continuing the carefully multi-layered shimmer.

Other highlights include the careful groove of ‘Moving At 30’ and the end track, ‘People Running Away’, which has us running towards, not from Muxu’s lush sound from an unusual place. Thanks, guys.

Credits:
pic by Muxu

Tracklist:
01 – Hishiko
02 – Let’s Walk On The Frozen Sea
03 – Meeting Snow During Summer
04 – Morning Breeze & Talking Beans
05 – Moving At 30
06 – People Running Away

Artwork:
Front Cover

Download

License:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

← Back To Netlabel