Monolink (Steffen Linck) | |
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Background information | |
Born | West Germany | June 6, 1989
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Instrument(s) | Guitar, Piano |
Years active | 2014–present |
Labels | Embassy One Records, Afterlife |
Website | Official website |
Monolink is the stage name of Steffen Linck, a German singer-songwriter and electronic dance music producer who specializes in ambient, techno, electronica and house genres.
A member of the Berlin electronica scene, Monolink quickly broke away from the classic DJ set and instead created his own style with a combination of live vocals and instruments. [1] SF Weekly describes him as a purveyor of "trippy relaxation with a slightly gravelly, Teutonic voice". [2] Monolink collaborated with other electronic acts, including Acid Pauli. [3]
Monolink released his debut album, Amniotic, in 2018. The recording combines the tradition of singer-songwriting with electronic dance music, where techno, electronica and ambient genres blend with influences of Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. [1] Two singles from the release, "Sirens" and "Swallow" appeared at No. 1 spot in the iTunes Electronic (Germany). A review in EDM Identity describes the songs from the album as consisting of "hypnotic beats and vocals" and as "a blend of both deep and happy melodic sounds". [4]
Monolink performed at the 22nd Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2023. [5]
Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes tone and atmosphere over traditional musical structure or rhythm. It is often "peaceful" sounding and lacks composition, beat, and/or structured melody. It uses textural layers of sound that can reward both passive and active listening and encourage a sense of calm or contemplation. The genre is said to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual", or "unobtrusive" quality. Nature soundscapes may be included, and the sounds of acoustic instruments such as the piano, strings and flute may be emulated through a synthesizer.
Intelligent dance music (IDM) is a style of electronic music originating in the early 1990s, defined by idiosyncratic experimentation rather than specific genre constraints. The music often described with the term originally emerged in the early 1990s from the culture and sound palette of styles of electronic dance music such as acid house, ambient techno, Detroit techno and breakbeat; it has been regarded as better suited to home listening than dancing. Prominent artists in the style include Aphex Twin, Autechre, Squarepusher, μ-Ziq, the Black Dog and the later duo Plaid, as well as earlier acts such as the Future Sound of London and Orbital.
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Electronic dance music (EDM), also referred to as club music, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres originally made for nightclubs, raves, and festivals. It is generally produced for playback by DJs who create seamless selections of tracks, called a DJ mix, by segueing from one recording to another. EDM producers also perform their music live in a concert or festival setting in what is sometimes called a live PA. Since its inception EDM has expanded to include a wide range of subgenres.
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German electronic music is a broad musical genre encompassing specific styles such as Electroclash, trance, krautrock and schranz. It is widely considered to have emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s, becoming increasingly popular in subsequent decades. Originally minimalistic style of electronic music developed into psychedelic and prog rock aspects, techno and electronic dance music. Notable artists include Kraftwerk, Can, Tangerine Dream and Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft. German electronic music contributed to a global transition of electronic music from underground art to an international phenomenon, with festivals such as Love Parade, Winterworld and MayDay gaining prominence alongside raves and clubs.
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Selected Ambient Works 85–92 is the debut album by the British electronic music producer Aphex Twin. It was released on 9 November 1992 through Apollo Records, a subsidiary of the Belgian label R&S Records. The album consists of ambient techno tracks that were recorded on cassette as early as 1985, when James was 13-14 years old. On release it received widespread acclaim and entered the Dance Albums Chart at No. 6 on 26 December 1992.
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (BPM). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often characterized by a repetitive four on the floor beat. Artists may use electronic instruments such as drum machines, sequencers, and synthesizers, as well as digital audio workstations. Drum machines from the 1980s such as Roland's TR-808 and TR-909 are highly prized, and software emulations of such retro instruments are popular.
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