Monolink

Last updated

Monolink
(Steffen Linck)
Monolink byHailleyHoward-8613.jpg
Background information
Born (1989-06-06) June 6, 1989 (age 34)
(Germany)
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • DJ
  • music producer
  • singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Guitar, Piano
Years active2014–present
LabelsEmbassy 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.

Contents

Music career

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]

Discography

Albums

Singles

Related Research Articles

Trip hop is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic fusion of hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound, often incorporating elements of jazz, soul, funk, reggae, dub, R&B, and other forms of electronic music, as well as sampling from movie soundtracks and other eclectic sources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambient music</span> Music genre

Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes tone and atmosphere over traditional musical structure or rhythm. It may lack net composition, beat, 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. It emerged from the culture and sound palette of electronic styles such as ambient techno, acid house, Detroit techno and breakbeat; it has been regarded as better suited to home listening than dancing. Prominent artists associated with it include Aphex Twin, Autechre, Squarepusher, Venetian Snares, Boards of Canada, Amon Tobin, Telefon Tel Aviv, μ-Ziq, the Black Dog, the Future Sound of London, and Luke Vibert.

Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to refer to electronic music generally.

Ambient techno is a subgenre of techno that incorporates the atmospheric textures of ambient music with the rhythmic elements and production of techno. It was pioneered by 1990s electronic artists such as Aphex Twin, Carl Craig, The Orb, The Future Sound of London, the Black Dog, Pete Namlook and Biosphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultramarine (band)</span> English electronic music duo

Ultramarine are an English electronic music duo, formed in 1989 by Ian Cooper and Paul Hammond. Their work blends elements of techno, house and ambient music with acoustic instrumentation, the influence of the 1970s Canterbury scene, and other eclectic sources. They are best known for their 1991 album Every Man and Woman Is a Star, reissued on Rough Trade the following year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Console (musician)</span> Electronic music project

Console is an electronic music project founded by Martin Gretschmann, the former lead programmer for the German band The Notwist. The band incorporates elements of electronic music. The band consists of Miriam Osterrieder, Christoph Brandner (drums), Axel Fischer, Michael Schwaiger, Anton Kaun (visuals), and Martin Gretschmann (computer).

Electronic dance music (EDM) 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.

Techno Squirrels is a multi-national electronica duo that formed in 2005, and is made up of Ryan Harlin and Lisa Eriksson. Both Eriksson and Harlin are sound engineers and producers for Techno Squirrels. Their music has been used in MTV's The Real World (Sydney), The Real World (Hollywood), The Real World vs. Road Rules Challenge, Regenesis, and on LucasArts' Thrillville 2 soundtrack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haliene</span> American pop singer

Kelly Melissa Sweet, known professionally as Haliene, is an American singer of electropop and electronic dance music. She is known for her vocal collaborations with EDM artists Armin van Buuren, Seven Lions, ATB, Ferry Corsten, Aly & Fila, Da Tweekaz, and her song with Gareth Emery & Standerwick, "Saving Light", which won the A State of Trance award, "Tune of the Year," by Armin van Buuren.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aphex Twin</span> British electronic musician (born 1971)

Richard David James, best known as Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born British musician, composer and DJ. He is known for his idiosyncratic work in electronic styles such as techno, ambient, and jungle. Journalists from publications including Mixmag, The New York Times, NME, Fact,Clash and The Guardian have called James one of the most influential and important artists in contemporary electronic music.

<i>Selected Ambient Works 85–92</i> 1992 studio album by Aphex Twin

Selected Ambient Works 85–92 is the debut studio album by Aphex Twin, the pseudonym of British electronic musician Richard D. James. It was released on 9 November 1992 through Apollo Records, a subsidiary of Belgian label R&S Records. The album consists of ambient techno tracks recorded onto cassette reputedly dating as far back as 1985, when James was thirteen to fourteen years old. Upon release it received widespread acclaim. It entered the UK Dance Albums Chart at No. 6 on 26 December 1992.

Gorgon City are an English electronic music production duo consisting of two North London producers Kye "Foamo" Gibbon and Matt "RackNRuin" Robson-Scott. Their 2014 singles "Ready for Your Love" and "Here for You" reached the top ten in the UK. They are currently signed to the UK-based record label Positiva Records which is a division of Universal Music Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seven Lions</span> Musical artist

Jeff Montalvo, known professionally as Seven Lions, is an American DJ, record producer, instrumentalist and remixer from Santa Barbara, California. Active musically since 2010, his music combines styles as diverse as trance, melodic dubstep, drum and bass, glitch hop, and electro house. He has released eight EPs, multiple singles, and official remixes for record labels such as Casablanca Records, Owsla, Viper Recordings, Anjunabeats, Republic Records and Monstercat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attlas</span> Musical artist

Jeff Hartford, better known by his stage name Attlas, is a Canadian DJ, electronic music producer and musician. Hartford is known for his progressive house and electronica releases on the electronic label mau5trap and has often appeared the label's We are Friends album series. He has released three albums, five extended plays, and several other singles and has received two Juno Award nominations over the course of his career. He is also half of the group Sun Lo with Richard Walters.

EDM trap is a fusion genre of hip hop, rave music and EDM, that originated in the early 2010s on peaking popularity of big room house and trap music genres. It blends elements of trap, which is an offshoot of Southern hip hop, with elements of electronic dance music like build-ups, drops, sound designs, productions and breakdowns. As it was popularized, it increasingly began incorporating more pop elements.

References

  1. 1 2 Steffen Wals (21 April 2018): Singer-songwriting and techno not compatible? With his debut album "Amniotic", Monolink proves the opposite, tonspion.de
  2. Lawrence Kane (31 May 2018): Lightning in a Bottle 2018 Was the Best Festival We’ve Ever Been To, SF Weekly
  3. Monolink announces debut album, oneedm.com
  4. Julia Brodnick (20 April 2018): Monolink Take Listeners on a Deep Journey with Debut Album, ‘Amniotic’, EDM Identity
  5. luna (17 April 2023). "Surprise Sets by ODESZA, Uncle Waffles & Monolink at Do LaB Stage". Clubbing TV. Retrieved 26 April 2023.