Monster Loop has been selected to participate in a Microsoft promotion called “Playlist Seven” and we want your help! 50 songs (all different genres) were just posted at http://www.reverbnation.com/playlist7 You can go to this link and download 7 of the songs. The 7 most popular, based on downloads, are permanently featured by Microsoft. To prevent artists and friends from boosting stats, you have to become a fan of Microsoft. Basically, you just follow the link in this email, click the Facebook icon, and become a fan. Don’t worry – they’ll leave you alone otherwise, it’s simply to prevent voter fraud – no spam.
Our song, “Transcendental Sonata” – an electronic dance remake of Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor “Quasi una fantasia”, Op. 27, No. 2, by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1801 – is up now and will be up all week. One interesting part (well, to us), is… we get paid! We’ve already been paid a nominal fee for participation, but if we’re among the top 7 this week, we get paid substantially more. So please, download our song. As of this writing we are ranked #6 out of 50 contenders. We look at it this way, we’re not filthy capitalists, we enjoy the idea of having Bill Gates pay for our equipment.
Ciao for now!
Patrick & William of Monster Loop
Not too long ago, the members of Monster Loop recall a time back when we were young dj punks that finding good electronic music created in America was… how should one put it? a challenge. In fact, this member recalls playing a 9-hour dj set in northern California that featured only ONE track produced by an American artist. Nine hours! What was going on then?
Taste in music is, of course, relative. We recall carting around album bins filled with vinyl produced in Germany, produced in Belgium, in France, in the UK, hell, even Romania (and one helluva track it was – Robitiko Rejekto!)… and so forth and so on…and nary an American artist in the cue. Well, there was the acid house section in case the evening got weird (dj rule 1 – be prepared for strange, strange will happen). That section was loaded with some great American artists such as Phuture (DJ Pierre – creator of “Acid Traxx”). But even DJ Pierre was, purportedly, more awed by the UK techno scene, allegedly stating that it was there that he, for the first time, felt truly appreciated.
Several explanations for this phenomenon have been offered. Some claim that, just at the time electronic music was starting to take off in the U.S., the Seattle rock scene kicked in (yes, Nirvana, et. al.), effectively crushing the growth of techno in America at that time. Similarly, some say – and we tend to agree – that Americans are a tad too wedded to the concept of music as guitar, unable to move past the idea that music does not necessarily have to be created by an ensemble of guitarists and a drummer wearing faded tshirts and weathered jeans, gesticulating wildly behind a gyrating singer yelling about his/her particular neurosis. Geez, try therapy kid, it’s worth it. Perhaps this is overly critical – something we’re wary of doing, but it seems to us that this concept has become antiquated.
But times do change – ultimately the western world begrudgingly accepted the fact that the earth revolved around the sun rather than the other way around, and ultimately Americans began to accept that electronic music was a vehicle that allowed them to hear five trillion more variations of sound than under other, more traditional, vehicles of sound (and let’s face it, that’s all an instrument is). And now we can proudly state that electronic music is alive and kicking in America. And, on that note, we offer for your enjoyment the following tracks, all made in the USA. Okay, so we included one of our own. We didn’t want to miss out on this one. Incidentally, the tracks are made by, in order, Burro Music (Texas), Aligning Minds (Maryland), Gregor (Illinois), Monster Loop (Georgia), C’Mongrooves (Florida), and Suremy (California).
Over the past 40 years, Germany has produced (and continues to produce) an extraordinary group of electronic music pioneers. Most everyone is familiar, of course, with Kraftwerk, formed back in 1970. But Germany has continued to generate musical prodigies each decade. During the 1980s when most folks were bopping along to New Order or Aha’s “Take on Me” (admittedly great music), a real new order of electronic dance music was being established in central Europe, as talented German artists such as Sven Vath, Oliver Lieb, Paul van Dyk, Torsten Fenslau, Peter Namlook, Thomas Heckman and others were creating a sound influenced by, but generally light-years ahead, of the 80’s synth pop/new wave. Oliver Lieb’s 1989 track “System” under the name “Force Legato,” and Torsten Fenslau’s groundbreaking track “Alone It’s Me” under the name “Abfahrt,” (German for “Departure”) - regarded by some as the greatest electronic track yet produced for example – signaled a new era of music and single-handedly fueled the expansion of a new style of electronic music in many parts of the globe, including the southeast U.S.
This writer had an opportunity to expose the Bay Area (northern California, US) to this sound while a DJ at KZSU, 90.1, Stanford’s innovative radio station. During that time, I received numerous calls with questions about the central European music. Not surprisingly, most of the local populace who listened to electronic music (trip hop was popular at the time) had never heard a sound quite like it. For some, it was “too intense.” For others – Monster Loop included, it was an exhilarating musical breakthrough. Examining the phenomenon deeper, one must acknowledge the contribution to the burgeoning European techno scene from the U.S. “Acid House” movement, which originated in Chicago and Detroit. The Germans – and Frankfurt deserves special recognition along with Berlin, Cologne, and other German cities – however, harnessed and processed the powerful American Acid House sound as if it were a raw material. And, in the process, the Germans created something entirely original. There are some who follow the history of electronic music who claim that, without the contribution of the Germans at this time, electronic music would have met the same fate as disco.
In the spirit of celebrating the country’s many musical accomplishments, we have attached this tune-widget with 5 contemporary German electronica tracks. We hope you enjoy.
The two of us that comprise Monster Loop have been listening to electronic music for quite awhile. Every once in awhile, we’ll throw out suggestions of what we consider great electronic music – currently and from the past. We believe that, in many ways, the electronic music being produced today is as good as has ever been produced. On the other hand, we’re benefiting from great artists from the past who have influenced the current sound. Moreover, production technology has immensely improved, giving artists greater control over the final sound.
There have, however, been some outstanding productions in the past with no current parallel. The Belgian “New Beat” movement, circa 1990, for example, produced a phenomenal, grinding bass-heavy, chill-but-oh-so-intense-groove that, at its best, produced a mysterious, compelling cutting-edge sound with no modern equivalent. Some of Psychic TV’s productions (e.g., Jack the Tab, Peak Hour), as far as lunatic creativity, possibly hasn’t been matched. The Acid House movement, around 1988, is also distinct and unmatched – many of the original acid house tracks have a powerful groove one rarely hears these days. Incidentally, a band from northern Europe, the Havanna Acid Club, may well produce the most powerfully authentic “Acid House” sound since that day.
If you like:
- Unique ambient: Check out Aphex Twin – “Selected Ambient Works” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selected_Ambient_Works_85–92
- Unusual/tripped out electro: Try Psychic TV’s Jack the Tab – “Acid Tablet Volume One” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_The_Tab_-_Acid_Tablets_Volume_One
- Outstanding early techno/industrial dance: We recommend Front 242 – “Front by Front” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_by_Front
- Provocative, erie synthetic atmosphere: Try ClockDVA – “Buried Dreams” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clock_DVA
In response to some requests, we’ve added another tune widget focusing on great underground electronic dance music from around the globe.
Artist / Country / Track
- Koxbox / Spain / The Last Day
- Hujaboy / Israel / The Acid Revival
- Psextreme / Serbia / No Limits
- Boa Group / Israel / Frozen Dream
- Headroom / South Africa / Will Never End
- Inna / Romania / Hot
- Concept / France / Concept vs. Earworm
- Mental Abstraction / France / vs. Spacebar the Vise
2
Nov
One of the beautiful aspects of electronic music is its ability to express human thought and emotion in a manner that transcends the feeble limitations of our human languages.
Continuing our review of electronic music around the world, this week we feature electronic music from South America including artists from Argentina (Tranxgo, Diamanda, and Zeitan), Bolivia (Steve Bravo DJ), Brazil (Marcelo Carvalho, Drumagick), Chile (Chilenomedio), & Ecuador (Rhodnails).
Most of these artists are no strangers to international attention. Out of over 21,000 electronica artists on Reverbnation, for example, Drumagick is ranked #10 on the Global Top 100 Electronica Chart, Tranxgo is ranked #11, Steve Bravo #47, and Rhodnails #88. We hope you enjoy the selections.
He has been called “the mad genius” due to the extraordinarily diverse, innovative tracks he has produced since 1985. The Guardian Newspaper called him “the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music.” He has been an inspiration to both members of Monster Loop. In honor of him, we’ve selected a few tracks by some contemporary artists which we think evidence the enduring influence of Richard James, aka Aphex Twin.
Artist / Country / Track
- Musical Craft / France / Tum Tum Tu Tu Ta
- Ocoeur / France / Trip hop in the night
- Kay / Hungary / inka
- Jam’s / France / Sentiments eparpilles
- Maelstrom / England / Music Technology
- Monster Loop / USA / Jacked
Recently we came upon an ambitious website that attempted to list every subcategory of electronic music. The site listed well over 200 subcategories, at which point our eyes became tired so we decided to record music instead. We’re not sure which of the 200+ categories we’d place the following tracks; we just like to hear them played at clubs. We hope you enjoy them as well. Warning: don’t let the beginning of certain of these songs lull you into a false sense of passivity! Oh, and put on some headphones will you?! Wait until you get to Aum Project – momma mia!!
- Booka Shade (Germany) - City Tales
- EricM (South Africa) – Addicted 2 Music
- Corselectro (France) – A Corsica
- Aum Project (Spain) – On Time vs. Digital Tribe
- Juce (Portugal)- Converge (by Mozam – Juce Remix)
- Havana Acid Club (Norway) – BOXID 128
- Celestina Robot (Puerto Rico) - Breakish
26
Oct
Due to an outpouring of global interest and feedback – we heard today from people representing over 10 countries and four continents – we’re posting more recommended tracks from around the world.
Artist / Location / Track
1. EricM / Sandton, South Africa / 2 Much
2. Squid Lid / Toronto, Ontario, Canada / Catarak Fungicides
3. Claeysen / Paris, France / Kiss Me, I’m Bored
4. Caibel / North Carolina, USA / Trippin’ Dirty
5. Carl Jurgens / Oslo, Norway / Game Over
1. Maelstrom – England
2. Burro Music – US (Texas)
3. Booka Shade – Germany
4. Psycholoic – France
5. Jairus Miller – US (Maine)
