Monika
And while Chicks may sometimes appear capable onlyof recycling the past, Gut's accomplishments with Monika place heramong progressive artists never content to let nostalgia or pastreferentials guide their work. Hints of punk's subversive wit and DIYaesthetic enter the Monika sound, but the musicians seem lessinterested in countercultural rejection than in promoting reforms to aunifying pop language. Nearly all take advantage of the electronicmedium, but never as an end in itself, the computer never more than anelaborate editing desk, a treatment for whispered vocals, amplifier ofincidental melodies or siphon of city sounds. Monikans are almostuniformly female, urban and stylish without appealing to trends. Allmaintain a pop sensibility, though even the most twee (Figurine,Florida, Burka Band) are never so naïve that ironical detachment isrequired for their enjoyment. The sleek and minimal German electroniccode exists only as subtext for this music, its creators poised totease out quietly overwhelming melody and sundry pop eccentrics withenough ease and regularity to suggest that perhaps Monika shouldhead-up the Kompakt Pop Ambientseries so the title might gain some meaning outside of signifyingbeat-less microhouse throwaways. This is new and vital pop music,relevant in both past and present contexts. The archetypal Monika groupmight be Contriva, a trio that began as a subtle and melodic post-rockunit but, by the time of their first record Tell Me When, hadshifted within this basic structure to create a fragile and confidentinstrumental pop treasure, its musicianship still visible but findingtranscendence from studied post-rock-isms through the arrangement oftimeless and suggestive pop figures across an electronic song-line. Monika Forceis the label's second budget-priced sampler, special not only becauseit is a great label introduction (compiled by Gut herself) but alsobecause it compiles many of the marginally available remixes andvinyl-only tracks even a previous Monika enthusiast may not have on onedisc. Some of the label's best tracks like Manuela Krause + Pole's"Mein Freund de Baum" and Barbara Morgenstern's "Aus heiterem Himmel"are included here in their 12" and 7" mixes alongside newer classicslike Contriva bassist Masha Qrella's wonderful "I want you to know,"also in a b-side mix. Morgenstern, my favorite Monika artist, evenincludes an admittedly weak bonus video for her song "We're all gonnafucking die." In absolute justification of its title, Force is the prefect place to begin submission to the new Monika world order.samples:
- Masha Qrella - I want you to know (Tobi Higgs mix)
- Komëit - Parade
- Barbara Morgenstern - Aus heiterem Himmel (Dntel mix)
Read More
