Search - Monolake :: Gravity

Little emotion. Stripped down.

MJN76 | Chicago, IL, USA | 10/02/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"On "Gravity" Monolake exhibits minimalism to an extreme. With exception of a few tracks which are good, the album as a whole has a cold and stripped down feeling. The last track in particular has no beat at all, nine minutes of fuzz, and is reminiscent of Future Sound of London's early work (althogh FSOL did a much better job).On the plus side, some tracks on "Gravity" are good enough that the listener forgets that 6-8 minutes have passed. Tracks like "Ice," "Frost," and "Static" are still somewhat dark, but have more emotion and energy. Although it does have some brilliant moments, one might do better trying Richie Hawtin's work, specifically "DE9: Close to the Edit.""

BEST MONOLAKE ALBUM

HERNAN GONZALEZ | Montevideo, Montevideo Uruguay | 01/17/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"That is until I listen to Cinemascope, which I haven't yet. I can't believe the previous reviews here, Gravity is far beyond the quality of Interstate and Hong Kong. Music sounds much more compacted and no so software generated. It's full of dark but soulful feelings, unlike Interstate which is happy and superficial. Rythmic patterns have been improved a lot in this release too. The guys have come to create some of the most original loops I've heard to date. Ice, Frost, Static, Zero Gravity and Aviation are to me the best tracks. The lowest point in the record is the first track which I always skip, it's a very Interstate track. Their goal of a minimalist structure based on a complex grid of elements to represent outside reality as well as the everyday entropy in the individual mind has been achieved with Gravity. The obscure but tasteful synth drones that enlarge the feeling of the never-actually-looping rythmic patterns carry your subconscious to the end of each track without you realising you have listened to 5 or 6 minutes of the same thing. Rob and Gerard have finally get rid of any link between them and former labelmates in Chain Reaction, pursuing their own path towards defining pure electronic music. Best techno dub CD I've got. Guys, we would like a DVD with the live video improvisations, that would be great!"

A multifaceted, endearing album, not unlike his others

Karl Irwin | Dallas, TX | 08/14/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As Mr. Henke put it himself, "There are two forces inside him". This album clearly represents a kind of duality which is present in varying degrees amongst the offerings of the contemporary electronic dance community.

On one hand, we are presented with fairly repetitive, albeit clearly intellectualized dance rhythms with some or little variation, depending on the song in question. Not much emphasis is place on the rhythm section, as too much more than what is already there would simply obstruct the view of the rest of the soundscape. Said drum tracks work in conjunction with highly processed, ambiguous and quietly hysterical vocals. Vocals in techno are rarely pulled off tastefully unless used as a pad or left vague. Monolake nails vocal stuff about as tastefully as can be. In the foreground of the soundscape, various sound effects which clank, squirm and writhe of their own accord in a highly enjoyable manner.

On the other hand, and held in quite stark contrast to the former, brooding and pensive synth washes which stir awe and uncertainty pour out smoothly onto the listener.

The whole album has been engineered with a kind of crisp sonic clarity; the reverb he uses gives the album a kind of vastness to it which suggests that a particular sound or synth is just simply "there" without being subject to human interference.

I have heard the Aphexes, the Squarepushers, and yes, the Autechers, along with plenty of other musically complex "glitch-tronica", "IDM(height of arrogance, eh-hem)" and "drill and bass". A lot of it I really do like- Warp is a great label, but there is an understated, thoughtful simplicity to Monolake's music which I have sought for years. I am cynical simply because some musicians mock others or glorify themselves in stating that what they do requires a greater knowledge base or more technical abilities than what others may have, but if an artist discovers his true calling in jazz fusion, he's going to do what he must to acquire the skill sets which his genre requires.

Back to Monolake- he's a really talented, imaginitive artist whose unique style exemplifies and epitomizes all that is right and good with techno. This album could be succintly described as a direct aural conjoining of Kraftwerk's finest moments and Brian Eno's "Ambient 4: On Land". Readers are encouraged to look into Sutekh, Speedy J, Pole and Vladislav Delay."