Search - Monolake :: Momentum

Are you experienced?

Takis Tz. | InYourHead | 10/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you happen to be an experienced listener with electronic music then you should by no means miss out on this album. "Momentum" could very well be this year's top release. Monolake, not only take themselves one step further musically from their previous efforts, but they offer an electropsychedelia epic hard to find parallels with. Monolake have up to now indulged in minimal techno. This, they've always enriched with curious effects, feedback back noise and other trickery which has given them an identity in their sound. Another characteristic element of theirs has been the darkness in the music of their albums.
It is exactly that darkness that has ripened to pure doominess in "Momentum" and makes it stand out from the pile. Sometimes in music (unlike in other things in life) it seems that the sum is different from its parts. The overall atmosphere in this album is very intense. It drifts out to psychedelia and allthough lyrics are absent (it's all instrumental) it speaks to you and the message is -i would think- unmistakable.
In general, the recipe for Monolake has remained the same, minimal techno and effects, but paradoxically, it sometimes comes across as more bombastic and the effects are more intensive.
In a time where the electronic scene is taking music as a whole ahead as it explores new soundscapes, Monolake are a proposition that defines this convincingly. And, in a year, with exceptional electronic releases (Nersoton, Halsolium, Cinematic Orchestra to name but a very few) Monolake are at the very top of the pack.If your experience in electronic music has been up to now limited or confined to the mainstream (Moby, Massive Attack etc) this album might be a bit inaccessible or -more precisely- "difficult" to listen to. But if you wish to discover a new sound repertoire for your ears "Momentum" would be an ideal start."

One of their BEST

The Blue Raja | MD, USA | 12/09/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Gravity" used to be my favorite album by Monolake, but now Momentum adds some competition to the table. This album epitomizes what dark IDM and dub music should be. Momentum somehow encompasses many styles within this genre (from glitch to minimal dub) and still sounds like one coherent work. So many artists flake out or sell out as they get further down their career path... Monolake still stands strong, reinventing their approach, but maintaining their style. This is an essential piece of work don't miss out."