Straight Ahead by Monya
HANDS welcomes Monya, and we think it is a match made in heaven: Berlin-based producer, remixer, Djane, live act and Corresponding Positions label boss Monya is an inimitably diligent and authentic artist, and she’s not afraid to call her style what it is: Industrial techno. "Straight Ahead“ is her second full length album, the first to be released physically, and it makes best use of the format, a milestone for the genre in its seemingly effortless combination of rhythmic force and sweeping sounds.
Within the global techno scene, Monya is surely known all over, with her career now stretching over a decade and a list of supporters, remixers and collaborators including the likes of Perc, Steve Stoll or Ethan Fawkes (to name just a few). And it is especially through her label Corresponding Positions that she pursues her passion for the innovative, the fresh and the outcasts.
That said, “Straight Ahead” sports an abiding techno aesthetic with a continuous rough edge: What makes you “Listen” more effectively than a bold mixture of wailing feedback noise and rhythm? Add some sturdy bass, and get a succession of raw and ready bangers: The highly political “Widerstand ist Pflicht”, the paradoxically titled “Nachdenken”, the self-explanatory title track, the earworm “Schachmatt” and the extra distortion of “Benjamin”.
From there, diversion is granted: Now label mate S.K.E.T. remixes the opener in his recent 90s-flavoured fashion (one may say “rave” here), and “Gegen die Wand” features the vocals of David Foster aka Huren, some punk attitude for you! “Excursion with Sergej” and “Search of a compromise” appear comparably minimal and more experimental, before the “Outro” closes the circle, returning to the album’s noisy beginning.
The sound of “Straight Ahead” is as timeless as it is cutting-edge, and not trying sound immodest: Straight ahead brilliant.
Tracklist
| 1. | Listen | 6:13 |
| 2. | Widerstand ist Pflicht | 6:12 |
| 3. | Nachdenken | 5:35 |
| 4. | Straight Ahead | 7:31 |
| 5. | Schachmatt | 5:55 |
| 6. | Benjamin | 8:20 |
| 7. | Listen (S.K.E.T. Remix) | 4:48 |
| 8. | Gegen die Wand feat. HUREN | 6:26 |
| 9. | Excursion with Sergej | 6:27 |
| 10. | Search of a Compromise | 8:36 |
| 11. | Outro | 5:45 |
Credits
License
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HANDS - label for electronic music and art since 1990. HANDS is a pioneering label for contemporary electronic music, presenting artists from all over the world. The covered genres extend beyond the core business of Rhythm'n'Noise into the areas of IDM, Drum & Bass and Breakcore, Minimal Techno, Ambient, Electronica and Sound Art.