Monokino has released his propulsive electrowave single, Your Underground; a perfect introduction to Monokino’s distinctive, quirky approach to writing.
Opening with ethereal choral harmonies, the track quickly propels forward with an 8-bit style sampled beat, punctuated by wailing guitars. The breathless music is the ideal platform for Monokino to experiment with his vocals, effortlessly undulating from falsetto and baritone and back again. Your Underground is an energetic, stylish slice of alternative electro-pop sitting somewhere between the new romantic sound of 80s artists like The Associates and Gary Numan and the rock edge of Atari Teenage Riot and Alec Empire. Listen to Your Underground via SoundCloud below.
Monokino enlisted the skills of J. Laser / Jordan Lawlor – former a bass player in M83 – who played acoustic bass (replacing the synth bass). As Monokino states: “His help with the production of the song was very valuable because I immediately realised that he, like me, wants to continue the tradition of songwriting, but is not afraid of weird musical ideas even if it ends up as less a pop-song than it originally intended to be.”
A frequent participant in China’s ever growing music festival industry, Monokino’s talent has enabled him to showcase his unique pop music around the world; from China’s Strawberry Festival to South by South West in Austin, Texas. Also collaborating with renowned artists including Tony Visconti, Kristen Young and Jacco Gardner, Monokino is intent on sharing his sound with a UK audience.
Signed to Zip Records in the Netherlands, Monokino’s international reach has seen his works released by China’s largest independent music label Modern Sky. Combining his time between Nanjing, Shanghai and Amsterdam, has already gained support from a diverse range of tastemakers including Janice Long on BBC Radio Wales, Culture Collide, Backseat Mafia and The Chicago Tribune, Your Underground will be one of a number of single releases throughout 2021, culminating in the unveiling of an EP later this year.
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