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Features
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From Bristol to Boomtown, Monk3ylogic bring their psy-breaks back to the Circus
Reported by Tara
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Submitted 11-05-16 20:11
Bristol-based psy-breaks duo Monk3ylogic were initially inspired to start writing music at their first parties in the heady days of the exploding rave scene in the early ’90s, but it wasn’t until technology caught up with their plans in the form of powerful PCs that they could finally start putting their unique stamp on their own sounds. They’ve since played all of the top UK festivals from Glastonbury to Glade and Boomtown – where they’ll be returning this summer – and released some killer tracks.
Currently taking a break from production while they kit out their studio so they can complete some older tracks and start some new ones, it appears the best is still yet to come on the production front. In the meantime, with the boys headlining the alternative room at the Astral Circus presents The Psy-Fi London Launch Party on Friday 20th May at Electrowerks, we threw the psychedelic simians a few bananas to get them talking…
Monk3ylogic Releases 2010-15
Hi Mike and Will, thanks for taking some time out to answer some questions for your fans when I’m sure you’d much rather be using your precious spare time to make music!
You’ve just got back from playing in Paris over the weekend, how did it go? Do you find the crowds in France very different to those in the UK?
It went really well, good décor and a really cool venue on the river Sein. We were playing for Namste records who put on a string of psy parties in Paris throughout the year, who’ve a great crew and lot of cool people at the event. There’s not too many differences with the crowds in France to here but on occasion they can be a little louder which is really cool.
You’re both considered pioneers of the newly emerging psy-break scene. For those who don’t know you, please tell us bit about your backgrounds. When did you first get into making music and what inspired you to make the leap from DJing into producing your own tracks?
Will and I have been writing music from roughly around 2003 and I have been Dj’ing since 1995. For both of us we have wanted to write music very soon after our first parties which was the beginnings of the Rave scene in the UK in the early ’90s but back then you needed some serious cash to get a studio together and it wasn’t until the early 2000s when PC’s became affordable and powerful enough to write dance music using just VST’s that we made the transition from Dj’ing to producing. Inspiration was there from very early on but like most things these days it was technology that made it possible.
Your music draws on elements from various genres – how would you describe the ML sound?
Hybrid psy-influenced breaks sound. Essentially a good mix of all of our favourite genres.
Monk3ylogic Hit the Limit promo live mix
When did you first meet and decide to start working together? Were you always clear on the kind of music you wanted to play and produce, or is it something that’s evolved over time?
Will and I first met in 2008 then shortly after we realised we had some similar ideas on making a hybrid psy sound that fell outside of the norm back then, so in early 2009 we got into the studio to see what might happen. The first 6 months was a lot of experimentation but as our ideas started to join together and the fact we were really enjoying the process of writing as a project, it started to become what you hear now as Monk3ylogic.
It didn’t seem like it at the time, but looking back we did have a reasonably clear idea of what we wanted to achieve: we had made some more 4/4 psychedelic electro style and the psychedelic break sound, but they all had the heavy snare sound which was very prominent in all of the early tracks. After more experimentation we realised the break sound gave us more room to be able to incorporate heavy bass sounds we loved alongside the more traditional psychedelic bass line. Since then it has been an evolution bringing in other genres that we have liked.
What have been the main influences and sources of inspiration for you over the years? And now?
A lot of early influences came from the psy scene in the late ’90s and the drum and bass scene back then, people like Prodigy, hallucinogen, Sphongle, Noisia and many others. Then in ’00s people like Far too Loud, Perfect Stranger and again a long list of artists that where doing different things back then. Now there is so much good music in sub styles of psychedelic music and hypnotic techno to draw inspiration from including artists from our own scene, all showing that more can always be done.
You’ve played at all the top UK festivals from Glastonbury to the Glade, headlined clubs and festivals all over the world and released a number of killer tracks on various labels. What would you say are the highlights of your musical career so far to date? And is there anything on the bucket list that you’re still aiming to do?
We have been really lucky, there has been so many great moments from our first gig at Waveform festival in 2009, playing at Matter in the 02 in London, The Breaks Awards, Glade Festival 2011, Arcadia at Glastonbury 2011, playing on the beaches of Goa, Cross club in Prague was a special night on a Broken Robot Label night – so many to list, but the best moment without doubt was playing Arcadia at Boomtown 2013, it was a full house with 10000 plus people there, the cheer at the end was incredible and something we will not forget.
The bucket list is still pretty big, there’s still a few international psy festivals we are hoping to get the nod for but hopefully they will come in time.
I know what goes on tour is supposed to stay on tour, but what’s your craziest story from life on the road?
Haha literally we’d need a whole page for some of these, plus any one of them could incriminate either Will or myself at some point, almost all involve excess.
What would be your top 5 desert island disks?
Prodigy ‘Gilted Generation’ and Nightmare on Wax ‘Smokers Delight’ would definitely be on there, as for the rest we would probably need a day going through all of the albums we have liked over the years and then another week to get them down to the final three.
You’ve spent the first part of the year building a new studio, how’s that all going? What are the key bits of kit that you’re planning on setting up?
It looks like we will be moving the kit in at some point over the next few weeks but we still need to make all of the sound treatment to go into the room which will happen over the next couple of months. It’s a little surreal that we have been fortunate enough to be able to build a room especially for a studio, but once Will mentioned it was going to be possible getting the room treated to give us the best possible space to make music in has been the key factor.
With the studio still a work in progress, have you had any time recently to write any new productions? Or do we need to be patient and wait until the ML Studio is up and running?
Not having the studio space, new additions to Will’s family and work commitments have meant the last year we have actually had a bit break from writing music solidly, however I think the enforced break is going to have a positive effect. We have both been working on ideas during this time and once the studio is complete we are both now really looking forward to getting in the studio and pulling the new ideas together and also finishing some previously unfinished tracks. Hopefully not too long before we get some of the new ideas and some more familiar Monk3ylogic sounds out there again.
You’re based in Bristol which has a thriving music scene. What events and clubs would you recommend checking out for someone heading over for a weekend?
Tribe of Frog and Planet Shroom are still going strong, Jelly fish with Broken Records is always a fun night along with loads of really cool small nights happening all over Bristol.
What’s the one piece of advice you wish you’d been given when you started out?
Don’t be afraid to ask people who are further ahead than yourself for some advice or tips. If you can get in the studio with them for a few sessions even better, it’s admirable to work this stuff out for yourself, however your progress will be much slower. The trick is to play on the ideas you learn and work out your own. Getting a little help in the beginning greatly speeds up the massive amount that needs to be learnt.
What up-and-coming DJs and producers have caught your eyes and ears recently?
In regards to new artists it’s been a little quiet this last year. No-one has really stood out and in general our scene has been a little quiet on the release front also including the more established artists as well. Just like us people have got their heads down working on new sounds however I think it won’t be long before some of this work in the form of albums and changes in style will come to fruition and hopefully a new wave of inspiration.
You’re back headlining the alternative room at Astral Circus presents… Psy-Fi Festival London Launch party on Friday 20th May at Electrowerkz. Why should readers come and check out your set?
We are very much looking forward to playing at Astral Circus again. Last time out was a lot of fun with loads of energy throughout the night. We will be back bringing you much of the same energy we like to play with, but with few more twists and turns than from previous years, also we have a few new tunes to try out along with some exciting new exclusive remixes of some our older tunes.
Finally, what plans do you have over summer and for the rest of 2016?
We have a good selection of festivals we are playing at this year along with a return to Boomtown which are very much looking forward to, plus a few more exciting gigs we will get to announce later on in the year. Then after the summer should see the first set of releases from the new batch of tracks to be finished over the summer, which should hopefully lead to an action packed 2017.
Many thanks! Looking forward to seeing you at the Circus next week!
Catch Monk3ylogic at Astral Circus presents Psy-Fi Festival London Launch Party on Friday 20th May at Electrowerkz.
Links
Monk3ylogic Soundcloud
Monk3ylogic FaceBook
Monk3ylogic website
Event page
Images & artwork courtesy of Monk3ylogic. No to be reproduced without permission.
Astral Circus presents Psy-Fi Festival London Launch Party
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On:
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Friday 20th May 2016
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At:
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Electrowerkz [map]
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From:
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22:00 - 0:600
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Cost:
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£15 adv/MOTD
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Website:
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www.facebook.com/events/991006210984661/
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Ticket Info:
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ACCESS ALL AREAS - Phone orders please call +44 (0)20-7267 8320 or +44 (0)20-7267 6148.
You can also purchase tickets from our office on the second floor in the Camden Lock market building in the heart of Camden Town, London.
2nd Floor, 30C Camden Lock Place, London, NW1 8AL
Opening hours: Tuesday - Saturday 12pm-7pm
(Closed on Bank Holidays)
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Buy Online:
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Click here to buy tickets
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More:
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We are ecstatically excited to announce the full line-up for the Psy-Fi Festival London launch party!!!
Manifesting from a storm of space dust and cosmic rays Astral Circus is proud to present to you some of the hottest psychedelic and alternative acts this side of the galaxy ... for what is going to be our biggest and most intergalactic event to date!!
This party will be a fusion of energies between Astral Circus and Psy-Fi Festival to create a carnival of our collective consciousness. Expect nothing but quality sound, prismatic visual production and of course... our special psychedelic family!
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Other Features By Tara:
Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast!
Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project
A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden
Telling Cosmic Tales with DJ Strophoria
Tom Psylicious aka EarthAlien takes 50 Spins Around the Sun: Raising Awareness Through the Power of Music
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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Comments:
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From: Nikki S on 12th May 2016 12:12.58
Great interview Tara! Good call on Prodigy ‘Gilted Generation’ for Top 5 desert island disks!!  .. I love Monkeylogic!!! And can't wait to catch their set at Astral Circus. Every time I've seen them they have blown me away and had me busting out shapes on the dance floor .... very excited!!
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