- Despite being hailed as essential and highly influential, Konrad Becker's mythical Monoton project has spent a surprisingly long time off the radar. Originating in Austria in 1979, Monoton's sound has evolved from abstract electronica, through rave to laptop jams by absorbing new technology like an amorphous blob and spitting out new ideas relentlessly, often well before their accepted time. Although no new music was released for the better part of two decades, Becker has never left the scene and has instead concentrated on building up widely regarded multimedia art, social and information projects. Thanks to Montreal's Oral label, however, the old works are quietly slipping back onto the market again, shortchanging all the collectors paying exorbitant sums on eBay.
Bridging the gap between krautrock, Raster-Noton and Kompakt, the four tracks here are far from mere money spinners with only "Mutation Waltz" having been previously released on an obscure Dutch compilation. On that track phasing patterns and voices weave in and out of key and synchronisation, sounding more mathematical than the opener "π 3.141592653589793" which is allegedly based on a transposition of the number into musical notation. Its repetitive, analogue drive is highly danceable, although maybe not the best for peak time.
"Transnumerique" is somewhere in between the two, being both motoric and disorientating—like a Teutonic version of Suicide. "Ich Weiss Nichts," which originally appeared in two different forms on an early 7-inch, is more dizzying. This unearthed mix fuses Space Invader effects with buried Roxy Music atmospheres and broken beat noises that sound simultaneously dated and yet incredibly visionary. With this release, another 10-inch already available and further re-releases slated for later in the year, Monoton could finally be back on the radar.
TracklistA1 π 3.141592653589793
A2 Mutation Waltz
B1 Transnumerique
B2 Ich Weiss Nichts (NX-Mix)