PHOTO: GEORGE VAN WETERING | Dutch artist Monokino has already built a name for himself in both Asia and North Americana and he’s now set his sights on the UK. His latest release “Your Underground” is a woozy fusion of alternative-rock and off-kilter electronics that certainly deserves your attention.
Channelling the likes of Twin Shadow and The Associates, Monokino is an artist who is hard to define. His new single is packed with a punch from the offset, as distorted guitar twangs are met with 8-bit samples and Monokino’s distinctively experimental vocals at the forefront. Talking about the single, Monokino explains, “The ‘underground scene’ appears to be very much into systematic exclusion, which was already clear recently when Burger Records came into the news.”
“Over here one creates a scene to unite people, by excluding people, because it fits into the zeitgeist. Something in me snaps. What is actually new and exciting is skipped while that what needs to be sold is promoted as something new. It serves the big players in the music biz to promote artists as being valuable to some underground community—either created or real—because of some Spotify playlist. There must be more interesting things artists can tell, right?” Some serious food for thought there.
With “Your Underground” Monokino hopes to captivate a new surge of listeners with his experimental blend of alt-rock and pop—and we’re here for it.
“Your Underground” is in stores now.
