Monolake "Gravity" Monolake / Imbalance Computer Music ml 006 2000 (67:51)
Mobile
(7:59)
Ice (8:29)
Frost (6:50)
Static
(9:34)
Zero
Gravity (5:53)
Fragile (12:00)
Aviation (7:49)
Nucleus (9:17)
Monolake is German producer/programmer/engineer Robert Henke, apparently now solo as former partner Gerhard Behles is credited only with additional production. Much of their music has long been both dance floor and headphone friendly and "Gravity" is no exception, though as with the previous album "Interstate" techno and digital ambient lovers will have even more to cheer about. Gone are the dub influenced rhythms (which is a shame because they do it so well) but a dense, open and fluid spaciousness remains as a playground setting for clinically precise computer sounds and calm and collected, levelheaded rhythms. Track titles are as deceptively simple as the tracks themselves, most 7 to 10 minutes, as beat patterns shift in gradual increments and backgrounds evolve. "Mobile", "Zero Gravity" and "Aviation" contain the most intriguing selection of liquid, gaseous, metallic and alien melody making sounds. "Ice" tosses about frozen human sighs and hisses over cool future funk. "Frost" is too stagnant due to unduly repetitious beats. "Static" and "Fragile", like "Frost", are also rhythmically repetitious but not tediously so as what lies beneath the beat breathes. "Nucleus" is a steady roar of night air devoid of all beats that simply fades away over the final few minutes. All in all "Gravity" feels like a darker, more streamlined version of "Interstate". I'm pleased. Monolake will be playing shows in Montreal, Toronto, Lithuania and Italy in February and March ...
Where did I get this cd? - mail order via CD World.