tonite: abstract science presents MONOLAKE @ empty bottle
abstract science 10th anniversary presents:
MONOLAKE live (berlin) [imbalance computer music]
DAVE SISKA (chicago, san francisco) [sonicsunset.com]
CHRIS WIDMAN [abstract science – WLUW-FM]
LUKE STOKES [abstract science – WLUW-FM]
empty bottle | 21+ | $10 | 9pm 1035 N. Western Ave. | emptybottle.com
MONOLAKE ”...the aural equivalent of a glass-and-steel skyscraper, and I’m repeatedly sucked in by its grandeur.” – Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader
Monolake is Robert Henke, a Berlin-based producer of sophisticated electronic dance music that represents the ideal synthesis of computer-driven musical experiments and dancefloor rhythms. Emerging from Berlin ’s legendary dub-techno collective Basic Channel/Chain Reaction, Monolake pushes the buttons that the rest of the world will be pushing in years to come – both literally and figuratively.
Since Monolake’s dub-drenched debut album “Hong Kong” in 1997, Henke has forged an independent path, establishing his own label and exploring the depths of the Monolake sound, while remaining at the forefront of the creation and marketing of music software (most notably Ableton’s popular “Live” package, spearheaded by his former partner in Monolake, Gerhard Behles). Within Monolake’s sonic world resides a bevy of scattered complex percussive sounds layered into subtle atmosphere, all with a solid rhythmic underpinning. It’s a musical space that has provided him a great deal of room for experimentation and variation, and through which he has become a globally renowned performer, having played throughout Europe, North America, Japan , and Australia over the past 9 years. Five full-length albums later, the Monolake sound is well-established and ever-expanding, and his production and performance modes continue to adapt, seeking the ideal means of musical and visual expression.
Newly equipped with the custom built Monodeck II controller, Henke’s live sets continue to set new standards for improvisation and freedom of expression within the context of laptop performance. Don’t miss this rare state-side performance on the Empty Bottle’s newly enhanced soundsystem.
DAVE SISKA Known for his long running radio show on WNUR (now defunct) and his exquisite selection of fine techno (and related materials), Dave Siska has been sorely missed since relocating to San Francisco last September. His ability to delve into the depths of techno history and place it side-by-side with best records of today reveals the relatively timeless nature of techno music. His DJ exploits have seen him performing alongside an impressive array of talent, including Surgeon, Heiko Laux, John Tejada, Dan Bell, Technasia, Monolake, Kit Clayton, Phoenicia , Richard Devine, Ectomorph, the Advent, and John Selway, among others.
ABSTRACT SCIENCE Broadcast every Thursday night on listener-supported community radio station WLUW at 88.7 FM in Chicago and wluw.org, abstract science is “future music”—the constant evolution and influence of modern electronic music in its varied forms on a global level, from roots in funk, jazz, dub and soul. In a time when the majority of electronic music is mass-produced and highly disposable, abstract science engages it’s audience with genuinely innovative and relevant programming, proving itself mandatory listening for those who realize that popular culture is neither.
2007 marks the tenth anniversary of abstract science on the airwaves, boasting a history of over 2,000 hours of airtime, hundreds of hours of archives at abstractscience.net, as well as many successful club residencies and special events. childhood friends, chris widman and henry self first broadcast abstract science on KCOU 88.1FM in missouri and, with the help of luke stokes, brought the show to WLUW in 2000. in addition to providing an educational and expressive blend of traditional radio programming and live dj mixes, the trio routinely work to showcase influential artists (such as luke vibert, monolake, DJ Krush, Meat Beat Manifesto, Jaga Jazzist and Ryuichi Sakamoto) by recording exclusive live performances for re-broadcast on air and streaming online.