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sonotheque [chicago] sept 2005
”...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.