Monolake :: Gravity (Reissue) (Field) — First vinyl pressing

Share this ::

Monolake explores the earth and the heavens as well as man’s place in them, their soundtrack being sculpted with daring simplicity to achieve complexity and intricacy of expression and form.

A monolith of machine music

There are few electronic partnerships who have garnered more fame than Monolake. And, curiously, the pair of Gerhard Behles and Robert Henke are probably not even that known for their music. Instead, it was their invention that changed the world of production; they created Ableton. This breakthrough has had seismic effect in the world of sound. It truly democratized production and allowed for millions of people to make music. However, the popularity of the software has somewhat eclipsed Monolake’s own journey in sound.

Formed in 1995, Behles and Henke were pivotal in the burgeoning dub techno scene. With releases on Chain Reaction and DiN before forming their own eponymous imprint, also known as Imbalance Computer Music. It was on this label that their Gravity album appeared in 2001. Fast forward twenty five years and that CD only release is finally enjoying a full vinyl reissue on Field Records.

From the guttural gush of digital water, “Mobile” unveils itself. Aquatic notes float above trembling solenoids, gentle globules of melody rising to the surface. Muddied shades of bass introduce “Ice,” clipped mechanical gasps punctuating the broad planes of arctic imaginings. A cold groove runs through the tracks, an icy tingling coursing through the subtle rhythms and shifts. Despite adopting many shapes and forms, these percussive patterns guide the listener through the undulations that Behles and Henke conjure. The tundra of “Frost” is vast, sliding slabs echo over subterranean caverns. Reverberations are amplified and softened; organic tones grown from the depths of circuitboards. Beats become more robust for “Static.” Ballast is added through industrial undercurrents, the metallic vibrations being tempered by the watery residues and broad audio expanse created.

Many shapes and forms ::

What becomes ever more apparent on listening to Gravity is the effective use of textures. Monolake’s chosen palette is fundamentally physical, basslines judder from speaker cones with ample room and time being given for notes to ricochet and ruminate. “Zero Gravity” is the album’s central experiment with space, both thematically and musically. Amidst the bleeps, thuds and skittering sounds is an abundance of negative space, a vacuum where resonance blooms and thrives. “Fragile” is a remarkably tactile work. The saturated kick that drives the track is sodden; in fact the entire piece palpably drips. Hi-hats bubble and fizz as though drum patterns had been condensed down into liquid form, snares squelching as that unmistakable groove takes hold.

Droplets cling to “Aviation” before the clouds clear and strings ascend. A clipped current of electricity keeps time in this masterpiece of ambient immersion, keys melting into warmth. The physicality of Gravity comes to an end with re-entry. As if pulsating into earth’s atmosphere, “Nucleus” buzzes and flexes as pressures are applied and intensified. As the strain builds, soft emissions float from the quivering core of the work as a final equilibrium is realised.

There is an undeniable sense of balance across the eight pieces. Scanning the track titles, elements, states and themes are measured and weighted. “Frost,” “Fragile,” “Aviation,” “Zero Gravity.” Monolake explores the earth and the heavens as well as man’s place in them, their soundtrack being sculpted with daring simplicity to achieve complexity and intricacy of expression and form. Through an exhaustive audio palette, the duo of Behles and Henke take their listener deep into space and sound with awe-inspiring results. An album that deserves the attentive re-issue it has received, a transcendent collection from a monolith of machine music.

Gravity is available on Field. [Bandcamp]