Respected producer, DJ and sound designer Alex Banks presents his third studio album ‘Projections’, returning to Max Cooper’s Mesh imprint.

The work follows up critically acclaimed releases on Modeselektor’s Monkeytown, Ninja Tune, where he remixed Bonobo, and his sublime sophomore album ‘Beneath the Surface’ from 2019. Produced in his studio in Brighton, UK, the album is an immersive nine-track masterstroke covering the gamut of electronica, techno, breakbeat, bass and IDM, fit for clubs and home-listening alike.

The project was born in the early stages of 2021. With little outside stimulation to draw inspiration from, Banks invested in new gear including a Moog Matriarch, DFAM and a host of Eurorack Modules - and set about immersing himself in the possibilities of his new semi-modular synths.

In terms of sonic reference points, he found himself in new territory, too. “Usually going to a club night, or concert, or even the simple things in life that you take for granted all feed into a melting pot of things that inspire me to create. But without these, I instead found myself drawing on memories of experiences, and imagining new ones for the future to come. I began to feel like these were projections, almost like memories of experiences I had been projecting via the music I was creating,” he shares, adding that memories of clubbing trips to Berlin, London and Brighton fuelled his vision for the album.

Furthermore, the seclusion we collectively experienced allowed Banks to philosophise on the nature of human connection, which fed into the album concept: “I started to think about how during our period of relative isolation, we are all projecting into the digital ether, searching for a connection in an increasingly virtual world where shared human contact and experiences have become scarce.”

In ‘Projections,’ Banks creates an immersive world to get lost in, typified by the ambient opener, ‘Transitions’, where he builds up a dreamy ocean of sound. ‘Into the Realm’ sees the artist set the scene for the off-kilter album landscape to follow, as modulated synth patterns ricochet throughout. First single ‘A Way Out’, due out 6 April, takes us onto the dancefloor, a foot in breaks and techno alike, flanked by his signature pads and intermittent synth melodies that radiate a sense of melancholic optimism. The track is complimented by a striking video clip by award-winning motion graphics designer Matthew Clugston who has translated its contrasting moods into a brilliant juxtaposition between artificial and natural life cycles.

Made during a four-day period where Banks locked himself away in his studio, ‘Introspective’ conveys the uneasiness of its creator and is his most intense production to date, as a soaring wall of sound drops down into an exhilarating gabber finish. Elsewhere another notable includes the big rolling electro-edged techno cut ‘Recall Mindset’, as Banks channels the feeling of being back on a Berlin dancefloor. ‘Before the End’ is similarly brilliant, swinging between bass and IDM and features vocals from a demo by his wife Maya Wolff, which were chopped, re-pitched and layered with FX.

Banks will be touring the album this summer with a new A/V experience featuring stunning audio reactive visuals and a custom- built pyramid light structure. Performing with Ableton and a selection of the analogue gear he used to create the LP, he will rework the tracks to create a unique experience with every show.

Tracklist:

A1. Transition
A2. Into the Realm
A3. A Way Out
B1. Introspective
B2. Recall Mindset
C1. What We Have
C2. Before the End
D1. Resonate
D2. Stratosphere

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Red alert! One of Berlin’s most iconic and recognized underground producers is back with his new album A Sole Game. Following up 2012’s Square, Redshape continues to forge distinctly cinematic and suspenseful dance music, blurring lines of past, present and future. As a true disciple of 90’s techno, those era’s sounds have always been an essential part of his musical DNA, while ever avoiding any form of reenactment. On full-length records in particular, his tracks build dark and eerily romantic narratives of their own. In fact, A Sole Game is the first genuine Redshape LP ever.

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"When the sky turns dark, the world sounds a lot different." (De:Bug) Dark Sky represent progression. The London duo have never settled for a specific sound nor dwelled in a single niche too long. What's striking about all their releases is their passionate love for all kinds of electronic music not exclusively dance floor related. This is no different with Othona, the second album from Dark Sky on Monkeytown Records. Across nine tracks Matt Benyayer and Tom Edwards manage to reinvent themselves once more by merging contemporary techno, classic electronica and their roots in British bass music into a touching and thrilling whole.

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To mark the release of their sophomore album, Dark Sky present a pair of remixes of their latest tracks. Brace yourself for a double treat of raw dancefloor virtuosity via Miami and Munich. Omnidisc labelhead Danny Daze takes on the atmospheric march of "The Walker", creating an eerie and intensely long build-up that eventually gives way to a slamming yet ethereal EBM finish. Next up are Munich’s techno overlords the Zenker Brothers. They infuse „Kilter“ with some genuine breakbeat magic and hard-hitting industrial vibes while brilliantly reinventing the original track’s melodic themes. Spot-on.

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Moderat are back. With "Reminder" they blend the spacious, highly emotional sounds of modern electronic music with timeless songwriting. Two powerful remixes from Special Request aka Paul Woolford and Answer Code Request take the track to very different dancefloors. In his "Special Request Rework" Woolford recreates the song with a highly determined, imperious bass drum, saving the vocal for an even more effective appearance in the break of the track. The looped breakbeat and precise sound splinter from the original version, giving the track unstoppable, trashing energy, making it equally indispensable for Bass Music and for House Music DJs. Berlin's Answer Code Request is one of the artists on Berghain's label Ostgut Ton. Pursuing the opposite approach from his British colleague, Answer Code Request does not develop his remix out of a groove, but from the atmosphere, the emotional realm of the track. Artfully orchestrating shreds of Apparat's voice and a series of striking hook lines and synthesizer tracks, Answer Code Request creates one of the most pronounced Techno tracks of this season.

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Moderat is the alliance of Berlin's electronic heavyweights, Modeselektor and Apparat. Like very few other artists they manage to fuse rousing basslines and intense breakbeats with gripping songs and a highly individual voice. With "Reminder", the three give a first impression of their anticipated third album. The strikingly beautiful song takes off where their 2014 hit "Bad Kingdom" left off. Developing a very personal combination of modesty and honesty, Apparat takes his vocal style to another level. The lyrics deal with the possibility of a new beginning: Instead of blaming others, we should assume responsibility for our situation. This is a liberating experience, it empowers us to let the debris go up in flames and have them lead the way to new experiences. Modeselektor underpin the beautiful vocals with subtle percussive grooves. As the icing on the cake, gleaming synthesizer sounds immerse the voice fully. With the exclusive track "Fondle" the trio expose a seldom seen side of their music. The slow, heavy groove alternates between a deep Chicago House Sound and hypnotic, drifting Dubstep. As a counterbalance to this deeply felt rhythmical heartbeat Moderat place elegiac, spherical sound scapes, while Apparat drifts off in a remote and dreamy state.

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newcomer Gajek is being remixed by two of electronics finest: ALVA NOTO and PLAID. Need we say more? We are extremely honored to release this fantastic work on Monkeytown, not only because we are big fans of the artists but also because both remixes prove real heavyweights on their own. The tracks work very different angles: Carsten Nicolai's Alva Noto project turns the playful "Restless Water Shapes" into a stonecold dark bassline roller. You are welcomed into the sonorous temple of solemn and serious dancefloor business with a pumping kick and resonating reverb deemed to drain you of all your adrenaline. On the flip Plaid bring up your oxytocin levels with bristling euphoric electronica letting a bright light shine into every corner of your mouth.

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Dark Sky release the “Voyages” remix EP. The record comes as a two headed monster of straight 4 x 4 club music, each side rendering the UK producers´ sounds into something entirely different. Fellow Londoner Francis Inferno Orchestra concentrates on the percussive motif of the original – perversing its rattling structure into a frisky tribal house rhythm. On the flip side Redshape delivers a killer techno reworking. His remix translates “Voyages´ central moody sci-fi theme into a powerful bassline. The move proves perfect – the fizzing bass synths drive the track into prime time material. It´s no wonder the track has already been dropped by some of the big BBC radio jocks. This is one to watch.


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Howling's album Sacred Ground stands for many things at once: collaboration, improvisation, simplicity, unexpected happenstance. The original track 'Howling' exploded virally in early 2012 (via Dixon's Boiler Room set), though hardly past demo stage at the time, and proceeded to climb charts and win awards throughout electronic music. The track's two humble collaborators - singer/producer/folk-electronic artist Ry X and Âme producer/Innervisions leader Frank Wiedemann - never saw it coming. Nor did they expect that a few years later, despite being from two different sonic universes and living on two different sides of the world, their debut album would be pressed in Berlin.

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The third single taken from the album "II" featuring the original song, two versions incl. the instrumental, and the Jon Hopkins remix - 2x10 Inch single in a gatefold sleeve!



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The album pre-single "Bad Kingdom" was named "an impressive piece of electronic pop music" and "their strongest production to date". The second single "Gita" in comparison takes a much more introverted approach and reflects the more gentle and melancholic side of the project. You wont get it out of your head very easily. Hardly anybody has brought electronic music from Berlin to the farthest flung corners of the world with more passion and enthusiasm than Modeselektor and Apparat. Individually or united as Moderat, they have continuously toured the world, grew a loyal and dedicated fan base and have continued to amaze with quality releases all the way. The sophomore album „II“ is released worldwide on Monkeytown Records. For the US & Canada Monkeytown Records are proudly partnering with the legendary independent label Mute Records, in Poland the album is released under exclusive license to No Paper Records.

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Moderat are Modeselektor and Apparat. Hardly anybody has brought electronic music from Berlin to the farthest flung corners of the world with more passion and enthusiasm than these two heavyweights. Their eponymous debut album was released on April 20, 2009. Perhaps the secret of Modeselektor's and Apparat's collaboration lies in the fact that they never even tried to get close to one another. Modeselektor's thundering bass rumbles in the cellar, Apparat's sensitive and subtle melodies float high in the eaves. The fact that what one assumes to be incompatible actually communicates, is what makes Moderat so unique. Moderat is not just a studio project: with a set of visuals created for these concerts by Pfadfinderei, they toured all five continents and will do again immediately after the release of the new album. 4 years after the debut album Modeselektor and Apparat have come together once again: more mature, but not worldly-wise, wiser but not unquestioning, more experienced but without having sacrificed any of their pioneer spirit.

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For the third year in a row now Monkeytown Records proudly supports Record Store Day with a special limited edition vinyl only release limited to 500 copies. None of the tracks have been available in physical formats before, 2 have never been heard before, all are from 2013. The A Side represents Modeselektor´s 50 Weapons imprint with 2 exclusive club tracks. The Benjamin Damage album “Heliosphere” was supposed to contain “Simulation”, but the track did not get finished until mastering. SCNTST, a promising 18 years old Berliner, will release his debut album on Boysnoize Records in spring this year. His Remix for Phon.o´s album title track “Black Boulder” was available as a free download on XLR8R end of January, but now finally celebrates it´s official debut release on vinyl. The B Side represents the eclectic side of Modeselektor´s Monkeytown Records label. Mouse on Mars open with “Bonuß”, an outtake from their recently released album “WOW”. Otto Von Schirach produced an exclusive track for this release, which then got treated by label owners Modeselektor. elan, who is currently working on an album for Monkeytown Records, made “Just Like Heaven” especially for this limited edition vinyl. The vocal version of this track is planned for the forthcoming album.

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Limited 7inch single contains a brand new Mouse on Mars rework on the A-Side, while the B-Side hosts a remix by Machinedrum of Merck, Planet Mu and Lucky Me fame

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