What does M.ono actually do? Founding member of Rose Records, DJ and house producer from Leipzig. Apparently quite a lot as May saw the release of a new album on Rose Records sub-label DCNAE. We listened.
The title “?%!” may serve as a placeholder, but the music on the release is anything but arbitrary. If one associates M.ono and Rose Records with a good house sound from Leipzig and sold-out very small editions of vinyl, there were already tendencies to make the style a little more open on his first long player “Spritti Moments” from 2019.
In addition to classic house tunes, there were also a few melancholic outliers with a broken sound structure on the album. This album is now fully dedicated to the breakbeat sound that has already dominated the artist’s last single releases. According to M.ono, the classic 4-to-the-floor beat has lost its appeal over the years – and fall and winter have been the perfect time of year to finish a few sketches.
“?%!” feels fresh and familiar at the same time. The style may have changed, the love that
is in the tracks has remained. M.ono now lives out his emotions in breakbeat heaven.
“Amita” starts with a crackle, a few minor chords and we’re in the world
full of arpeggios, rim shots and clicking noises.
Everything is in motion, a mild summer breeze is blowing, swimming is allowed. The whole thing is pretty cheesy and melancholic at the same time. The tracks come out of one piece. Here a vocal sample, there an uplifting piano (“Miadan”), a lot of space and atmosphere, just the right amount of pathos.
Sometimes the tracks seem balearic and even trancy, limits are tested or simply
everything that brings joy in production is allowed. And that’s one of M.ono’s trademarks and something that can perhaps be said across the board for all his productions. He just always did what he felt like doing and didn’t care so much about the expectations of others.
“?%!” is definitely a summer album and should definitely be enjoyed at this time of year.
Source: https://www.frohfroh.de/40718/m-ono-dcnae
