Monoton - Blau - Monotonprodukt 02 26y++

Blau: This Monotonprodukt is a CD release of the blau vinyl written and produced by Monoton in 1980. Re-mastered in 2006. It also contains 3 unreleased tracks from that period.
Since the late 70's, early 1980's, Monotonprodukt and the "Institut für wissenschaftliche Sensation" (Institute for Scientific Sensations) have been working on the transposition of metamathematical structures, natural constants and resonance patterns in models of "bionic" psycho-active automat music. Publications, installations and long-term experiments include among others electro-acoustic representations of square roots, potences and periods, Pi-factors, Fibonacci sequences, Feigenbaum-Numbers, "Magic Squares" and others.

Konrad Becker wrote : Monoton on a quest for the spirit in the machine investigated the representation of a numeric structure on resonance field level; numerical systems and mathematical nature constants as values and proportions for bionic sound. Not only natural constants and their sub-elements offered themselves for operational definitions, but any proportion of numbers, the musician with the calculator in hand. Regardless of the aspect of universal machinic patterns, the transcendence of patterns, the "de-programming" and the "deletion" or reactive conditioning was their interest in transformative music. Noise is a simultaneous chaotic superposition of all frequencies, and the hearing of "everything" and thus nothing at a time in the constant vibration of "monotonous simulation". It is on the basis of these subjective and oracular properties, that transformative music may be explained.

Monoton played: fender twin reverb, kaoss pad, vermona retroverb, memory man deluxe, eq's, doepfer unit + spring reverb


« First came the Can remasters and the La Dusseldorf reissues. Next up was Conrad Schnitzler's Color Series followed by the Faust IV re-master with outtakes. And now we get the Oral label's reissues of the extremely-limited, much more obscure, minimal synth masterpieces Blau (1980) and the black-covered self-titled Monotonprodukt 07 (1982) from media, light and sound artist Konrad Becker. Apparently these re-masters achieve an audio quality that fully realizes the artist's intentions for the first time, so they've been renamed with the number of years that have passed since the original issue dates tacked on to the original titles: "26y++" and "20y++," respectively.

Monoton's Blau is the more melodic album of the two; its scope of ominous and pleasantly eerie atmosphere is beautifully done, the full range of the analog sounds controlled with masterful restraint. The somber, minimally rhythmic, and somehow naturalistic soundscapes of "Ein Wort" and "Wirklichkeit" reminds me of a sparse Mouse on Mars soundtrack, but with that pure analog intensity that creates a physical presence. "Teil 2" has barely-there wolves howling, drowning in drone swells that coax tears. Blau is an album's worth of ahead-of-its-time music that surprises in its ability to cover so much ground with such limited means. »[SM _ other music]