August 2008. (For Dutch - Click here) Monokino just signed a record deal with China’s biggest, most famous indie label, Modern Sky. Monokino has enjoyed much critical acclaim in recent years, and signing with a large label like Modern Sky will be a huge step for the band as its debut CD in China will be distributed all over the country. Piracy is rampant in China, but Modern Sky has a good reputation and Monokino has a lot of trust in this company to protect the band’s intellectual property and reputation.
Modern Sky will have the exclusive licensing of the Monokino CD called “Human Error” within Mainland China. Modern Sky world partners include companies such as EMI, Pias, Beggars Group, Cooking Vinyl, Gronland, and G-Pop. The label’s foreign releases in China include Radiohead’s “Kid A,” Mogwai’s “Mr Beast,” and albums from Echo and The Bunnymen, Bauhaus, and others. Modern Sky also organizes its own music festival in Beijing. Headlining the festival in 2007 was the American band, Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Rumors were that Radiohead would be headlining the festival this year, but the Chinese government hasn’t been that willing to invite foreign bands over, most likely due to worries over fears of unruly crowds and the country’s image with regard to the summer Olympic games. For these reasons, The Beijing Midi Music Festival was canceled in May of this year. For the record, Monokino doesn’t support the boycotting of performances in China by Dutch bands as it is almost impossible to get into China during the Olympics to play protest songs.
Modern Sky bands play at all the best clubs in China. Because of the minimal touring infrastructure there, Modern Sky’s connections are of great value to Monokino. Compared to just five years ago, Chinese cities turn up more frequently on the touring schedules of Western bands. This year Nine Inch Nails, Avril Lavigne and Sonic Youth all played in China. Like many other Western acts, Monokino really enjoys playing in China because audience members have very few opportunities to experience foreign bands. The New York Times report: “When the Yeah Yeah Yeahs played the Modern Sky Festival, a three-day event at Haidian Park on the west side of Beijing, the fans waited in reverential silence between songs but erupted once the music kicked in, with fists in the air and young women screaming in the front.” Monokino received the same enthusiastic reaction during their show at the Midi Music festival in 2006, as part of their first Beijing and Shanghai tour.
This September and October, Monokino will return to China to promote their CD. Monokino will be performing at various clubs throughout China. Highlights will undoubtedly be the upcoming Midi Music Festival and the Modern Sky Festival, both to be held in October. Monokino will subsequently return to China at the beginning of November for a major German festival to be held in Guangzhou.
