Monokino

Monokino signs with Modern Sky, China’s largest independent record label

Monokino — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:54:13 +0000

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.

monokino reveals album details

Monokino — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:41:55 +0000

August 2008. The album will be called…. 人为错误
Please use your translator machine!

working on a new album!

Monokino — Wed, 07 May 2008 22:04:31 +0000

June 2008. Almost finished….

zelfoverschatting in de provincie, wijsheid uit amsterdam

Monokino — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:15:50 +0000

March 2008. Van de site Ondergrond.tv: “Die rot Chinezen houden het nog vol ook. Ze hebben miljoenen doden op hun geweten, bizar!” Lees het hele stuk hier.

‘moet China maar weer op slot?’ - interview met monokino in het parool

Monokino — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:26:16 +0000

March 2008. “Het doet de Chinese overheid niets als wij hier niet meer willen spelen.” Lees het hele interview met Monokino hier.

monokino - geen boycot china

Monokino — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:29:17 +0000

March 2008. Wij doen niet alsof er niets aan de hand is. Er is al jaren “iets” aan de hand met de mensenrechten in China en onderdrukking van Tibet. Dat is niet iets van de laatste paar maanden. Wij doen niet mee aan het hele circus rondom wel of niet naar China gaan. Alleen al het feit dat muzikanten nu ineens gedwongen worden een statement te maken over de mensenrechten aldaar heeft ons zeer verbaasd. Het komt er bijna op neer dat je, als je WEL naar China gaat, geen belang hecht aan mensenrechten. Dat is natuurlijk de omgekeerde wereld. Wij gaan naar China voor de burgers van China. Wij brengen een album uit in China omdat er vraag naar is. Burgers hebben nog steeds niets aan de nieuw verworven vrijheden (zoals het beluisteren van ‘westerse’ muziek) als erg geen bands naar China komen. De Chinese regering doe je een plezier, zij hebben liever niet dat rockbands hun kant opkomen, vooral bands die politiek geëngageerd zijn. Het is ook niet voor niets dat er nog steeds een censuur- commissie is in China. Erg realistisch om te denken dat het leed over zou zijn voor de spelen was het niet. Racoon is nogal ongenuanceerd. “Die rot Chinezen houden het nog vol ook. Ze hebben miljoenen doden op hun geweten, bizar!” Moet China maar gewoon weer op slot? CJ, een beroemd Chinees protestzanger mocht tot 1998 niet meer optreden (na een verbod van meer dan 10 jaar!), we zouden blij moeten zijn dat we China in kunnen. Verder is het verschil tussen ons en bands als Peter Pan Speedrock (die niet eens zijn uitgenodigd door het Holland Heineken House, maar wel boycotten…..heel raar) dat we zijn uitgenodigd door Chinezen en niet door Hollanders. Het is fantastisch om te zien dat er dingen georganiseerd worden als het Midi Festival. Dit doet de Chinese regering niet.

Yu Jin:

The main reason I don’t want to make any statement is that I don’t want to be one of the many bands making boycotting China statements. Who cares about what they or I say? Even if Bono would say something, the Chinese government wouldn’t care. They might be happy that these bands won’t visit China. They think rock bands (in China they think all bands are playing rock ‘n roll ) are dangerous for Chinese people. This was why my former band Cobra was not allowed to be on television. I grew up during the cultural revolution, what I learned only followed what Mao said, what I know about history was from the red book, I was never taught to think anything myself. I never heard a word about human rights and democracy until China opened in the 80’s. I respect people who care about the human rights in this world. Especially when they are pop stars, when they try to do something about it. I am lucky that I was born in Beijing, I was born in a better situation. I didn’t have to work under the ground, to get coal in a mine and might die one day from the very bad working conditions and I didn’t have to be one of those who was sent to Africa to work cause they don’t have a better choice, and might die one day from the African civil war. I know a lot about people that have no rights at all during the cultural revolution. I was treated as a criminal cause my boyfriend was not Chinese. What I want to say is, I know China needs democracy. I have so much respect towards the human right fighters. And I feel sorry that I cannot do anything for the others like they do. It is just that I don’t see any point in making a statement about boycotting. And also there is no point in the boycott statements from all the Dutch bands. I will still go to China, but it doesn’t mean I support the Chinese government. If I tour in China with Monokino, it is the best I can do for my own country. I would understand a boycott against the band bløf.

don’t worry: monokino is NOT boycotting china

Monokino — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:38:21 +0000

March 2008. Maybe you’ve all been really really (really) worried about which side Monokino is on, but herewith we just want to let you know Monokino is NOT boycotting China. There is no Olympic boycott or whatsoever from our side. It’s a pity Bløf does not acknowledge their invitation from the Holland Heineken House, however we look forward to receive ours any day now. Since we have to make a statement about this subject, it will be on this site soon.

indie chart

Monokino — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 15:22:15 +0000

March 2008. Funny! Our chart debut: Monokino came in at number 4 in the Dutch indie chart!

livexs = 12,5 (monokino in waerdse tempel)

Monokino — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 23:40:58 +0000

February 2008. Monokino is still doing shows together with 5 other bands selected by Dutch pop magazine LiveXS. There’s an interview in the February edition with the band. Upcoming LiveXS shows are (check our gig list for more gigs):

Feb 29 2008
Doornroosje - Nijmegen, Holland

Mar 1 2008
Waerdse Tempel, Heerhugowaard, Holland

1st of March gig will be a special one. The magazine exists 12,5 years on this day. Other bands that will perform are: GEM, Claw Boys Claw, Moke, Fixkes, Illicit, The Quotes, Jerboa, Triggerfinger, Red Hot Chili Bastards, Cool Jimmy, Leine, Monstertux, SAT2D, William Wixley. Read the Dutch press article here and see Monokino on a Volkswagen Beetle car (but please use a magnifying glass).

last popronde gig

Monokino — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 13:49:28 +0000

November 2007. Our tour will come to an end on Friday, November 16th when we play our last gig in Eindhoven (Hoogste tijd) at 00.15. Popronde is about adjusting, small bars and café’s where you sometimes literally have to search for an outlet for your computer or keyboard to work. Except when stream connections explode, Popronde gigs mean full houses and fun.

contradicting views on one show (effenaar)

Monokino — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 19:44:59 +0000

October 2007. Effenaar - Eindhoven (Holland)

LiveXS (Belgium) - Ruud van de Locht

“Monokino was onze absolute winnaar van de avond. Dit trio zet een erg unieke, eigenzinnige sound neer, in de eerste plaats te danken aan het androgyne stemgeluid van George van Wetering. We horen diverse invloeden; OMD, Placebo tot zelfs flarden Joy Division. Laat deze jongens aub snel naar België komen!”

And at last a really bad review (in Dutch)!

3voor12/Eindhoven - Niels van den Dungen

“Waar ik stiekem hoopte op Postal Service taferelen bij het horen van ‘electro indiepop’, kreeg ik in plaats daarvan een regelrechte, ongeïnspireerde bagger. Gitaarriffs die niet aansluiten bij de geclaimde electrostijl, een zanger met evenveel uitstraling als m’n oma met niet te vergeten een zeikstem waar ik na precies dertig seconden al schoon genoeg van had. Nummers klinken rommelig en zonder duidelijk gezicht verlaat - tot mijn opluchting - na 25 minuten Monokino weer het podium.”

metro & popronde

Monokino — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 10:09:43 +0000

August 2007. We will play at the “Popronde” event in the following cities:

Nijmegen – De Onderbroek – Sep 14
Rotterdam – De Schouw – Sep 21
Den Bosch – De Palm – Oct 5
Arnhem – Café Barok – Oct 19
Den Haag – Café de Bieb – Nov 1
Leiden - Odessa - Nov 8
Eindhoven - Hoogste Tijd - Nov 16

“deze band komt een eind! ik tip ze als finalisten!”

Monokino — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 09:50:17 +0000

August 2007. “Afwisselende indie electro uit Amsterdam. Niet voor 1 gat gevangen. Erg divers, erg, heel erg goed. Moet hoge ogen gaan gooien. De band heeft alles in ruime mate.”
“Erg origineel. Zij weten een perfecte balans te vinden tussen hoofd, onderbuik en
voeten van de vloer.”“Monokino is hip genoeg om uit te groeien tot een grote band.”
“Heeft zeer zeker buitengrenselijke potentie.”
“Erg origineel trio wat helemaal klopt. Vocalen, instrumenten zijn perfect in balans en staat als een huis. Wat een leuk bandje is dit.”
“Dit kan wel eens de sensatie worden van 2007″
“Eindelijk een band die het avontuur onbevangen durft op te zoeken.”
“Goede mix van toen en nu. Goed tegendraads hedendaags.”
“Stuk voor stuk juweeltjes.”
“Goed over nagedacht, uitgekiende arrangementen. Lekker die scheurende filters!”
“Goed spel, goed programmeerwerk. Allemaal goed in evenwicht.”
“Zeer melodieus en gevarieerd.”
“Catchy tunes”
“Pakkend en meeslepend”
“Breekbaar, kwetsbare zang. Mooi contrast met de wat koelere beats en keyboards.”
“Zeer kenmerkende stem die de muziek volledig kleurt.”
“Bijzondere band met originele benadering van electronica en pop. Zeer origineel en overtuigend. Een finalist !!!!”
“Deze band komt een eind! Ik tip ze als finalisten!”

Please check our very positive Grote Prijs jury report (it’s in Dutch).
Because it all sounds very affirmative, we still wonder why we are not chosen. What does Bartho van Straaten’s zero mean? Does Grolsch ever make mistakes?

We’ll never apply for any other contest anymore. Bartho is a friendly guy and actually replied our questions to the Grote Prijs:

Hi Charissa,

Ik heb een mankement.
Nooit luister ik naar teksten.
Alleen Frank Zappa & Cheech & Chong konden in het verleden
mij verleiden om naar hun teksten te luisteren.
Dat kwam omdat deze lekker begrijpelijk, kritisch, intelligent
en/of grappig waren.

Verder luister ik naar een stem als een instrument.
Dus sound, timbre, gevoel, toon, rauw of gepolijst,
passend bij de nadere instrumenten enz enz.
maar eigenlijk nooit naar inhoud.

Bartho

tour!

Monokino — Wed, 02 May 2007 12:00:20 +0000

May 2007. We want to thank LiveXS and our fans!

“Eind april 2007 werden de zes beste en populairste bands uit de Dommelsch Locals Only!-rubriek van seizoen 2006-2007 bekendgemaakt. Cool Jimmy, Leine, Monokino, Monstertux, SAT2D en William Wixley gaan hierdoor een jaar lang intenstief op tournee met Dommelsch Locals Only! on Tour met LiveXS.”

amsterdam fm acoustic session in mono - online now

Monokino — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 11:21:40 +0000

April 2007. An acoustic session (3 songs) together with Rogier Sanders who plays the trumpet.

2nd fabchannel webcast - online now

Monokino — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 14:16:17 +0000

April 2007. Watch this show here.

article about our new drummer

Monokino — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:17:03 +0000

April 2007. Cursor wrote an article about Monokino drummer Frans van Gastel.

“Toen hij voor Studium Generale in 2006 het festival 9V organiseerde, trad daar de tweemansband Monokino op, met een in Duitsland wonende Chinese op keyboards en een Nederlandse jongen op gitaar en zang. “Dat vond ik een erg goed optreden, maar ik vond wel dat ze een drummer misten. Na het festival hebben we contact gehouden en afgelopen december heb ik voor het eerst met ze meegespeeld. Dat beviel zo goed dat ik met ze meeging voor een optreden in Berlijn. Inmiddels heb ik zeven keer meegespeeld. Dus ik zit nu echt bij de band. “Hoogtepunt tot nu toe was voor Van Gastel het optreden dat Monokino vorige week gaf in het Amsterdamse Paradiso.”

paradiso - get your name on our guestlist

Monokino — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 20:21:11 +0000

March 2007. Get your name on our guestlist. See Monokino playing at the Paradiso, Amsterdam on Wednesday 28th March 2007. Paradiso’s Noodlanding will be for free. Just send your name to this address.

liveXS heroes in amsterdam, kx radio and fabchannel

Monokino — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 13:17:19 +0000

March 2007. It’s nice to return to your hometown and see your band has become this month’s hero. LiveXS reviewed our EP (view here) and now we’ll be playing at the Paradiso, Amsterdam on Wednesday 28th March 2007. The concert will be filmed by Fabchannel again (our 2nd Fabchannel webcast). Anton and Willem from KX Radio held an interview with George earlier this month, you can listen to it here.

drachten, emden, amsterdam, berlin, hamburg

Monokino — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 20:25:59 +0000

March 2007. New gig dates in Holland and Germany (Mar 2,3,5,7,8,9,10). Please come and see us!

EMDEN - Mar 2 2007, 21:00
Grusewsky - Germany

————————————

DRACHTEN - Mar 3 2007, 21:30
Iduna - Holland
(with Krause (elektropunk) and

Ringel-S (Neue Deutsche Welle/80’s wave/

electro)

———————————–

AMSTERDAM - Mar 5 2007, start: 20:30, monokino: 21:30)
Bitterzoet - Holland
(Bitterzoet schreef: op maandag kan je los met

de indie-electro van 3voor12’s vrienden van

MONOKINO en de lekkere nu wave van

HASSELHOFF, terwijl de Club Achtung! Dj’s

tot 3 uur doordraaien.)

———————————-
HAMBURG - Mar 7 2007, 21:30
Kukuun - Germany

———————————
HAMBURG - Mar 8 2007, 21:00
Hafenbahnhof - Germany

——————————–
BERLIN - Mar 9 2007, 22:00
Trompete - Germany
Peel (Ob)sessions

Der legendäre britische Radio-DJ John Peel,

hat viele ganz unterschiedliche Bands und

Musikrichtungen gefördert….. READ MORE

with

Monokino

Theoretical girl (Electro, Punk, Indie, Trash)

Norman Palm (indie/singersongwriter)

——————————
BERLIN - Mar 10 2007, 21:00
Zimt & Zunder - Germany

monokino in berlin

Monokino — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 11:26:13 +0000

December 2006. We had a wonderful time in Berlin. Club Duncker was full of nice people. 3voor12/amsterdam made a photo report, you can see it here. We’ll be back in Berlin (and Hamburg) in March.

win our monokino beijing ep

Monokino — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 11:23:59 +0000

December 2006. By sending a mail to NCRV’s OngekendTalent, you’re able to win 1 Monokino cd. Follow this link.

eindhoven, nijmegen, düsseldorf, berlin

Monokino — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 13:55:29 +0000

October 2006. New gig dates. See us!

Oct 19 2006 20:30
9V indietronics @ Gaslab, TU/e Eindhoven, NL.
Line-up: LEANDER, FLUGROOVE, ANDERSON, MONOKINO.
entrance: FREE!
www.tue.nl/sg/9v
www.myspace.com/9v_indietronics

Oct 20 2006 22:00
NDRGRND - Nijmegen
Live: Monokino
(with dj Kult:X)

Oct 21 2006 21:00
Damen und Herren - Dusseldorf
Live: Monokino

Dec 28 2006 22:00
Duncker Club - Berlin
Live: Monokino

monokino in china - hitmusic

Monokino — Sun, 16 Jul 2006 13:33:01 +0000

July 2006. There is a full page article about Monokino in the Chinese music magazine HITMUSIC. They took over 200 pictures and picked out this one. View the Shanghai photo session here. View full article here.

monokino in china - china radio international

Monokino — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 09:17:12 +0000

June 2006. During our China tour, China Radio International has done a live-broadcast with Monokino on INET radio. Monokino was interviewed and listeners could win Monokino’s autographed EP. Check it out right here or view some pictures (by INET) of us in the studio here. Yu Jin was also interviewed by Dutch radio station Kink FM earlier this month. Kink FM plays our song ‘Trendy Café’.

monokino in china - chinese press articles

Monokino — Tue, 30 May 2006 18:58:58 +0000

May 2006. Dutch newspaper “Het Parool” wrote “Monokino klaar om China te veroveren”. Chinese Magazines “New Younger” and “Music Weekly” wrote similar things (in Chinese). View here.

monokino in china - first ep released in china

Monokino — Mon, 15 May 2006 20:07:15 +0000

May 2006. Our very first EP is released in China. You may order it online on the Newbees Music website. The EP is also available at the 2 biggest independent record stores in Beijing: Free Sound Records & Blue Line Records. In Finland the EP is available through Stupido shop. Read our first Dutch review here.

monokino in china - tour diaries

Monokino — Thu, 11 May 2006 11:46:19 +0000

May 2006. We are back from China! It was great! Read our tour diaries and see pictures at the Parool website and on musicfrom.nl (in Dutch).

interview with het parool & 3voor12

Monokino — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 01:32:47 +0000

April 2006. On April 28, Newspaper Het Parool published a BIG article (two pages) about Monokino. Read the online version here. George will be writing an online tour diary whilst being in China, to keep you up to date about all Beijing and Shanghai gig adventures. It can be read on the Parool website.

VPRO’s 3voor12/amsterdam held an interview with Monokino about their upcoming China tour. Read it here.

monokino goes to china

Monokino — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 14:16:20 +0000

April 2006. From May 1st to 4th, 2006, the MIDI Music Festival will take place in Beijing, China. Monokino was invited to play in the festival after our performance in the 2005 China Festival in Melkweg, Amsterdam. The four-day MIDI Music Festival in Beijing originally started as a small stage for students of the Beijing MIDI School of Music. Very quickly, the festival expanded into the biggest open-air music festival in China, with an average of 80,000 visitors. The festival showcases a variety of punk, rock, metal, pop and jazz music and musicians.

Apart from this performance, we can be seen in several other venues in Beijing and Shanghai.

At the moment, Monokino is being filmed by two filmmakers from Berlin, who are making a documentary for television channel ARTE about the tour and pop/rock culture in China.

We’ve been working in a studio in Hamburg (view pictures) on our first EP, which will be released first in China. Beginning in May, the EP can also be heard in Japan in an online music store and radio show, sponsored by Japanese advertising agency, Hakuhodo.

Apr 30: Club 13 - Beijing
May 1: Nameless Highland - Beijing
May 2: Top Club - Beijing
May 4: Midi Music Festival - Beijing
May 5: Club Yu Gong Yi Shan - Beijing
May 6: Shuffle Bar - Shanghai
May 8: Club Ark - Shanghai

monokino in melkweg

Monokino — Sat, 01 Oct 2005 00:17:10 +0000

October 2005. On October 15th Monokino will be playing at the China Festival in the Amsterdam club, Melkweg. We’ll be supporting Beijing’s no.1 punk and rockbands Subs and Muma.

Monokino has also done an interview with Wobly, a Dutch online music magazine. You can read the interview here .

monokino wins parool popprijs (…almost)

Monokino — Fri, 27 May 2005 00:20:25 +0000

May 2005. Monokino won second prize at the Parool PopPrijs 2005. We got some very good and positive reactions on our 20-minute performance.

The Parool Poprijs 2005 took place in Amsterdam club Paradiso, on May 26. All the bands were filmed by Fabchannel.com, so you can watch us live. Go the Fabchannel website and search for Parool Popprijs Finale in the “video-on-demand” section, then click ‘monokino’.

VPRO’s 3voor12 has provided their website with the audio-recording of our performance, click here to listen.

For 16 weeks the newspaper Het Parool reported on the contributing bands. The last article about the finals can also be read online, click here. Dutch TV-host and former Editor-in-Chief of Het Parool, Matthijs van Nieuwkerk, hosted the evening. A television report about the evening has been made by RTV Noord Holland, watch it here. A total of 595 bands applied for the Parool Popprijs. View pictures here

ken nishikawa

Monokino — Sun, 20 Feb 2005 21:00:08 +0000

February 2005. Japanese television and radio host, Ken Nishikawa, is playing Monokino’s songs “Trendy Café” and “Vincent Still Plays In The Sand” on a Japanese radio station with a nationwide network. According to Nishikawa, “Monokino’s music is going down really well, actually. We particularly dig the first track ‘Trendy Café’. Very good song indeed!

parool popprijs

Monokino — Sat, 19 Feb 2005 00:22:58 +0000

February 2005. Monokino is one of the finalists of the Parool PopPrijs and will play in the Amsterdam club Paradiso on May 26. Monokino won the online voting round and has been selected to enter the finals by Peter van Brummelen, Flip van der Ende, Tom Engelshoven and Niels Post.

Het Parool published an interview with Monokino in their newspaper on the 18th February. Read it online here.

Here’s an article about Monokino in the Dutch music magazine Oor.

monokino & studio brussel

Monokino — Fri, 10 Dec 2004 00:22:59 +0000

December 2004. Monokino’s demo song ‘Trendy Café’ has been chosen as Demo of the Week on Belgium radio station, Studio Brussel. We got a lot of funny comments on the song from the jury and audience members. De professionele jury:

Mark van Luyk : Monokino neemt ons mee naar de jaren ‘80. We ruiken flarden Violent Femmes, het stinkt in het refrein zelfs naar de Pet Shop Boys en het geheel is nogal kitscherig gekruid, maar merkwaardig genoeg werkt die combinatie wel erg goed. Monokino heeft wat twaalf bands in een dozijn niet hebben; een eigen smoel.

Jan Hautekiet : Jezus, wat is me dat voor iets ? Even overbodig als een trendy café. Waar gaat dit over, waar is dit goed voor, worden we daar gelukkiger van ? Terwijl een soort misthoorn staat te loeien jaagt een soort zanger ons de gordijnen in. Het einde komt geen seconde te vroeg.