Releases: Baby / Bend or Break / Your Underground / No Return / Fake Virtue / Human Error
Monokino is the alias for Dutch pop composer George van Wetering, who, together with Yu Jin, former keyboard player of the Chinese first all-female rock band 'Cobra,' formed and fronted the band Monokino - once part of the growing roster of foreign acts released by Chinese record company Modern Sky. Hailed as “a free spirit that finds harmony with disparate elements and a pattern without a formula” Monokino’s diverse, explorative style of alternative pop music struck a chord globally: records like "Fake Virtue" and "Human Error" were released by Dutch label Konkurrent, Zip Records (USA/the Netherlands) and Modern Sky (China).
Monokino has undertaken extensive tours across the USA, Canada, China, and the Netherlands, completing five consecutive tours of China and North America. They have performed at prominent festivals including China’s Strawberry Festival and SXSW in the US.
Monokino has collaborated with producers Tony Visconti and Dutch artist/producer Jacco Gardner. "Your Underground," a collaboration with J. Laser (M83) earned 'UK artist of the week' by the the Vinyl District, described as 'a woozy fusion of alternative-rock and off-kilter electronics that certainly deserves your attention.' Recent singles "Bend or Break" and "No Return," sung in Mandarin Chinese, gained international acclaim and airplay on BBC Radio. "No Return" marks a significant comeback and is included in Spotify editorial playlists such as "Best Classical New Music." Monokino's new single "Baby," added to the Spotify playlist "Best New Music," is categorized as garage rock, a departure from his usual style.
“Baby” from Dutch wunderkind Monokino - It’s a sort of magic, really, one that derives from possessing both an insatiably primal dance juggernaut of a beat in stride with razor-sharp production values, and we’re here today to bring you exactly one such insta-classic." - StereoEmbers
"Extremely catchy" - Frankie Francis – Amazing Radio
Spotify Editorial: No Return / Baby (New Music Friday)
"Monokino's Baby is now played on 35 French radio stations" - Novorama
‘Baby’ itself is a heart-pounding stomper, provoking images of a high-speed chase a la Ryan Gosling’s Drive — think 90s garage psych meets 80s art-rock, drenched in fuzz and exploding in synthetic sound." - Psychedelic Baby Mag
“Infectiously catchy songwriting on an energetic modern indie rock outing dripping in fuzzy rock guitar leads and a driving beat.” - Plastic Mag
"Engagingly idiosyncratic modern pop, with brand new tune Baby accompanied by the aptly striking, retro-futuristic ASCII-composed lyric video." - Glide
" Monokino has a knack for quirky, but engaging songwriting." Fame Magazine
"Monokino’s overflowing creativity is what impresses at first, so much he clearly holds within his very soul something very few artists have; a unicity that does not resemble anything familiar. We might describe the music as a combination between alternative indie-pop and electro-rock sonorities, but the truth is that the overall result is something we cannot describe, no matter how much we master words, nuances, and the knowledge of music. Monokino is just on a planet of his own, doing something only he understands, but one thing is certain, his sound is relatable, sublime at times, and powerfully inspiring." - Pop It Records
"With Monokino being described as an odd/pop composer I felt the eyebrow begin rise and meet the furrowed brow. Oh joy one of those avant garde types that makes noise but has no intrinsic merit whatsoever. I was wrong. Utterly. There is an undercurrent that you’re at some sort of trippy house party or have perhaps overindulged in a way you wouldn’t wish to repeat. The “in the round” vocals add to the helter skelter vibe and cut across the guitar which comes in and out like a bad influence pulling at your arm. A musical venture with a salient point that’s actually worth listening to. " - Faultline
"Monokino and the full throttle psych garage rock "Baby" has got a lead foot and jamming guitars." - American Pancake
"If Adam Curtis made music instead of documentaries Monokino would be the sound / This is music that defies genre, it is pure, raw, and magnificent." - Yack Magazine
"His latest singles "Bend or Break", “No Return” and “Your Underground” made a splash internationally with plays from the late Janice Long on BBC Radio." - BBC Radio.
UK Artist of the week: “Monokino's latest release “Your Underground” is a woozy fusion of alternative-rock and off-kilter electronics that certainly deserves your attention.” - The Vinyl District
"Dutch musician Monokino takes the electronic-tinged genre of hyperpop in bold new directions." - MXDWN
“Magical electro-pop and baroque fusion and jawdropping visuals." - Vents Magazine
“Monokino talks to us about Kraftwerk, Kooning, kitsch and creative control over his career. The machine gun lead, hyper-drive beat scores Monokino's layered vocal through an atmospheric and arresting track.” - Contact Music
“A breathless, whirl of soundscapes and incessant sampled beats. Monokino takes no prisoners as electro is formidably melded with rock-style guitar; relentlessly dark, consistently moody.” - Fortitude Magazine
"Incredibly original" - Northern Transmissions
"An out-of-the-ordinary single: ‘No Return’is a great proof that true artists’ inspiration’s never fades away - Monokino releases one of his strongest and most meticulously produced songs so far." - Nuevo Culture
"The Dutch musician - Monokino‘s newly released song and music video called “No Return” will pour a grain of salt to the open wounds of those feeling detached from their home or home country. The band tortures the listener’s soul with soul-stirring pop fusion and baroque electronic tunes, creating an atmosphere of inevitable sadness. “No return” holds the bittersweet spirit of involuntary detachment." - Just Bangers
"George van Wetering, best known as Monokino continues his musical journey with this mesmerizing release of a deep and bittersweet single “No Return” along with a highly anticipated music video that was shot in Nanjing, China." - Breaking & Entering
"Soulful and deep sound mixed with expressively strong vocals singing about the detachment from the past - pour all the sadness from your heart. Everything you think you were over with, every pain and every wound you hid deep enough to forget about resurfaces with disturbing guitar riffs and vulnerable vocals." - Records on Repeat
“No Return” is a magical electro-pop and baroque fusion set to spark mass appreciation among both mainstream music lovers and connoisseurs of the genre, while helping cement the rise of Monokino’s status as a major act in 2020’s music scene." - Vents Magazine
"This electronic, baroque and pop fusion is a mysterious and beautiful song that once again showcases Monokino’s strong penchant for bittersweet melodies and atmospheres." - New Hit Singles
"Monokino transcends cultures and releases a fusion between East and West on new music video "No Return". George van Wetering, better known as the lead singer of the Dutch band Monokino, is gaining the attention of the press thanks to his latest release, a jaw-dropping music video titled No Return. " - Aipate
"Beaucoup d'émotions pour le hollandais Monokino. No Return a été écrite lorsque George van Wetering / Monokino doutait de sa capacité à rester en Chine et hésitait à rentrer chez lui ou non." - Novorama
"Monokino has spent years in China and feels very close to the country, even though he has mixed feelings with the professional and personal experiences he had to undergo while living there. His new music video is a great way to portray his feelings and emotions, and is exclusively shot in China. This fascinating song will undoubtedly help Monokino strengthen the connection between western and eastern cultures, and bring people together amidst the Pandemic." - Minimal Sound
"Have you ever imagined what a sonic fusion between eastern and western sonorities would sound like? This is exactly what Monokino, a Dutch indie-pop group has done with their latest single and music video titled ‘No Return’. Monokino has been consistently increasing their reach over the past years, with releases like ‘Human Error’ and ‘Fake Virtue’. ‘No Return’ is a beautiful sonic, but also visual experience." - Indieland
"Monokino is releasing an incredibly original track titled “No Return.” He has concocted a savvy blend of electronica, pop, rock, and baroque-inspired sonorities that act as the perfect sonic structure for him to layer his vocals, in Mandarin!" - Groovy Tracks
"The band reincarnated from their industrial goth phase into bolder sound choices, right after “the EDM cult of personality took over.” Their romantic ballad “No Return,” with a baroque electronic production, is a beautiful artistic sophistication of the dilemmatic issue of homecoming." - Filthy Bangers
"At the intersection of indie, pop, and rock, “No Return” is the kind of single that loops in your head for days even if, frankly, we cannot understand the exact meaning of the lyrics." - Pop Dose Magazine
"I deduce that unlike many of his contemporaries, this is not a man much concerned with fitting in. No return is an interestingly crafted tune sung in Mandarin Chinese. The song features vocals that seem to float into the ether, spacious violin sounds, Eastern musical motifs, and even an aggressive sounding synth that makes a brief stop in the song’s break." - Alt77