NEW RELEASE
BABY - 2022
"Baby" follows Monokino's singles, "Your Underground," "Bend or Break," and "No Return,". All singles received attention from blogs worldwide, with plays from the late Janice Long on BBC Radio.
Monokino Shares "Baby" Single + Lyric Video
Today, Monokino (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) shares a brand new single entitled "Baby." The track's accompanying visual, created by Monokino himself, is made entirely of ASCII characters and has a stylistic kind of retro-futurism perfectly befitting of Monokino’s sound.
first reviews / radio spins
"Monokino and the full throttle psych garage rock "Baby" has got a lead foot and jamming guitars." - American Pancake
"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
‘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
"Engagingly idiosyncratic modern pop, with brand new tune Baby accompanied by the aptly striking, retro-futuristic ASCII-composed lyric video." - Glide
"Extremely catchy" - Frankie Francis – Amazing Radio
35 french radio feature - Novorama
"No brakes, no breaks for this blistering bolide. Hair in the wind, foot on the pedal, going nowhere fast. Oh yeah, baby! Hungry guitars, Idolesque vocals, magnetic melody. Don’t look sad if you’re alone at home, you can dance with yourself to this pick-me-up thrill" - Turn up the Volume
Having built a significant following in Asia and North America, Monokino has continued to develop his chameleonic approach to music and art. Incorporating elements of pop, indie, rock and electro, he has cultivated a diverse, explorative style of alternative pop music. Monokino has been a frequent participant in China’s ever growing music festival industry, and his talent has enabled him to showcase his unique pop music around the world: from China’s Strawberry Festival to SXSW in Austin, Texas.


REVIEWS (SELECTION)
“Best all around the world in one band. Monokino delivered minimalist New Order-style dance rock with guitar, synth and drums by way of China, Holland and Germany.” (Greg Kott – The Chicago Tribune)
“You have to be a conscious artist to mess with the rules, and Monokino’s Fake Virtue embodies a free spirit that finds harmony with disparate elements and a pattern without a formula. This is the record of the Non-Conformist. Here, the dark and the light intertwine to makes some really great tracks with great electronic elements (Spring Music Review: Chicago College Radio)
Toronto/Canada“Based in Amsterdam and signed to China’s biggest music label, the synth-happy trio are lead by singer George van Wetering and his Michael-Stipe-on-helium voice. They’re completely vulnerable but oddly aggressive at the same time.” (Fab Magazine Toronto)
“Monokino weaves ear-piercing synthesizers, angry guitar riffs and pounding drums with a highly-exceptional voice to produce futuristic sounding pop/rock music. In the course of a minute, you may hear Soft Cell, New Order, Kraftwerk, Associates, Cabaret Voltaire and Freur.” (Incendiary Magazine)
“Monokino: from Europe, signed to Modern Sky in China, performing in the U.S. and taking
cues from artists across the cultural spectrum. Songs came through the ground below their feet, invoking the industrial goth dance party feel of electronic music before the EDM cult of personality took over. Ripe and unhinged, they moved back and forth from drum machines to live drums and keyboards to electric guitar, all awash with endless effects. (Culture Collide).
cues from artists across the cultural spectrum. Songs came through the ground below their feet, invoking the industrial goth dance party feel of electronic music before the EDM cult of personality took over. Ripe and unhinged, they moved back and forth from drum machines to live drums and keyboards to electric guitar, all awash with endless effects. (Culture Collide).
“Monokino shows their quality again and proves that melancholy is compatible with catchy and original pop music. A masterpiece!” (Subjectivisten)
Een paradoxaal geluid vol opgewekte melancholie. Dit zorgt ook voor de juiste spanningsboog op het album. Pop, maar met een behoorlijk rafelige rand. Ze weten het wel zo pakkend te brengen dat het een breed, internationaal publiek kan aanspreken. De productie is in goede handen bij de bevreemdende knuffelfolkartiest Jacco Gardner. Monokino onderstreept hier andermaal hun kwaliteit en bewijst dat melancholie ook met aanstekelijke en originele popmuziek kan samengaan. Grootse klasse!” (Subjectivisten)
“Fake Virtue, is zo’n plaat waar je onmiddellijk een zwak voor hebt. Fake Virtue staat vol met perfecte popliedjes. Vervolgens word je zo vaak op het verkeerde been gezet en wordt de fantasie zo vaak en zo intens geprikkeld, dat Fake Virtue heel snel uitgroeit tot een plaat waarvan je alle geheimen wilt ontrafelen.” (De Krenten uit de Pop)
“4 van de 5 sterren. Op Fake Virtue laat Monokino een eigen geluid horen dat redelijk ver staat van de meeste electropopbands. Het duo biedt een opvallende mix van electro- en indiepop, gelardeerd met flinke echo’s uit de jaren tachtig. Veel tracks staan bol van de ideeën en regelmatig hanteert Monokino diverse stijlmiddelen binnen één nummer.” (Written in Music)

