MONOLAKE 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Monolake's defining third LP Gravity was the second album to be released through the artist's own Imbalance Computer Music, as well as the first to feature Robert Henke predominately, as his former partner Gerhard Behles became increasingly consumed by the foundations of what become the Abelton Live empire. Tense, percussive digital minimal techno ensues, setting steady beats against rattling, materially modelled sound design - the record's resonant overtones sound like sprockets undergoing tidal to-and-fros of suspension and release - this record sought thematic refuge in a universal force of natural law: gravity itself. After a recent reissue of Monolake's first album Hongkong, this turn-of-the-century affair - appearing on vinyl for the very first time - offers a shattered, breathy brand of minimalism, perfect for shrunken heads and demanding DJs alike.

Review: Back in 1997 Monolake was still a project in its earliest development, as Robert Henke and Gerhard Behles were experimenting with the possibilities of computer music while most people were still very much in the analogue era. There had however been some major drops on the seminal Chain Reaction label, and then they released Hongkong as a compilation of these early singles. It made sense, given the way the early Monolake sound trod the line between dancefloor techno and home-listening head trips, and so they presented the likes of 'Cyan' and 'Lantau' on CD, embellished with a little field recording magic from a trip to a computer music conference in Hong Kong, hence the title. Now Field Records have reissued this seminal compilation and given it a first vinyl pressing, remastering the music in the process and ensuring it sounds the best it possibly could.