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Monolink Shares Tips and Advice on How to Construct a Good Live Setup

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It is the experiential nature of Steffen Linck AKA Monolink’s music that defies the muddy definition of modern live electronic music. Armed with the blend of Berlin underground culture with the pop-leaning sensibility of American electronica, Monolink transports listeners into his own realm of sonic exploration. The music is pillared by emotive guitar tones, analogue synth stabs and, for the first time, his own vocals – acting as a singular point of departure for this budding talent.

The process is almost intuitive for Monolink, “Sitting down and writing a song on a specific topic is foreign to me. I want to be surprised by my lyrics, to find an idea that appeals to me and is not just coming from the logical part of my brain.”

With newest single “Swallow”, Monolink reveals a painful encounter and the subsequent loss which occurs in that place between dreams, thoughts and reality.

“Oh you swallow me inside / Like the dark swallows the light / When I’m drowning in your sea”, fits perfectly into the concept of a cycle of life, the central theme of Monolink’s debut album Amniotic.

Monolink’s forthcoming album Amniotic is being released through Embassy One, a subsidy of Embassy of Music which has released gems from talents like Björk, Booka Shade, Moby and more. The debut album stands as Monolink’s first complete body of work, following his 2017 EP Burning Sun via Sol Selectas, and The End, a collaborative record with Acid Pauli in 2015.

Following the release of Amniotic, Monolink will be embarking on his 3-month live trot across the US, Europe and UK where he’ll be exhibiting his evolved live performance. Steffen performs all of his music live with Ableton, his guitar and fully live vocals, proving to be something truly different in the global modern techno scene.

It is with this in mind that we asked him for tips and advice on how to construct a good live setup:

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Sci+Tec’s Johnny Trika Performs Live from His Studio and Discusses His Setup

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Dubbed as one of SCI+TEC’s ‘next generation’ and counting names like Dubfire and Richie Hawtin amongst his ever-growing list of high profile supporters, Johnny Trika is a producer who has been hotly tipped since his first release in 2014. Backed by a weighty discography on SCI-TEC, May 2017 has seen him once again putting his mark on the industry with a brand new EP and a US/Canadian tour – delivered in a one-two punch that’ll leave people talking right through the summer.

As a producer who pursues quality over quantity, a new Johnny Trika release is something to get excited about, and the Fast Life EP on Oneself is no different. Release at the end of May, the EP features two brand new original productions from Johnny, backed up by a razor-sharp remix from Maksim Dark. The title track brings together a rolling bassline with warped, chopped up vocals and delivers a dark, progressive weapon that’s been tried and tested in Johnny’s sets for a while now. On the other hand, Dreamless King takes on a more ethereal approach to techno with an almost dream-like quality in the synths – a layered but considered sound that retains Johnny’s inimitable weighty bassline and drums.

Yesteday we hosted Johnny on our Facebook page where he performed LIVE from his studio. Admittedly there were some connectivity issues but his impressive work as a live act can still be watched, and more importantly listened to, regardless. Watch the video below and read on for our interview with the producer where he explains his vision for his Live shows as well as his setup:

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