Blau :This Monotonprodukt is a CD release of the blau vinyl written and produced by Monoton in 1980. Re-mastered in 2006. It also contains 3 unreleased tracks from that period.
Since the late 70's, early 1980's, Monotonprodukt and the "Institut für wissenschaftliche Sensation" (Institute for Scientific Sensations) have been working on the transposition of metamathematical structures, natural constants and resonance patterns in models of "bionic" psycho-active automat music. Publications, installations and long-term experiments include among others electro-acoustic representations of square roots, potences and periods, Pi-factors, Fibonacci sequences, Feigenbaum-Numbers, "Magic Squares" and others.
Konrad Becker wrote :Monoton on a quest for the spirit in the machine investigated the representation of a numeric structure on resonance field level; numerical systems and mathematical nature constants as values and proportions for bionic sound. Not only natural constants and their sub-elements offered themselves for operational definitions, but any proportion of numbers, the musician with the calculator in hand. Regardless of the aspect of universal machinic patterns, the transcendence of patterns, the "de-programming" and the "deletion" or reactive conditioning was their interest in transformative music. Noise is a simultaneous chaotic superposition of all frequencies, and the hearing of "everything" and thus nothing at a time in the constant vibration of "monotonous simulation". It is on the basis of these subjective and oracular properties, that transformative music may be explained.
Monoton played :fender twin reverb, kaoss pad, vermona retroverb, memory man deluxe, eq's, doepfer unit + spring reverb


KEY SELLING POINTS
«First came the Can remasters and the La Dusseldorf reissues. Next up was Conrad Schnitzler's Color Series followed by the Faust IV re-master with outtakes. And now we get the oral label's reissues of the extremely-limited, much more obscure, minimal synth masterpieces Blau (1980) and the black-covered self-titled Monotonprodukt 07 (1982) from media, light and sound artist Konrad Becker. Apparently these re-masters achieve an audio quality that fully realizes the artist's intentions for the first time, so they've been renamed with the number of years that have passed since the original issue dates tacked on to the original titles :"26y++" and "20y++," respectively.
Monoton's Blau is the more melodic album of the two; its scope of ominous and pleasantly eerie atmosphere is beautifully done, the full range of the analog sounds controlled with masterful restraint. The somber, minimally rhythmic, and somehow naturalistic soundscapes of "Ein Wort" and "Wirklichkeit" reminds me of a sparse Mouse on Mars soundtrack, but with that pure analog intensity that creates a physical presence. "Teil 2" has barely-there wolves howling, drowning in drone swells that coax tears. Blau is an album's worth of ahead-of-its-time music that surprises in its ability to cover so much ground with such limited means.»[SM _ other music]

DISTRIBUTION / SALES
To distribute or to buy directly this oral release
Please contact :Eric Mattson

MONOTON
Monotonprodukt 07 20y++
(oral)
"dancing&singing"
First came the Can remasters and the La Dusseldorf reissues. Next up was Conrad Schnitzler's Color Series followed by the Faust IV re-master with outtakes. And now we get the oral label's reissues of the extremely-limited, much more obscure, minimal synth masterpieces Blau (1980) and the black-covered self-titled Monotonprodukt 07 (1982) from media, light and sound artist Konrad Becker. Apparently these re-masters achieve an audio quality that fully realizes the artist's intentions for the first time, so they've been renamed with the number of years that have passed since the original issue dates tacked on to the original titles :"26y++" and "20y++," respectively.
Monoton's Blau is the more melodic album of the two; its scope of ominous and pleasantly eerie atmosphere is beautifully done, the full range of the analog sounds controlled with masterful restraint. The somber, minimally rhythmic, and somehow naturalistic soundscapes of "Ein Wort" and "Wirklichkeit" reminds me of a sparse Mouse on Mars soundtrack, but with that pure analog intensity that creates a physical presence. "Teil 2" has barely-there wolves howling, drowning in drone swells that coax tears. Blau is an album's worth of ahead-of-its-time music that surprises in its ability to cover so much ground with such limited means.
Considered to be Becker's masterpiece, the second album is the more subterranean, moodier one, and it's also the one that I personally prefer. Not to stress the Suicide connection, but at times the tracks really have a gentle Suicide feel softened with a Kraut expansiveness (slowly ever-shifting) that doesn't completely erase the angst underneath. "Water" has an undulating bass synth melody that is later connected to a higher pitched, repeating chirp and some distant, dubbed-out, spoken, slo-mo New Deutsche Welle chant vocals. "Fire" has a bass line that sounds like a throbbing cello and slowly becomes a dark soaring master jam, while "Vibration" could almost be La Dusseldorf on a big hit of Basic Channel. Monotonprodukt 07 really comes across as a Vinyl on Demand-type release, but with better quality and early innovations in a form that you always wanted to hear. And again, tracks are way ahead of their time; it's not just another raw, early and obscure synth album.
Both of these records are essential listening for those who are well-versed in minimal sounds that actually get 'somewhere' and become 'something,' and are into being overwhelmed with things that only have the bare necessities. The perfect albums for Krautrock fans that love techno and modern minimal stuff, these two Monoton releases will be in my annual top 10. [SM]

A couple of years ago, The Wire has a list (they love them) of '100 Records that set the world on fire (when no one was listening)' and the double Monoton LP ('Monotonprodukt 07') from 1982 was one of them. I remember that LP with it's striking minimal cover well from my early days, browsing through the weirdo section of the local record store, but never having the cash to buy it. In the words of The Wire this record 'is so alive with the pulses that triggered many Electronicas to come, from Techno through Trance to Mego's creeping music' and with it's monotone sequencers, synths and alien voices (plus the sparse use of violin, saxophone and even steeldrum), this is indeed a more than welcome re-issue. The re-issue from 2002 is not at discuss here, but we do mention that another pressing has become available (thank god), but today we have 'Blau' (meaning 'blue') a record from 1980 that is now released, along with three unreleased tracks from the archive. The tracks here see a continuation of 'Monotonprodukt 07', even when it predates that record. The rhythms are slow, much slower than any early techno this is said to influence, feeding through a simple delay and somewhere in the background there is a minimal throb of the sequencer, or scratch on the violin. 'Blau' is an even more raw diamond than 'Monotonprodukt 07', with more minimalism in the tracks. Usually a simple, single idea per track, which is worked over it's course. My favorite pieces are those that are based on a sequencer rather than a rhythm machine, reminding me of the urgency of Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft or Liason Dangereux, but in a less pop related way, and more in classical minimal music manner. Both Monoton records bridge gaps between pop and classical music, and as such they were indeed way ahead of their time, whereas today they still sound as fresh as then. (FdW, Vital Weekly 534)
Monoton :Konstante Vibration

Bionic Automatons
Less than Twenty years after Robert Moog presented his first synthesizer in 1962, the costs for electronic music productions had decreased to such an extent that it became more widely affordable. By 1979 electronic sound became pervasive and a widening scene participated in the discovery of new sound worlds, the fascination for the transhuman poetry of machine music.
Synchronized analogous sound generators like transposed bird voices allowed for complex modulations of wave forms. It gave way to adventures into sound space, beyond conventional notations of bars and points, past tonal or atonal. Based on the hypnotic effects of all repetitive music monotony produces variety - listening to always the same, you end up listening to something different. Autonomous zones in the information war by means of subversive neuro-stimulation, the repetitively woven sound patterns announce the twilight of the gods of the hierarchies of classical song structure.