Monikaze

About

" Hypnotic electronic sounds meet outlandish vocals and raw emotions "

Well-known to Lithuanian electronic music aficionados for several years now, Monikaze has recently been attracting attention abroad, with successful performances at showcase events like Tallinn Music Week, and through her second album ‘Waste of Space’ (2021) being released by well-known international label Moshi Moshi Records. Such recognition seems timely, as Monikaze is one of the most exciting electronic music artists in Lithuania at the moment.

Having lived in the UK for a while, in 2018 she graduated with a degree in composition, from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. Her diploma composition, the chamber piece ‘Pocket’ was named among the Top 10 compositions at the International Rostrum of Composers.

By that time, Monika Zenkevičiūtė (that’s her real name) had already started performing live shows – playing music that has shades of IDM, trip-hop, ambient and other genres. Once she’s on stage, throbbing bass lines and unexpected electronic sounds wrap around an exquisite voice that can be described as both tender and chilling, depending on the song. Surprisingly shy during interviews, on stage Monikaze turns into a force of nature – creating a mysterious atmosphere that can be described as almost Lynchian.

After releasing her debut album ‘Chicken Wings’ (2019), Monikaze played support gigs with the likes of Algiers, First Hate and Dopplereffekt. 2021 brought a new chapter, marked by bolder ideas and ambitions. ‘Waste of Space’ is described by Monikaze as a very personal record, inspired by many thoughts and conversations she had during the pandemic. The record release was followed by a special concert film, where Monikaze performed her music with a chamber orchestra.

It seems that this is only the beginning. Monikaze rhymes with kamikaze, after all (in fact, that’s how her father came up with her nickname). That seems totally appropriate – when it comes to music and experiments, this artist is truly fearless.