Monvol

About

" A rare combination of deep house and live recorded instruments "

Creative dynamics and technological advancements are reforming the very idea of live music, offering exciting new routes for electronic live music to build a solid yet hybrid future. Monvol is just such an act, and for them, form and function do not just go hand in hand, they completely overlap. With this musical approach it can be a little hard to tell where equipment ends and human performance begins; but this is likely the point. Nastya Volkova, a Russian DJ and producer, and Anton Monk, a household name on the electronic scene in Latvia, have been releasing music as Monvol via labels from around the world. At the same time, they were pushing the downtempo and IDM boundaries past the idea of re-telling their songs in front of an audience, and going deep into an experience that’s very much alive.

Having released two studio albums, ‘Bon’ in 2020 and ‘Sputnik’ the following year, the act has also been quite busy recording a number of EPs and singles, where they are reimagining 70s and 80s grooves with a powerful mix of deep and slow house, and ambient. At times, it’s seasoned with captivating vocals like in their new single ‘Alone With You’, where the repetition in the lyrics works as an additional live recorded instrument, pumping some emotion into the track. 

Emotion is a key word in Monvol’s music: ‘Neighbours’, for example, is a track expressing the pain and joy of being close to each other. Or their ‘Milestiba’ EP, that draws inspiration from observations on everyday life. Or even the recent ‘Hand Of God’, with the percussion groove imitating human steps (according to Monvol themselves “towards achieving sense in life”). It’s their creative spirit, their thirst for musical exploration, and their adventurousness that has really captured our attention.