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Overview Ben Mono's website: www.ben-mono.de |
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 CPT 255-2 CD |
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01. Intro feat. Jemini |
Comments / quotes:
“Sounds great - dark electro vibe between Cybotron and Prince!”
(Justice – Ed Banger)
“Ben Mono's music helped get my girlfriend pregnant!“
(Diplo)
„I love the songs "Transmission" and "Don't you love it"
(Egyptian Lover)
Ben Mono – ambitious multi-player, producer, remixer and in demand DJ from Munich – has built himself a solid reputation in the world of advanced diskotainment during the past years. His debut album “Dual” was praised by critics for being “complex, deep, tight and authentic at the same time” (De:Bug). His tracks can be found constantly on heavy rotation in the playlists of supporters like Dave Clarke, Jazzanova, Funkstörung or Zombie Nation. Finally, after carefully polishing his latest compositions, Ben Mono is about to drop his long awaited sophomore effort: “Hit The Bit”
The new album is a manifestation of a new and unique style labelled by himself as Bit-Hop! While the majority of party people in Germany are attached to minimal techno grooves, Ben Mono draws a deliberately counterdraft to this predominant sound pattern. He slows down the tempo and adds some abundance – Bit-Hop means less beats per minute but more density in sound. Bit-Hop also means the digital merging of different styles, a symbiosis of stripped down HipHop and booming Electro. Remember when in the late 80s HipHouse was the catalyst for the fusion of rap vocals with electric dance music? It initiated a continuing metamorphose of sound steadily giving birth to new styles like Ghetto Tech, Grime, Dubstep, Hollertronix or most recently Neu Rave.
Bit-Hop is the youngest offspring in this family tree. Based on catchy hooks and old school synth lines it can be described best as an amalgamtion of ingredients Ed Banger or Spank Rock would probably feel tasty too. Just listen to “Don’t Stop”, “Pull Em Down” or the rocking title track “Hit The Bit” for comprehension. Ben Mono creates a new sound aesthetic a bit off from the current minimal affection defining the German electronic music scene. Considering this, Bit-Hop furthermore represents a break out, a metaphor for movement, progression and aggregation. On this mission he gets support by aspiring artists from all around the world like Bay Area MC Capitol A, the Miami Bass queens Yo Majesty from Tampa Florida, Weather Girls´ backround singer Kerry L. Dooley, caribbean bred Jemini who is guiding through the album, electro crunk general Shane Fontane, Bliss & Main Flow (of Mood) or British multi vocalist Killa Kela. - new friends and collaborators found while being a globetrotting DJ.
Over 80 DJ-bookings during a year take him to metropolises like Buenos Aires, Taipei, San Francisco, Bangkok, Dubai, Sydney, Beijing or Manila. All those different places have local scenes of their own posing new challenges for Ben Mono. Don’t expect him to play a straight DJ set when he rocks a party. Wherever he spins records he comes up with new variations in tempo and style while never forgetting about some sureshot bangers. But although it gets a little bit adventurous sometimes – like him being shot at with plastic bullets by some American street kids or being attacked by an organ trading taxi driver in Argentina – Ben Mono won’t stop his worldwide quest for the quintessence of sound to embed it into his universal Bit-Hop formula. All this experiences have been aggregated and transformed into his new album: “Hit the Bit”. So please pump up the volume and enjoy!
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CPT 252-1 |
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A1 Don’t Stop feat. Bliss & Main Flow |
Comments / quotes:
“Sounds great - dark electro vibe between Cybotron and Prince!”
(Gaspard Augé – Justice)
“The new Ben Mono album is incredible!”
(John Starlight – Zombie Nation)
Ben Mono – ambitious multi-player, producer, remixer and in demand DJ from Munich – has built himself a solid reputation in the world of advanced diskotainment during the past years. His debut album “Dual” was praised by critics for being “complex, deep, tight and authentic at the same time” (De:Bug). His tracks can be found constantly on heavy rotation in the playlists of supporters like Dave Clarke, Jazzanova, Funkstörung or Zombie Nation. Finally, after carefully polishing his latest compositions, Ben Mono is about to drop his long awaited sophomore effort: “Hit The Bit”
This second album is a manifestation of a new and unique style labelled by himself as Bit-Hop! Remember when in the late 80s HipHouse was the catalyst for the fusion of rap vocals with electric dance music? It initiated a continuing metamorphose of sound steadily giving birth to new styles like Ghetto Tech, Grime, Dubstep, Hollertronix or most recently Neu Rave. Bit-Hop is the youngest offspring in this family tree. Based on catchy hooks and old school synth lines it can be described best as an amalgamtion of ingredients Ed Banger or Spank Rock would probably feel tasty too. Bit-Hop means the digital merging of different styles, a symbiosis of stripped down HipHop and booming Electro. Bit-Hop also means less beats per minute but more density in sound - a deliberately counterdraft to the current minimal affection of the German electronic music scene.
This tastemaking EP combines four key cuts of the album including the two scorching club burners “Don’t Stop” (feat. Bliss & Main Flow of Mood) and “Pull Em Down” (feat. electro crunk general Shane Fontane). The futuristic slow motion funk of “Binary Poetry” is blessed by the gifted voice of Weather Girls´ backround singer Kerry L. Dooley. Pump up the volume – THIS IS BIT-HOP!
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 CPT 179-1 12" |
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A1. Transmission (feat. Capitol A) 4:15 B1. Mindsweep 5:24 |
Comments / quotes:
"Really dope production, really dope track"
Dave Clarke
"It has a kinda Prince vibe to it!! Yeah - this track's doing it for me, boogie baby." Raw Deal about the track "Mindsweep"
In 2004 we experienced a lot... we always hoped the world would be better but it wasn´t. So in the end we were happy that this year was finally over because we always knew that 2005 will be “Ben Mono Year” again and that fact for itself is making the world a little bit more livable!
After his debut “Dual” and his 12inches “Plastik Passion” (with legendary John Tejada Remix), “Universal Unit” and “Protection” (with Michi Lange Re-Edit) it was time again to lift Mr. Monos Sound on to the next level.
Besides of that fantastic new tracks we were waiting for his second album to be released 2005!
The spirit of electro still lives in the profound beats, rhythmically complex and strangely funky.
His music is experimental, mathematical, precise but in the end still soulful.
Capitol A is an anomaly in the business. Just improved Wahoo´s ”Make `Em Shake It” he also worked with Jazzanova in former times and did a track for 4 Hero Legend Dego on his project Tek 9. Not to forget his collaboration with Clyde on the hit-tune “Serve It Up” released on Mantis Recordings.
The producer has pushed his abilities to the limits, but this time he's brought with it a deeper, hungrier, more bad-ass spirit because of the voice of Capitol A. A spirit that's rarely found in modern dance music.
That´s not enough: The Cheapo Chicks Cheater Galaxy Mix of “Transmission” sounds as if the funky beast is back in town. Be aware of that monster! It will throw you the whole portion of twisted sounds in your face. We have absolutely no idea which person hides behind the synonym “The Cheapo Chicks Cheater”. We´re sorry, but we don´t have the heart to ask. This track is sheer madness!
Finally you can hear the classic 808 bells ringing on the Bell Remix of “Transmission”. Just like on their latest album “Seven Types Of Six” released on Soul Jazz Records this remix sounds like robotic funk.
“Transmission” at all is the interface of the 70´s to the 90´s. You can hear emotional synthisounds from 70ies Soul to modern and thrilling beats from today and the future. An irresistible mixture.
So welcome 2005!
“It-only-takes-a-minute-man-for-you-to-get-in-it-man”
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 CPT 147-1 12" |
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A1. UNIVERSAL UNIT 4:58
B1. PROTECTION Sirius Mo Remix 4:20 |
Comments / quotes:
"Universal Unit pumping loud right now, Its fucking GREEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!!!!!!" Jonas Quant, Sweden
"Like it. Especially Universal Unit" Jonas Imbery, Gomma Records
"A seriously funky Sirius Mo mix. Very tight downbeat for 2004." Luke McKeehan (Nordic Trax)
"One of the best records for me this year! Definitively chart topper." Kevin (Fine Cut Bodies, Hungary)
"Brilliant. I especially like the Volsoc remix of Juggling, a right bomb that is." Dave (Destination UNKnown, Belgium)
The man with a fondation of urban ambiance and 'Blade Runner' is round the block again .....Ben Mono! His debut album 'Dual' (CPT 135-1/-2) from 2003 already was a step towards the balanced production of broken beat with funky, warm vocals. To achieve that goal, Ben Mono has worked with highly praised female singers such as Marzenka and Bajka (who has also sung on Beanfield's lovely 'Tides'). The former Force&Paul member made IDJ point out that ”One thing´s certain...Beller is a seriously talented guy!”. A new stylistic direction, towards combining vocals with clubby tracks and organic parts with synthetic parts, cut-up sounds and melodies.
'Universal Unit' comes across all Playgroup-ish and robotically makes its way staccato. A geezer from the freezer instead. Delicate funkiness and sultry vocals backed up with the right beats. And it doesn't lose its sexyness as instrumental.
'Protection' originally was a mix of a downtempo and a drum n bass track with vocals from Bajka until Sonar Kollektiv kid Sirius Mo brought his synthiepop-funk love into play.
The next candidate taking care of 'Juggling' has been experimenting with the ambient side of electronic music and created the angry robot sound that is Volsoc aka Jean Paul Bondy and Justin Maxwell: Venturing beyond the dance floor, mutating past headphones, and melting into the atmosphere of his own planet. Beware, for Bondy has a Compost release of his own in mind also!
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 CPT 144-1 12" |
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A: B: |
What we offer here is a sublime yet deep re-direction for the Broken Beat generation. Ben Mono aka Paul Beller is endeavouring to keep things fresh after various twists and turns in the West London sound journey. Nothing can be really talked up here, though, because it is still underground, it is fragile. But what we are talking about is a growing post-Seiji, post-Domu generation, that kicks in with new productions to rival their idols and that is, for example in Munich, represented by Ben Mono.
His debut solo-album "Dual" (CPT 135-1/-2) is a step towards a balanced production of broken beat with funky, warm vocals. To achieve that goal, Ben Mono has worked with highly praised female singers such as Marzenka and Bajka (who has also sung on Beanfield's lovely "The Season"). While some might still debate about the impact, respected non-West London producers such as John Tejada, Landslide and Dharma One embrace the new direction. It opens the box a lot. Their remixes carefully support the paradigm shift, with Dharma One's driving Drum'n'Bass rework already been play-listed on top of a few DJ charts. "I already loved Dharma One's track 'Belong', but this remix is wicked, too", says Ben Mono.
Press Quotes / Comments on this release:
"I really dig the Landslide remix for Ben Mono." Miguel (Journeys, Portugal)
".. John Tejada und Landslide ... erfüllen die Erwartungen in Sachen Clubtauglichkeit zu 100%. Der Hammer kommt an dieser Stelle von Dharma One ... Drum'n Bass ohne Killerbassline, aber mit soviel sommerlichem Drive und einem Selbstverständnis in der Vocaleinbettung, dass es eine Freude ist. ... Überplatte! ***** De:Bug 9/2003
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Ben Mono "Dual" CD – Tracklisting:
01. Suburban Resident |
People, not brands
Welcome to the debut offering from Ben Mono. Welcome to a world of cut-up sounds and innovative broken beat bringing together Blade-Runner-esque melodies and socially aware lyrics. Welcome to Ben Mono aka Paul Beller, aged 27, hailing from Munich, Germany. Ben doesn't like Hollywood movies "because everything is so perfect and you're not involved in the story." He'd rather watch Dogma-style movies filmed with a hand-held camera creating a very real, very dense atmosphere. And it is this mind set that is reflected in his body of work.
A self-taught drummer, keyboard and bass player Ben Mono started going out to Into Somethin' club nights at the age of 16 and his friends were involved in the early Compost releases. By age 23 he had released two 12 inches under the monniker of "Force & Paul" on Compost Records (CPT 036, 053), tunes that earned him a reputation as a breakbeat sharpshooter and made magazines like the British I-D shout out: "Irresistable!". He soon progressed working with a wide range of local and regional people releasing music on labels such as Spinning Wheel (Space Clique, Druckwelle, Sonic Surfer) and Sonar Kollektiv (Space Clique remix for Micatone). He also studied bass at the Converatorium of Music in Munich, and has been involved in creating various professional movie soundtracks. And the motivation for this? "I'm trying not to cocoon myself too much. People pass by my studio every day, at least one person per day. The atmosphere changes all the time." An atmosphere that indeed could be described as open source. Ben Mono is a great fan of the internet as way to exchange sonically ideas and software plug-ins. "In my case, my daily work of updating is based on the internet."
With his debut solo album now out on Compost this talented German producer will without a doubt open up new international interactions. Interactions that are supported by his love to travel and his attraction to people in urban environments such as London or Berlin: "The longer I travel, the more it becomes obvious that I'm really addicted to bigger, intense cities. It doesn't matter that much whether they are in the mountains or at the seaside. The most important thing is that there is a vibration." Coupled with recent influences such as Bugz In The Attic and Seiji as well as Jazzanova, this urban vibration is clearly illustrated in his work. "I mean, my music itself is so honest", he says, "it's like a mirror."
So what does his music actually sound like? "It is the next step towards a new stylistic direction, towards combining vocals with clubby tracks and organic parts with synthetic parts." It is a step towards a balanced production of broken beat with funky, warm vocals. On his prolific debut album he has worked with highly praised female singers such as Marzenka and Bajka, which proved to be a highly rewarding task: "A singer means there's somebody who's really expressive. It might take some time, but when they find a way to contribute their vocals to the song, they are creating their own patterns." And how well the time was spent! Bajka, for instance, who already has received accolades from around the world for her appearance on Beanfield's "The Season" again reaches new expressive highs on Ben Mono's release.
Ben Mono as an artist generally doesn't differentiate between musicians and DJs. Rather he sees himself as a union of instrument player, sound engineer and DJ, aiming only to sound original and fresh. "I always looked up to people who sounded new. I really like when people do their own thing, be it rock, hip hop, r'n'b, classic music, techno or whatever. When you can really hear from the first bar who's behind this song. And I don't like music which is too complex just for the sake of complexity." Having said that, his dense, cut-up, soundtrack-like production work seems to be of an even higher standard: "When I started out making music vocal parts were too expressive to me, too artificial. Now I try to have space in my music, to have the vocals in front, and still offer an amalgamation of broken beat and vocals. It's just a question of cleaning up the track as far as textures and frequencies go."
With remixes by the likes of Landslide and John Tejada, Munich's very own Ben Mono is getting ready to go international, yet he stays down-to-earth. He is a DJ, playing in lo-fi venues as well as in front of hundreds of people. He is producer helping out everyone: "It doesn't matter if you've got a record contract or not." And he is a wanderer searching for urban resistance: "There's actually a relationship between my t-shirts and the music I make. I don't want to make music which you can define, music you can label. You'll meet me at the second hand store rather than in a skate wear shop."
Phil Broekelmann
April 2003
Ben Mono on his tracks:
1. Suburban Resident
"That's an old song that I didn't rework until Bajka came up with really
gorgeous vocals. It's probably the most organic track on the album and my
favourite."
2. The End
"Combining the house feeling with some broken elements."
3. Talking Navigator
"A trombone player and member of the South African embassy was invited to do
some typical South African vocal experiments. He did some funny noises and
click parts that create a certain tribal atmosphere."
4. Protection
"It started as a mixture of a downtempo and a drum n bass track and then
moved through different stages until I put in the bass line at the end.
Fantastic vocals from Bajka!"
5. Plastik Passion
"This was always planned to be a club track. It's actually the first
single."
6. Tired
"A co-op with David Robert from San Francisco. He is one of these maniacs
using sound design computers to create incredible sounds. We had a one week
session, a perfect collaboration. To add a bit of human touch and vocals I
later invited Kerry and Marzenka to sing."
7. Saskia 2002
"A song reflecting different perspectives of my music."
8. The Empiricist
"This track was called "Happiness", but it was too nice, so I tried to make
it a bit more broken. Now it's one of the best tracks on the album."
9. Juggling
"While working on this one I got to the stage where I said: Hey, I might
need some vocals! I then opened a folder with vocal experiments Bajka once
had done. Funnily, her vocals had only 2/3 of the tempo of the track, but
everything fitted together perfectly. Volker Meitz also added some
synthesizer tweaks and today it's one of Landslide's fave tracks."
10. In Time
"That's the track "Moments" from the Compost 100 compilation, totally
re-grooved with new r'n'b style vocals by Marzenka."
11. Mirián
"I wanted to do a mellow track, but whenever I start producing mellow music,
it starts getting pathetic. So I tried to built deepness through the texture
and with relaxed yet rough beats."
12. Southern Circuit
"Just a live session, Ben Mono in his studio. I programmed a beat and played
all the instruments on top and later cut the session down from twelve
minutes to what it is now. My neighbours actually thought this session was
an earthquake."
Ben Mono's hobbies:
Travelling and collecting atmospheres, Snowboarding, Tech stuff and bidding for funny chairs on the internet.
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Josh Wink
"Finde die neue Platte großartig!!!!!! Echt der Hammer. Meiner Meinung nach
die beste Compost ever!!!"
Chris De Luca / Funkstörung
"Really dope production, really dope track!"
(Transmission is no.1 in his "To Listen While Cruising" Charts)
Dave Clarke
"It has a kinda Prince vibe to it!! Yeah - this track's doing it for me, boogie baby." Raw Deal about the track "Mindsweep"
"Ben Mono's debut has come from almost nowhere to help define a style - and it helps that the genre it belongs to (beyond a loose sense of nu-jazz, broken beat, jazzy dub step, click house, Philly Soul affiliation) has no name. 'Dual' is a jewel."
Ben Osborne (dotmusic.com)
"Remarkable strong and innovative." Plastiks Magazine
"Mitten aus dem Leftfield kommen seine Broken-Beats, oft mit deepen Garage-Basslines und voll im Sound. ... Wundervoll etwa der Neo-Soul-Killer 'Suburban Resident' und die Session-Essenz 'Southern Cicuit'. Komplex, aber nicht verkopft, deep, tight und authentisch zugleich." De:Bug 09/2003
"He combines up-tempo club beats with elastic sub layers of jazz vocals and synths. Accessible and very innovative. A prolific, highly progressive masterpiece." danYdan, www.drum-bass.net
"A must for all Seiji and Jazzanova fans." Raveline Magazine
"One thing´s certain...Beller is a seriously talented guy." IDJ
"Blending the soulful lyricism of renowned vocalists Bajka and Marzenka with ambient breakbeat orchestrations, Ben Mono triumphs in creating a seamless musical landscape where the spaces in between the notes are almost as important as the notes themselves." getunderground.com
“Just when I thought Compost couldn’t surprise me once more, they hit me with this unique recording from Ben Mono and I stand astounded. This is probably one of the best records in what I would call fusion house to date. ... Wicked!!! Get this album if you want to experience something new and fresh!!!
5/5 Patrik Sjerén Founder, Editor-in-chief www.pitchadjust.com
"ben mono. lovely." Gareth Davis @ Superb Management
"The album has got a really nice sound to it. Meticulous and Magical in its production." markp www.solarradio.com
"This sounds like one of the best albums i've heard this year, certainly the best out of Compost. Can't wait to hear it on vinyl." Chris Widman (abstract science, Chicago
"Me and a lot of my friends are waiting for your lp to come on vinyl.. deep, musical, and extremely well engineered!" jouni (Dharma One)
"Just wanted to say I loved Ben Mono's album!" Ludovic Rambaud
"Let me catch my breath...there, I am okay now, the KOOP Alternative takes...I mean wow! That album took my breath away! AND Ben! ohh...well, I will not tell you what THAT did.. Thank you." Maria Curcic
"I couldn't believe that voice really exists! It's like Ben Mono must have lived in the late 40's and now is living his reincarnation at the present time. A kind of fusion of past and present!! Dual/Ben Mono, is just a splendorous sonic gem that could easy be heard by several and different generations. Just magic!" HELENE RAMOS (JOURNALIST,DJ,EDITOR,PROMOTER) LIMA/PERU
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Ben Mono feat. Ben Mono feat. Jemeni - Intro
Ben Mono feat. Capitol A - Beatbox
Ben Mono feat. Yo Majesty - Hit the Bit
Ben Mono feat. Kerry L. Dooley - Binary Poetry
Ben Mono feat. Jemeni - Jesus Was A B-Boy
Ben Mono feat. Capitol A - Listen
Ben Mono feat. Shane Fontane - Pull Em Down
Ben Mono feat. Jason Todd - Midnight Sun
Ben Mono feat. Eddie Ruleclean - Don´t You Love It
Ben Mono feat. Jemeni - Indonesian Interlude
Ben Mono feat. Bliss & Main-Flow - Don´t Stop
Ben Mono vs. Studio R feat. Capitol A - A&R Part 2
Ben Mono feat. Kerry L. Dooley - Universal Unit (Album Version)
Ben Mono feat. Killa Kela - Blindsweep
Ben Mono feat. Kerry L. Dooley - Phoenix
Ben Mono feat. Capitol A - Transmission
Ben Mono feat. Jemeni - Outro
Hit The Bit - CPT 255-2