Browse by Label: MONIKA (GERMANY)

Artist:	QUARKS
Title:	Zuhause
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 002CD

Debut album by the German due of Jovanka von Willsdorf and Niels Lorenz. "Here comes Quarks music. When you listen to it, you will go very quiet, because Quarks are not very noisy either, and that is very nice. Quarks feel homesick and distance-sick at the same time, but not always. Their songs have many 'clings' and 'dings' and fine melodies and 'katzengold'. They are German, so is their music, which is made from various electronica and an electric guitar. When they come to play, their bring their living room along -- even a lamp, which then glows. Quarksland is small from the outside and from the inside infinite."

Artist:	VA
Title:	Monika's Ascension
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	DVD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 002DVD

Live DVD release featuring exclusive material from: Komeit, Masha Qrella, Cobra Killer, Contriva, Barbara Morgenstern. "With their Ascension night at the Berlin Volksbühne, Monika Enterprise presented five impressive concerts of those five bands and projects that are the core of the Berlin label's catalogue. After years of work and countless concerts of each individual band this night together was the time to lift their music up onto a higher level. Especially for this evening Javier Benitez, Niklas Goldbach and the video-group Transforma produced videos, that -- hugely projected onto the back of the stage --gave each concert its own atmosphere. Now you are invited to celebrate once more with Monika, and from now on every day of the year... Komëit: reinventing their musical space. So clear and hypnotizing that perspectives bend and stucco appears at the ceiling. With video footage of curious ufo sightings... Masha Qrella: Snotty, introverted and pleasantly open at the same time she presents her extremely personal songs, while giant air planes are revolving above her head... Cobra Killer: as special guest they expand the stage onto the irritated audience with their legendary red wine orgy. killer, as simple as that... Contriva: drifting off without ever actually doing so, the band inserts itself into images just before regaining front stage with their music... Barbara Morgenstern: amidst the firmament and planetary movements she invites us with her disarming nature to a heaven bound musical journey..." NTSC format for North America, region 0, approx 100 minutes in length.

Artist:	MORGENSTERN, BARBARA
Title:	Fjorden
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 016CD

2nd album from Barbara Morgenstern, with guest production assistance from Robert Lippok (To Rococo Rot), Thomas Fehlmann and Pole (production & mix on 5 tracks). "I was pleasantly touched by Barbara's debut album of autumn 1998 Vermona ET 6-1. With organ as her main instrument, the work was like an homage to the Czech organ of the same name, through without the trash quality. In that album Morgenstern melded warm analog sounds from the past and nineties beats in a techno-design of song writing, home recording and electronica, without retro-lounge-cuteness either. You could have called that work Indietronic, but the term didn`t exist at the time. Even now, two years later, it won`t fit. yet it comes to mind, because Fjorden has obviously been recorded with new equipment and new technique. Still working out of her own studio, using sampler and sequencer in her instrumentation, Barbara Morgenstern tells us stories. Her wonderful, heartbreaking voice, adds context to the beats and sounds. Fjorden comes across as familiar & intimate. This album is a clear step forward, without throwing the past overboard -- with its warm analog sound, is like a good friend visiting -- rotating in your CD player. You are not alone. Barbara Morgenstern is there with her music. And it`s wonderful that she`s there!" -- Jan Ole Jöhnk, Ende

Artist:	CONTRIVA
Title:	Club Hit EP
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$9.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 018EP

"5 remixes that were done within the closer and closest circles of friends and colleagues around Contriva. the songs of the band have been radically worked over, while the melancholy mood of the original material has impressively been preserved. From Iso68, Tom Thiel (Sun Electric) and Jan Jelinek (Farben) contriva have been done over for electro-lounge-compatibility. Jörg Burger (Modernist) delivers a pop-version that invites you to sing along on the dance-floor. once there you can sway melancholically to the Superpitcher mix of stuck.

Artist:	CONTRIVA
Title:	8 Eyes (1996-1999)
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	2CD
Price:	$18.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 019CD

"In January 2000, after several smaller publications, Contriva released their first real studio album (Tell Me When). Now, about a year later, they bless us with a double-CD. The first CD in the set offers us a look at their earlier publications: the first tape and the first 10 inch (both still under the name of Zimt), the second 10 inch and the two singles (all on lok-musik); also there are three hard-to-get sampler-contributions. The CD documents the musical evolution of the Berlin-natives within the span of 1996 to 1999. Formed as a trio (Max Punktezahl-guitar, Masha Qrella-Bass, Hanns Lehmann-Drums), their first recordings still had a nervous postrock sound to them. It was after Rike Schuberty (keyboards) joined the band in the beginning of 1997, that increasingly song-oriented structures of the still instrumental tracks became a distinct trademark of Contriva. This development continued on Tell Me When. The second CD contains eight remixes that were done within the closer and closest circles of friends and colleagues around Contriva. The songs of the band have been radically worked over, while the melancholy mood of the original material has impressively been preserved. From Iso68, Tom Thiel (Sun Electric) and Jan Jelinek (Farben) Contriva have been done over for electro-lounge-compatibility. Joerg Burger (Modernist) delivers a pop-version that invites you to sing along on the dance-floor. Once there you can sway melancholically to the Superpitcher Mix of Stuck. Isan deliver a do-over of Sure Enough, Ragazzi make Contriva sound like Depeche Mode and Chris Flor (Komeit) charms the melodies of Contriva into silent beauty."

Artist:	VA
Title:	Raumschiff Monika
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$11.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 020CD

"Not many people would call their label after a suicidal pet. And you might consider Monika a slightly unusual name for a goldfish. But then again Monika enterprise most certainly isn't your average label. With more love than money, impeccable taste and boundless enthusiasm label manager Gudrun Gut has managed to assemble an eclectic mix of surprising talent, uncovering the strange coherence and warmth of Berlin's finest purveyors of electronic pop music. Since 1997 Monika has been a secret source of cosy warmth, of personal sounds, of music you would love to be friends with. Spearheading a new generation of, frequently female, electronic introspective sounds, Raumschiff Monika invites you to put up your feet and listen." Low-priced label sampler featuring the best of previous vinyl-only releases, plus an exclusive Depeche Mode cover by Contriva. Featuring tracks from: Barbara Morgenstern, Quarks, Contriva, Komëit, etc.

Artist:	MORGENSTERN, BARBARA
Title:	Eine Verabredung
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	10"
Price:	$9.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 021EP

"The autumn release of Barbara Morgenstern's new album Fjorden caused a general hysteria, love and addiction. Our new production was all because of Robert Lippok. He wrote one of the songs in corporation with Barbara and begged us to have the instrumental tracks released on vinyl. And of course, Robert's wish is our command. And here are the tracks on our beautiful and proved 10" vinyl: original album-versions of 'Eine Verabredung', 'Fjorden' and '37°', a new mix of 'Dr.mr.' by Barbara and the live version of 'Der Wunsch Teil Vier' with Christian Obermaier."

Artist:	QRELLA, MASHA
Title:	Luck
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 028CD

"It's here now, totally out of the blue: The first solo-album titled Luck by Contriva guitarist/bass player and Mina keyboarder Masha Qrella. On Luck, Masha Qrella is following some of her own concepts with even greater care. And the songs turned out as brightly beautiful and restrained passionate as her voice sounds. On the surface you can hear a production with soul and skill, that sometimes breaks a drum loop unevenly above the knee, that indulges in one gap or another and that leaves a note where it has been dropped. The tracks that first sound roughly put together in a way common in hip hop, turn out to be merely the gruff medium for the more airy song structures that they transport. There is (next to Mina and Contriva) as much Elliot Smith and Robert Wyatt in them, as the production opens up associations with Jim O`Rourke and Peaches. The instruments bass, guitar, drums and keyboards are mostly played by Masha herself and hint to the sound of a band. But the impression the songs make oscillates between that of the organically grown and that of being highly constructed by the exceptional details of the production."

Artist:	CONTRIVA
Title:	If You Had Stayed
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 030CD

"Apart from their diverse solo activities -- Masha Qrella releasing a very convincing solo album, guitarist Max Punktezahl touring as a member of the Notwist, Hannes Lehmann and Rike Schuberty focusing on their acting studies -- all of them continue to form Contriva since 1997, building a centre everything else is evolving around. Storytelling is still one of the quartet's main goals without using obvious techniques such as lyrics and actual singing. Concentrating on what is essential, Contriva have found their most conclusive 'voice' so far. Guitar slides, melodious basslines as well as tight beats build the foundation for their thoughtfulness, sometimes verging on a kind of contemplation, the melancholy of a circling acoustic guitar, the playfulness of organ accents and the arousement caused by the occasional outburst of r-o-c-k all help to wipe out any notes of a self-indulgent end in itself. Contriva knows refreshing ways to by-pass both amateurism and boring expertise. Contriva flow."

Artist:	MORGENSTERN, BARBARA
Title:	Himmel Mixe (Heaven Mixes)
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$9.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 032EP

"What can be more promising than the ultimate melancholic groover Lawrence remixing the addictive harmony composer Barbara Morgenstern? Or DNTEL's Jimmy Tamborello giving her a charming remix revenge? Or when the Bpitch dance queen Ellen Allien herself just joins in with Barbara and sings along and Berlin's mellow stars Tarwater do the same? All of them took extra care for their remixes and the result sounds purely wonderful. The A side is for dancing and the B side for lounging. If something beautiful comes out of the blue like that -- don't you just have to have it?" Remixes by Lawrence, Ellen Allien, Jimmy Tamborello [DNTEL, Figurine] and Tarwater.

Artist:	MORGENSTERN, BARBARA
Title:	Nichts Muss
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 033CD

"Barbara's third album; it's utterly beautiful and, modestly put, her music shines brighter and more majestically than ever. Produced with Berlin's own Dubmeister Pole, with a little help from Thomas Fehlmann (who has previously produced artists as diverse as the Orb and Erasure), Nichts Muss is a prime cut of Teutonic electronic beauty; exquisite German pop music which will catapult Barbara into her own orbit, way beyond indietronics or other typical electronic vocal music. With dreamy confidence, Ms. Morgenstern combines the charisma of her voice with inspiration and even more songwriting talent, and the result is an amazing mixture, unique in today`s electronic scene. The adjectives we thought of while listening to this record were endless but, as mentioned, anyone with a pair of ears and a heart will discover those for himself."

Artist:	CHICA AND THE FOLDER
Title:	42 Mädchen
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 036CD

"Chica Paula's 'coming out' as a musician. She did her debut album together with Max Loderbauer (Sun Electric; here 'The Folder'). If you have known Chica as a DJ, you'll be quite surprised now; having invited a lot of guests she switches from elektropop to punk, from fairytale to ambient and back to electropop. She even does the most charming cover version of a Brian Eno song! Daring, minimal, inspired and inspiring! But how could you resist 42 girls anyway?"

Artist:	LIPPOK, ROBERT
Title:	Falling Into Komeit
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 037CD

"Robert Lippok from To Rococo Rot. His Falling into Komëit might be called a remix-album but it is rather a tribute. The idea of reinterpreting Komëit's full-length album Falling into Place (m25) settled when he -- among others -- participated in a remix 12" (Falling Back Together) to the album. Now, almost two years since, he has realized his idea and finished Falling into Komëit. The album is a very simple, very personal way of paying credit to Komëit's universe of tender and fragile, minimalistic songs. Robert Lippok has been very careful not to destroy or to boldly paint over the distinctive structure of the songs but to keep their character and still to create something new that carries along his idea of music in general and Komëit's music in particular. This album is also about passion. It is about music as a passion, which is able to express emotions, thoughts and dreams, and about the many different ways and materials that make this expression possible. And above all it is about a very classical and beautiful understanding of music (which might have gone lost a little within the context of a very fast and somehow superficial pop industry) that saves music from transitoriness: This is the idea of music as a language that is passed on, getting supplemented and thereby growing in its ability to actually describe what you want to express. It is thus similar to fairy tales and myths that constantly change in the process of narration but never actually lose their original meaning. And this -- ladies and gentlemen -- is of course the main idea of Monika Enterprise as a label, too."

Artist:	COBRA KILLER
Title:	76/77
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 038CD

"Berlin's hottest act in town, Cobra Killer, are a reaction against the dullness of early electro stage shows. Their stage presence has always been as over the top as their sound. They have influenced many women with their wild and pioneering work. Peaches' first show was supporting Cobra Killer. They have also delighted artists from Underground Resistance to Sonic Youth. 'We played a couple of shows these last few nights in Germany with a band called Cobra Killer that completely knocked us out...it's two girls and a sampler, and it was just phenomenal...' -- Thurston Moore. Cobra Killer's new album 76/77 sounds hot and highly energetic -- 60s feel electronic rock with subversive lyrics and sharp breaks. They worked with artists such as the Devastations, Patric Catani, T. Raumschmiere, Erik D. Clark, Thomas Fehlmann and Rashad Becker. The two girls sampled, programmed and screamed and here we have their masterpiece: 76/77."

Artist:	MELIAN, MICHAELA
Title:	Baden-Baden
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 039CD

"Warmth. Calm. Affection. Not unlike Kompakt style 'Ambient Pop' but still owing something to specifically German traditions such as NEU!, Popol Vuh or early Kraftwerk. Persistent. Ever onward. Then comes a beat with which we can see the passing of time. We say yes to the modern world. But then go straight back into the oxygen tank. Brain weight in meal solutions, as isolated as connected. Terry Riley takes a look at the surveillance system and presses a few relay switches. And then there's the Roxy Music cover version 'A Song For Europe', as minimal as it is monumental. Elegance and decadence, Europe endless, Melián calls Nico Päffgen back from the grave in this swansong for the new EU countries. Reality and postcard pictures. Europe endless. She is a woman with style (Stiel). She is revolutionary in the way she does not allow herself to be categorised." -- Justus Köhncke. This, Michaela Melián`s first solo album, comprises slow and uplifting melodic grooves. She uses strong yet simple beats and entrancing cello to set a relaxed mood. Two years in the making, the album from F.S.K. bassist and singer is a work of concisely crafted electronic beauty.

Artist:	VA
Title:	Monika Force
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$11.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 040CD

"Music is an art. Music may well be the oldest form of human socialization and interaction. Music can change people, express visions and maintain one's mind. The music of Monika can do all three. Monika was founded in 1997 by art-punk giantess Gudrun Gut [Mania D and the 80s female damaged-punk band Malaria!, Matador and still Ocean Club] to cultivate a smooth but subversive collective of lyricists, instrumentalists and programmers. These acts, names like Barbara Morgenstern, Cobra Killer, Chica + The Folder, Masha Qrella, Quarks, etc. would go on to expand the feminine voice of music: a voice that can be pensive and subtle, or erratic and confrontational. With that in mind, Monika is proud to introduce its compilation of salvos: Monika Force. Consisting of rarities, b-sides and selections from Gudrun herself, Force is the best and the rarest of the Monika sound. Included on the 70 minute compilation: A collaboration between Berlin DJ and singer Manuela Krause and dub experimenter Stefan Betke [a k a POLE]; The Burka Band's 'Burka Blue.' An Afghani all-girl band which made headlines world-wide on Monika gets a remix from Monika's own Barbara Morgenstern; The Dntel remix of Morgenstern's 'Aus Heiterem Himmel', previously only available on vinyl. The original English / German song is the magnificent opening track of Morgenstern's Nichts Muss; Cobra Killer's 'Heavy Rotation' remixed by Like a Tim. Also from a vinyl-only 12", Cobra Killer [Gino V. D'Orio and Annikaline Trost] is a duo unmatched in spectacle and force; The amazing off-kilter single from Masha Qrella, 'I Want You To Know' which has steadily found its way onto mix-tapes world wide, as remixed by Tobi Higgs; An exclusive Komëit remix from T. Raumschmiere, a Dinky mix from Chica + the Folder's award deserving debut album; And more contributions from the entire Monika roster make up over an hour's world of music. Also included is a bonus video of Morgenstern's 'We're All Gonna Fucking Die'. Monika Force is a perfect opportunity to stand back and look at Monika as a whole, as a concept and as a plan. 40 releases in, the label has not wavered from Gut's original dream and has continued to challenge the status quo: redefining the meaning and exhibiting the power of music. By moving away from the artificial club atmosphere, and re-engaging the rock paradigm, Monika is making a new way for music in the decades ahead. It's time to follow: Monika Force."

Artist:	MORGENSTERN & ROBERT LIPPOK, BARBARA
Title:	Tesri
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 041CD

Renowned solo artists Barbara Morgenstern and Robert Lippok (Tarwater, To Rococo Rot), two of Berlin's most innovative electronic musicians, have joined forces to produce Morgenstern's fourth full-length release with Monika Enterprise. Tesri began as 4 tracks for a 12" in 2002 and the musical friendship developed from there until late 2004, when the duo had enough material for an album. This multi-instrumental record is brave and futuristic -- warm interlayered pianos, wah wah guitars, and minimalist percussion are blended with classical, whirring electronics to create an emotionally positive and uplifting experience. Two guest vocalists are featured on this record: London-based Japanese singer Mieko Shimizo aka Apache 61 and Damon Aaron (Telefon Tel Aviv), who has solo work forthcoming on Plug Research. Morgenstern and Lippok refreshingly dispense almost entirely with any conventional pop structures in favor of a left-field experimental feel.

Artist:	VA
Title:	4 Women No Cry
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 042CD

Monika continues to represent with 4 Women No Cry, an astonishing collection of new and underappreciated female talent from around the world; the first volume of an annual CD/LP series. Consider this quartet: Georgia, Argentina, Austria and France. That is: Tusia Beridze (aka TBA), Rosario Blefari, Catarina Pratter and Eglantine Gouzy. Monika focuses on music which is decidedly artful, sounds that feel at home in a gallery as they do at a concert hall. 4 Women No Cry carries this ideal further into the marketplace, collecting output from four very unique songwriting talents. Each artist is represented on the record with approximately fifteen minutes of music. A quick rundown of the roster: Tusia Beridze, discovered and supported by techno godhead Thomas Brinkmann, hails from Georgia and was recently highlighted with a full-page story in XLR8R. Blefari is an actress, label manager and songwriter not unlike Juana Molina. Pratter is a theater director, playwright and Cheap recording artist. Gouzy, who has recorded for Fat Cat, plays Paris consistently and composed the music for couture designer Stephanie Coudert. How could you not want to listen to that kind of talent? Amazing. This is not indie rock, not electronica, not folk, this is artsong: music delicate but impermeable, intimate and universal. Music which is yours and everyone's. An art gallery for the ears, and your headphones are the curator. Come to the opening for the new exhibition: 4 Women No Cry.

Artist:	VA
Title:	4 Women No Cry - Landsleute Remixe
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$9.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 043EP

Features remixes from Bernhard Fleischmann, Post Industrial Boys, Ark & Gustavo Lamas. "This remix 12" provides a small foretaste of the first album from our new annual series 4 Women No Cry with female artists from 4 different countries. Here they have been remixed by countrymen from their respective homelands: B.Fleischmann (Vienna), Ark (Paris), Gustavo Lamas (Buenos Aires), Post Industrial Boys (Tiblisi). The journey starts with Paris and Eglantine Gouzy. The much hyped Paris musician and DJ Ark makes the popsong 'Zone A' danceable. Ark is known for his releases on French labels Circus Company and Katapult and has just recorded a new record for Perlon. Next stop, Buenos Aires. Gustavo Lamas is a countryman of Rosario Blefari. He's earned a name for himself through releases on Onitor and Traum. He remixes the piece 'Partir y Renunciar' (Departure and Letting go). Its a classic Lamas mix - densely atmospheric but relaxing and groovy. On we go to Georgia and to Tusia (aka TBA) and the Post Industrial Boys Mix. And as they even sing along: 'only the wound speaking wordlessly in the dark...now we are strangers walking hand in hand'. This mix is a really great concise pop version. Just like Tusia Beridze, the Post Industrial Boys are from Tiblisi and have already released one wonderful album on Thomas Brinkmann's Max Ernst label. And back towards central Europe -- to Vienna and Catarina Pratter and her countryman Bernhard Fleischmann. Fleischmann achieves what few can -- convincing indie fans of the beauty of electronic music. His crossover style is released by Morr Music."

Artist:	COBRA KILLER & KAPAJKOS
Title:	Das Mandolinenorchester
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 044CD

The two Berlin girls Gina V. D'Orio (also of Ec8or) and Annika Line Trost kick their samplers to the curb as you've never heard them before! For their fourth release on Monika, Cobra Killer have teamed up with mandolin orchestra Kapajkos to produce something quite extraordinary. Still present are Cobra Killer hits such as "Heavy Rotation," "L.A. Shaker" and "Show Me Your Ruler," but gone are the electro beats and retro samples. These have been replaced instead with a classical folk instrumentation; three mandolins, bass, keys and percussion. The effect is most striking. New life has been given to many of the songs from 2004's 76/77, The Third Armpit, and Cobra Killer. This fresh take on the Cobra Killer sound adds a new dimension to the band. It's the same unstoppable energy we know and love but from a completely different perspective. With this album Trost and D'Orio show they have the artistic freedom and creative originality to do something entirely new. The crowd surfing, wine showering spontaneity of Cobra Killer's live show is reflected in their decision to move in an unpredictable direction with this new album, defying comparison. This fresh new project is sure to satisfy fans of the girls as well as anyone just looking for something a little unusual and exotic. Don't say no to Hanns Eisler and Bert Kaempfert -- say yes to Cobra Killer.

Artist:	MORGENSTERN, BARBARA
Title:	The Operator
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 046CD

This is Barbara Morgenstern's sixth release on Monika. As a foretaste of her upcoming album, Monika Enterprise brings you a maxi CD single and 7" vinyl of Morgenstern's newest hit "The Operator." The song has a charming nursery rhyme feel and an unstoppable drive. Morgenstern's sound is both melancholic and uplifting. The acoustic piano version is beautiful in its simplicity and the maxi CD contains an exclusive new track, "Mein Elektrisches Tier" (trans. my electric animal). As Morgenstern herself puts it: "The 'Operator' is a kind of oracle or magic place where all the questions which pile up run together like thousands of cables to get disentangled. It's possible to reset one's inner being at this place, to undo what has been done, and how all this happens the educated listener can find out in the lyrics..." Get connected, and "take me to the Operator...."

Artist:	MORGENSTERN, BARBARA
Title:	The Grass Is Always Greener
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 047CD

This is the long-awaited fifth full-length solo album from Berlin's queen of fragile and poetic electro-pop -- now introducing the piano. It's three years since Barbara Morgenstern's acclaimed album Nichts Muss, and as The Grass Is Always Greener goes to show, she has come a long way. Her Goethe Institut-sponsored world tour and many recent collaborations with, among others, Robert Lippok and Bill Wells have clearly been an inspiration for this album. Ms. Morgenstern combines the charisma of her voice with subtle melodic inspiration, fully displaying a bold, well-earned maturity. Her unmistakable voice and warm piano style make for a unique sound that is the perfection of minimal elegance. The album was produced by herself and mixed together with Bernd Jestram from Tarwater.

Artist:	FIGURINE, JAMES
Title:	Eleven Numbers
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$9.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 050EP

This is the second remix 12" to be taken from James Figurine's classic Apologies album. A Kompakt triple-bill of DJ Koze and Superpitcher with Tobias Thomas complete the techno pop club-sandwich. DJ Koze's exclusive mix playfully experiments with the original, adding acid sounds, dropping the beat out altogether at times and warping Jimmy Tamborello's voice until it is almost unrecognizable. Superpitcher and Tobias Thomas deliver a danceable take on the album's opening track: their sequencing expertise make it truly club compatible. The eleven numbers "55566688833" spell "love" when written in SMS. And who can help but love the glorious techno-pop music of James Figurine?

Artist:	MILENASONG
Title:	Can't Tape Forever
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	10"
Price:	$9.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 051EP

Milenasong is Berlin-based Sabrina Milena, a Norwegian/Slovenian/Croatian, living in her chosen home of Berlin. Milena has been making music for 5 years with her Fostex 4-track and has a general fixation on organic sound. As a former student of illustration, it is perhaps no wonder that her music is very visual; Milenasong almost paints with patchworks of sound. "Guitar chords are like sketches for me," says Milena, "I see working with layers, production, arrangements and contrasts as a challenge. The voice is for me personally my main instrument. Although I feel most comfortable singing in English, I grew up with the German language so I also like Germany a lot. And then there's the influence of the Norwegian fjords. My music is almost as if I were trying to be a bridge between these two countries." The result of this painterly pattern-making are intimate songs that mix singer-songwriter ballads with otherworldly soundscapes of ambient college and watercolor vocals. Milenasong's many influences include: Sandy Denny, Townes Van Zandt, Roy Harper, Roberta Flack, The Books, Les Mouches, Cat Power, Keith Jarrett, Fairport Convention, Pentangle, etc. She also loves cigarettes and the smoky sound of Joni Mitchell's voice.

Artist:	VA
Title:	4 Women No Cry Vol. 2
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 052CD

Following the success of 2005's 4 Women No Cry compilation, Monika Enterprise now presents the second in this eclectic series. 4 Women No Cry Vol. 2 again brings four new female artists from all corners of the globe together on one concept album compiled and selected by Gudrun Gut. The stars of the latest installment of 4 Women are Dorit Chrysler (New York), Iris (Barcelona), Mico (London) and Monotekktoni (Berlin), each of whom brings something different and special to the album. Here's a quick rundown of the roster: Austria-born Dorit Chrysler is a Theremin virtuoso who has shared live bills with acts as diverse as Dinosaur Jr., Blonde Redhead, Mercury Rev, Oingo Boingo and Echo and the Bunnymen. She has also collaborated and recorded with artists and producers such as Elliot Sharp, Matt Johnson (The The), Foetus, and many more. Iris is a student of Electronic Art and Digital Design who has already performed at Sonar, and who is totally fascinated by computers. She has previously been featured on two compilations: On the Wave (Elektronica BCN, 2003) and Aspitin Damage (Koroshi Clothing, 2004), so you can be sure she has an interesting career in music ahead of her. Mico is artist Mieko Shimizu whose stream of conscious poetry set within a cinematic sound clash of fractured musical landscapes attempts to induce a sub-conscious response, which is further enhanced by her live collaborations with visual artists. She has scored numerous mangas, released three solo albums, collaborated with Monika's own Barbara Morgenstern and Robert Lippok, and formed an electro-ethno and experimental drum n' bass project. Completing the quartet is Monotekktoni aka Tonia Reeh -- a true cornerstone of the Berlin underground music scene who has played with Modeselektor, Kevin Blechdom, Heidi Mortenson and Barbara Morgenstern and has previously released on Sinnbus Records along with tracks on Transmediale, Pale Music and Klangkrieg. Her sound retains a lovely analog feel through the use of a four-track combined with samplers, synths and effects. Through this ground breaking series Monika Enterprise is helping to bridge a gap and break down geographic barriers between upcoming female artists from diverse backgrounds. This is far more than a mere showcase compilation.

Artist:	VA
Title:	4 Women No Cry Vol. 2
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$16.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 052LP

Double LP version. Deluxe gatefold sleeve, white vinyl, limited to 500 copies. 4 Women No Cry Vol. 2 again brings four new female artists from all corners of the globe together on one concept album compiled and selected by Gudrun Gut. The stars of the latest installment of 4 Women are Dorit Chrysler (New York), Iris (Barcelona), Mico (London) and Monotekktoni (Berlin), each of whom brings something different and special to the album. Here's a quick rundown of the roster: Austria-born Dorit Chrysler is a Theremin virtuoso who has shared live bills with acts as diverse as Dinosaur Jr., Blonde Redhead, Mercury Rev, Oingo Boingo and Echo and the Bunnymen. She has also collaborated and recorded with artists and producers such as Elliot Sharp, Matt Johnson (The The), Foetus, and many more. Iris is a student of Electronic Art and Digital Design who has already performed at Sonar, and who is totally fascinated by computers. Mico is artist Mieko Shimizu whose stream of conscious poetry set within a cinematic sound clash of fractured musical landscapes attempts to induce a sub-conscious response, which is further enhanced by her live collaborations with visual artists. She has scored numerous mangas, released three solo albums, collaborated with Monika's own Barbara Morgenstern and Robert Lippok. Completing the quartet is Monotekktoni aka Tonia Reeh -- a true cornerstone of the Berlin underground music scene who has played with Modeselektor, Kevin Blechdom, Heidi Mortenson and Barbara Morgenstern and has previously released on Sinnbus Records along with tracks on Transmediale, Pale Music and Klangkrieg. Her sound retains a lovely analog feel through the use of a four-track combined with samplers, synths and effects. Through this ground breaking series Monika Enterprise is helping to bridge a gap and break down geographic barriers between upcoming female artists from diverse backgrounds.

Artist:	MILENASONG
Title:	Seven Sisters
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 053CD

Milenasong is Berlin-based Sabrina Milena, and this is her debut full-length album after her 10" release, Can't Tape Forever on Monika Enterprise. The daughter of Norwegian and Slovenian parents, she spent her childhood in south Germany and as a youth lived in Oslo, which is also where she first pressed the record button on her four-track. After art school in England and Berlin, part-time jobs, and the lifestyle of an uncertain existence, Milena began collaborating with friends from the local as well as international folk music scene. A series of lovingly hand-finished, extremely limited edition CDs touched the hearts and ears of a selected few. Monika Enterprise picked up Milena's trail, and now releases Seven Sisters, recorded at London's Golden Hum studios, with guest appearances by Dark Captain/Light Captain and Sculpture, among others. The record took on its final form in Bernd Jestram's (Tarwater) studio where he mixed the songs together with Milenasong and legendary folk pioneer Jeff Tarlton. The songs on Seven Sisters unravel as if written by a delicate hand on rice paper, stories which border between dream and realty. Stories that are as old as the sun but different every time, like each new phase of the moon. The vocal melodies flicker like eyelids in REM sleep and her unusual voice is a whole choir in itself. Milenasong's music weaves together Norwegian folklore, English folk-rock, forgotten memories and poetry. Her sound is related to such artists as His Name Is Alive, Sandy Denny, This Mortal Coil, Roy Harper and Vashti Bunyan. Contemporary artists from whom she takes inspiration include Les Mouches, Animal Collective, Matt Elliott, Diane Cluck and The Liars. Her vision is complete and she knows how to use it.

Artist:	GUT, GUDRUN
Title:	In Pieces
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$9.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 054EP

In Pieces is the perfect accompaniment to Gudrun Gut's magnificent solo album, I Put A Record On. Jörg Burger, the man behind The Modernist and Triola projects, has again teamed up with Kompakt boss Wolfgang Voigt aka Wasserman especially for this mix. "Move Me," which originally came out to great acclaim as a 7" on Earsugar Jukebox, gets remixed by Burger/Voigt, and it's turned into a dance-pop symphony. Pole lends his hand to "Cry Easy" and lends it a Mr. Oizo-esque bass groove. Lastly, Dntel provides an astonishing remix of "The Wheel."

Artist:	GUT, GUDRUN
Title:	I Put a Record On
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 055CD

It can hardly be believed that I Put a Record On is Gudrun Gut's debut album as a solo artist, considering her key contributions in the Berlin musical underground. Not only is she label-head of Monika Enterprise, she is a founding member of the Berlin bands Mania D., Malaria! and Matador and long before the Wall fell she was a member of Einstürzende Neubauten. With so many references to her credit, it's no wonder that an atmosphere of delicate diversity is built on this record. The listener is unconsciously pulled along into the moods and associations evoked by Gudrun Gut and the way she plays with different sources. Gudrun's preferred style is a kind of minimal techno with a warm sound and a dark timbre. Titles such as "Rock Bottom Riser" and "Last Night" are swinging mid-tempo numbers. "Move Me" is a club-compatible cross between polka and tango, while "The Wheel" is some kind of hip-hop fairy tale. The tracks are loop-oriented and disarmingly concise, really showcasing the artist's cunningness. I Put a Record On pulsates in imaginary black light -- this quiet stillness gives the album a lascivious quality which is reinforced by the way Gudrun Gut's voice murmurs in one's ear (if you've ever heard Oceanclub Radio you will know about this). Gudrun also makes fair use of her talented friends on this release -- "Rock Bottom Riser" arose from a spontaneous sing along in the Monika office, featuring the voices of Uta Heller and Matt Elliot. Malaria! and Matador companion Manon P. Duursma guests as co-writer of the dub-blues tracks "Pleasuretrain" and "The Wheel," and the original version of "Girl Boogie" already appeared as a contribution to the Girl Monster compilation on Chicks On Speed Records. As a visual bonus, the CD also contains an edited version of the video "Celle," taken from an installation which Gudrun did together with celebrated artist Pipilotti Rist for the Sonambiente Festival in Berlin, 2006. Experienced musician Gudrun Gut allows her new album to radiate with beautiful melancholy like a strong perfume -- an invitation to let oneself fall backwards into her warm pulse.

Artist:	CHICA AND THE FOLDER
Title:	Under The Balcony
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 057CD

Following their debut album 42 Mädchen in 2003, Chica & The Folder (aka Paula Schopf and Max Loderbauer) have now recorded a delightful second album for Monika Enterprise. As part of Gudrun Gut's OceanClub collective, Chica Paula is a gifted DJ with frequent gigs on the Berlin club scene as well as at parties and festivals further afield, while Max Loderbauer is one half of pioneering Berlin electronic duo, Sun Electric, now working with Ari Benjamin Meyers Redux Orchestra as well as NSI (soon on Sähko) with Tobias Freund. Together, they create glorious, emotionally-charged pop music which carries a simple, timeless message. Chica Paula's work as a DJ has clearly flowed into several tracks with danceable acid grooves and electro influences coming through heavily. Other songs, such as "Dias Amarillos," with its quirky steel-drums and slap bass have a very tongue-in-cheek sense of humor to them. While all music is composed and recorded by Chica & The Folder as a duo, they were joined, on "Perfect Day" for instance, by a choir made up of a whole host of their friends. And the vocal sample on opening track "Huerfanos" is the voice of a newspaper seller on one of the main streets in Santiago, Chile. Chica's daughter Romina can be heard screaming for more beats on the tune "Dancing Been." Most of the album has been masterfully mixed by Tobias Freund, and he even played 808 drum machine on a few tracks. Chica Paula does all the lyrics herself, singing in English, German and her native Spanish -- one exception being the vocoded voice on "Angelus Novus" with text taken from the Chilean poet, Nicanor Parra, and Chica's countryman, Ricardo Villalobos, who remixes the tune for an upcoming 12". The album takes in so many styles, from electro to exoticism, to ambient and beyond, so that it is pretty much impossible to categorize the Chica & The Folder sound. There are even world music influenced moments, but it's not long before the tune breaks into dark electronica. Their music is truly eclectic with an added dash of romanticism and melancholy folklore. It's poppy, but without being superficial: a clear statement about the start of the century.

Artist:	MELIAN, MICHAELA
Title:	Los Angeles
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 059CD

Two years on from her acclaimed debut album, Baden-Baden, Michaela Melián returns with her second full-length release, Los Angeles. When she is not working on her multi-media art, participating in exhibitions or playing bass in, probably the best German band ever, FSK, Melián is also busy composing and producing her own solo recordings. The mood on Los Angeles is noticeably more subdued than that of Baden-Baden -- its slow building beats made it a crossover hit and even won over many fans in the DJ community. Los Angeles, on the other hand, is almost completely devoid of said beats -- there is a mere sprinkling of electronics, and yet it has no less of an impact. The focus may be on drones and slowly shifting ambient soundscapes, but this is powerful music that will touch you deep within. Classically-trained musician Melián, again plays a wide array of instruments including violoncello, Spanish guitar, ukulele, bass, organ and melodica. And again she is assisted by fellow FSK member, Carl Oesterhelt, on electronics, programming and production. The impression that Los Angeles gives is intensely poignant: for instance, the heartwrenching and sombre track "Föhrenwald," which is taken from Melián's award-winning radio play of the same title. Other compositions, such as "Buchberg" and "Stein," take the shape of loop-based ambient tracks, while "Stift" is a charming journey through a land of pizzicato strings with an Oriental-influenced melody. Like Baden-Baden, Los Angeles ends with a cover version of a Bryan Ferry song, "Manifesto" -- a nice touch which reveals the pop roots of this highly-evolved sound. It's a long way from the German town of Baden-Baden to the American city of Los Angeles, and Michaela Melián covers a lot of ground on her sonic journey.

Artist:	KRAUSE & POLE, MANUELA
Title:	Mein Freund Der Baum
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	7"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 008EP

Artist:	MALARIA VS. CHICKS ON SPEED/B.MORGENSTERN
Title:	Kaltes Klares Wasser
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	10"
Price:	$9.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 011EP

Artist:	VA
Title:	Santa Monika
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$11.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 012CD

Artist:	FIGURINE
Title:	Impossible
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$9.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 022EP

Artist:	KOMËIT
Title:	Falling Back Together
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$9.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 024EP

Artist:	PIKE, LAURENZ
Title:	Drums For Fun and Fitness
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	10"
Price:	$9.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 045EP