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 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:	VA
Title:	Monika Bärchen: Songs for Bruno, Knut & Tom
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 060CD

To celebrate 10 years in the business and 60 releases, Berlin label Monika Enterprise brings you a special birthday compilation. Rather than going for the obvious "best of" approach, Monika offers something a little more interesting in the form of a compilation comprising all exclusive tracks made especially for this release at the request of label boss Gudrun Gut who is also the compiler. Best known for his band To Rococo Rot, Robert Lippok's track has a real post-rock edge with live percussion and organic textures. The ladies from the groundbreaking 4 Women No Cry serieses certainly make their presences known on this comp: Èglantine Gouzy offers a jovial pop number, Rosario Blefari presents a guitar-charged tune, Austrian Theramin virtuoso Dorit Chrysler adds a haunting instrumental piece, Mico offers a blend of ambient electronica accentuated by a powerful vocal performance and Iris' unique mix of heart-wrenching melody and futuristic electronica is sure to give you fever. Chica and the Folder present a touch of Berlin-style dancefloor minimalism, Contriva member Max Punktezahl's lovely instrumental track precedes bandmate Masha Qrella, who recorded a lovely cover of Depeche Mode's "Goodnight Lovers" and Gudrun Gut presents a true Monika-style number with old school samples of polka and yodelling. Old friends Quarks are included here as well as hot new Argentinian trio, Lile. Milenasong opens new doors with her dark-folk style and Michaela Melián presents a new edit of the opening track from her album Los Angeles. To close out the birthday celebration is Barbara Morgenstern -- surely the brightest star twinkling in the Monika universe -- there from the beginning. "Wilderness" is a beautiful piano ballad and the perfect closing number. This is a beautifully eclectic mix with a nice balance between songs and instrumentals, electronics and acoustic instrumentation.

Artist:	VA
Title:	4 Women No Cry Vol. 3
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 062CD

As regular listeners know, the simple but effective concept behind Monika enterprise's 4 Women No Cry series is to present, on one long player, four more or less unknown female musicians from four different countries, each with their own unique sound. Now the series is on its third volume, and it once again brings to light four of the world's freshest new musical talents. Compiled by Monika founder Gudrun Gut (Malaria!), 4 Women No Cry Vol. 3 takes in everything from pop and electronica to experimental sound collages. The release begins with Colombian musician Lucrecia's enchanting pop song "Answering Machine" which features Luke Sutherland (Long Fin Killie, Music AM) on violin. Lucrecia's tracks have been included on various Colombian electronic music compilations and her music perfectly epitomizes what 4 Women No Cry is all about. "Come To My Past" bears more than a passing resemblance to Masha Qrella's releases on Monika Enterprise, and she has the most direct pop style of all the artists on this edition, with a meticulous attention to detail in production. Athens, Greece's Manekinekod aka Eleni Adamopoulou is a classically-trained musician with a dark sound, using noise from the city and transforming it into rhythms and melodies. "Unable To Display" is a downbeat flowing instrumental piece and "Speedlight" also rolls along at a relatively slow tempo. Manekinekod's hushed vocal tones drift over contemplative piano and industrial samples. Los Angeles resident Julia Shammas Holter is a classically-trained keytarist from Echo Park. As well as having had numerous live sessions on Dublab, she has previously released on the Californian label Human Ear Music, which she co-runs. Her songs are written instinctively, and this spontaneity comes through on the orchestral pop number "Neighbor Neighbor," which is reminiscent of Broadcast. Arcane poetry and mystical saints adorn her music, and her singing voice is crystalline like sugar or jewelry. Brazilian artist Liz Christine is a true sound-artist who creates audio-sculptures to achieve atmospheres and acoustic textures. Her tracks are extremely filmic and she even lists the movies of Buñuel, Truffaut, Marilyn Monroe and Greta Garbo as a big influence on her ambient music, which manipulates voices and effects. This volume of 4 Women No Cry proves again that there can be unity in diversity of sound, and where music is concerned, this is perhaps the utmost virtue. This is a remarkable quartet of international artists, each with their own personal take on electronic music in the fast-changing modern musical landscape.

Artist:	MORGENSTERN, BARBARA
Title:	Come To Berlin (Remixes)
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$11.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 063EP

As a taster of Barbara Morgenstern's album BM, Monika brings you 3 remixes of her politically-charged hit "Come To Berlin," including mixes by Telefon Tel Aviv, The Rice Twins and Chloé, as well as an exclusive single edit. The Rice Twins mix features vocoder-distorted vocals and swooping melodious synth strings. Telefon Tel Aviv's mix retains most of the original structure, but is fully club-compatible. DJ Chloé's treatment is a minimal cut perfect for the dancefloor with sampled piano and vocals.

Artist:	MORGENSTERN, BARBARA
Title:	BM
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 064CD

This is the long-awaited fifth full-length solo album from Berlin's queen of fragile and poetic electro-pop, Barbara Morgenstern. However, Morgenstern's tag as an "electro-pop icon," with which she has been associated since the early days of the Berlin living room scene, no longer really fits. The lightness that was so characteristic of her previous work has given way to new depths. What was minimal before is now far more complex, even weighty. Barbara Morgenstern's latest pop music creation is utterly captivating and mesmerizing. BM is interspersed with distortions, cacophonies and bouncing rhythms. With such a backdrop, the sweeping pop moments with their wide panoramas which make the heart soar, only seem all the more vast. And it's really cool, on "Morbus Basedow" for example, the way hard noise gives way to what is tried and tested pop, after all. On the whole, Morgenstern's music on BM is as unpredictable as never before. The patterns emerging from the piano are reminiscent of the ballads and chansons of Brecht and Weill. While the ever-present electric guitar on the other hand, played by Sven Janetzko, just wants to rock. Multifarious patterns criss-cross and knock each other off course, causing tension. And in the background, things bubble up from the depths -- like gnawing doubts which are constantly squeaking or scraping away somewhere. This release is eclectic like none of her previous releases and no song is quite like any other. Some arrangements comply with clear pop mechanisms, while others, in contrast, are more idiosyncratic. Off-beats and polyrhythms are subtly presented to the listener. Throughout the album, Barbara's melodious and soft singing voice forms the center of attention, but right and left, above and below, there is always something very different happening. It's as if the music is the subtext to the thoughtful lyrics with their often unusual meter. The lyrics can also be very political, such as on "Come To Berlin," a piece about the shocking city planning in Berlin.

Artist:	GOLDEN DISKO SHIP/JASMINA MASCHINA
Title:	City Splits No.1: Berlin
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 065CD

City Splits is a new series presented by Monika enterprise. Whereas Monika's 4 Women No Cry series is designed to unite artists divided geographically, City Splits will instead focus on one city and present two of the most exciting new musicians from that scene. Berlin was a logical choice for the 1st installment, hand-picked by Gudrun Gut: two interesting female musicians/producers who live and work in the German capital. Golden Diskó Ship aka Theresa Stroetges started playing songs live on her laptop since the moment she first arrived in Berlin in 2007. The sound sculptress has quickly become renowned for her imaginative blend of fragile balladry, novel use of found objects, crunchy distortion, quirky visuals and squealing bits that suggest horrific drum machine abuse. Her uniquely chaotic and original music with magnificently swirling sounds has fast made Golden Diskó Ship a favorite of the Berlin underground-indie scene. Jasmine Guffond aka Jasmina Maschina is a celebrated Australian electronic musician who relocated to Berlin from Sydney in 2003 with her band Minit. Over the last 10 years, Jasmine has been recording and performing with Minit, exhibiting sound installations, and developing works of varied scope based on the use of processed acoustic, electronic, and found sound sources. Equally interested in song, composition and free, improvised music, as Jasmina Maschina has further developed her studio recordings with musicians Theresa Stroetges (guitar, viola, glockenspiel, high hat, zither) and Steve Heather (drums on "City Fever"). The song "Ausland" originates from a live solo electronic performance at Ausland Club in Berlin, and developed into a variation of "Slow Walker," a song from her album Demolition Series. With a trip to L.A. already planned for #2, City Splits offers a fresh take on the urban musical landscape.

Artist:	GOLDEN DISKO SHIP/JASMINA MASCHINA
Title:	City Splits No. 1 Berlin
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 065LP

City Splits is a new series presented by Monika Enterprise. Whereas Monika's 4 Women No Cry series is designed to unite artists divided geographically, City Splits will instead focus on one city and present two of the most exciting new musicians from that scene. Berlin was a logical choice for the 1st installment, hand-picked by Gudrun Gut: two interesting female musicians/producers who live and work in the German capital. Golden Diskó Ship aka Theresa Stroetges started playing songs live on her laptop since the moment she first arrived in Berlin in 2007. The sound sculptress has quickly become renowned for her imaginative blend of fragile balladry, novel use of found objects, crunchy distortion, quirky visuals and squealing bits that suggest horrific drum machine abuse. Her uniquely chaotic and original music with magnificently swirling sounds has fast made Golden Diskó Ship a favorite of the Berlin underground-indie scene. Jasmine Guffond aka Jasmina Maschina is a celebrated Australian electronic musician who relocated to Berlin from Sydney in 2003 with her band MINIT. Over the last 10 years Jasmine has been recording and performing with MINIT, exhibiting sound installations, and developing works of varied scope based on the use of processed acoustic, electronic, and found sound sources. Equally interested in song, composition and free, improvised music, as Jasmina Maschina has further developed her studio recordings with musicians Theresa Stroetges (guitar, viola, glockenspiel, high hat, zither) and Steve Heather (drums on "City Fever"). The song "Ausland" originates from a live solo electronic performance at Ausland Club in Berlin, then developed into a variation of "Slow Walker," a song from her album Demolition Series. With a trip to L.A. already planned for #2, City Splits offers a fresh take on the urban musical landscape.

Artist:	COBRA KILLER
Title:	Uppers And Downers
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 066CD

This is Cobra Killer's fifth full-length studio album. Cobra Killer are Gina V. D'Orio and Annika Line Trost. Both have played in bands in the former West Berlin since the age of 12/13. They formed Cobra Killer in January of 1998, touring through Europe and revolutionizing the then-boring electronic music scene with their raucous show. In 2002, they took Australia and New Zealand by storm, supporting Peaches on various shows, including the Big Day Out Festival. Shortly afterwards, they were also a support act for Sonic Youth, who were very impressed by the Cobra movement. Recently, they have wowed capacity crowds supporting big names such as Marilyn Manson and Jon Spencer, who also guests on two tracks on this album. Uppers And Downers sees Cobra Killer sounding as defiant and as unpredictable as ever. Recorded in part at Einstürzende Neubauten's andereBaustelle studio in Berlin, and featuring appearances by other such special guests such as J. Mascis and Thurston Moore, the record is a roller-coaster ride that sees the band pushing the limits and again going way beyond expectations to deliver an album that's sure to please their many fans. Chock-full of totally pounding, crazed electro-punk/new-wave mishmash, and some less likely surprises.

Artist:	GREIE GUT FRAKTION
Title:	Stadt Mixe
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$11.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 067EP

To accompany their Baustelle album, AGF and Gudrun Gut under their collaborative name Greie Gut Fraktion have also released a 12" of the lead song, "Wir Bauen Eine Neue Stadt," complete with remixes. Alva Noto's treatment results in a droning track that builds towards a crescendo, and Greie & Gut's radio version of the Palais Schaumburg song brings the track up-to-date. Wolfgang Voigt delivers two piano mixes for a truly diverse single.

Artist:	GREIE GUT FRAKTION
Title:	Baustelle
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 069CD

With their new project Baustelle (trans. "construction site"), Antye Greie and Gudrun Gut are entering the world of chainsaws and pneumatic hammers: a world of murmurs and hissing, hammering and sawing. Greie Gut Fraktion have captured hours of field recordings from construction sites and used the most exciting sounds as the building blocks for their collaboration. And it's this omni-present construction site noise, with all its scraping, scratching, drilling and chiseling that provides the red thread throughout this album. But however great the temptation might be to make purely industrial music with these building site sounds, the two ladies haven't fallen for it. On the contrary, the beats on Baustelle are of course, gripping and the sounds direct, but there's nothing too pushy so that you feel overpowered. And Baustelle is nothing if not diverse. Guitar-noise becomes entangled in downtempo beats. Then there's laid back dub like on "Drilling An Ocean," a track that peters out, frayed, after a couple of minutes, only to take a breath and return to its calm flow. And there's a super-cool, grooving version of the Palais Schaumburg hit "Wir Bauen Eine Neue Stadt." This music looks back on a sense of timing as we know it from new crossover music, conceptual beat and even post-Kraut-dub-industrial-techno. You can lose yourself in this music -- it draws you into its endlessness. The fragments of text that are included are repeated with variations, circling associatively around the topic at hand. The words are whispered, spoken, shouted and sung, although cool and somewhat distant. It all started in winter 2008 when Antye Greie first invited Gudrun Gut to collaborate on a commission for the BBC's Late Junction. From then on, the two artists have combined their creative forces to come up with this album. The initial timbers were laid at Greie's home in Finland. The tracks then gradually took shape throughout 2009 via an online exchange. The album was produced by Gudrun Gut and Antje Greie in their respective studios in Berlin and Finland and the result has been masterfully mixed by Antye Greie.

Artist:	MORGENSTERN, BARBARA
Title:	Fan No. 2
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	2CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 070CD

Fan No. 2 is a round-up of Berlin-based electro-indie queen Barbara Morgenstern's extensive recorded output to-date, including previously-unreleased versions and never-before-heard mixes as well as brand-new exclusive tracks. As a special treat for fans of the Berlin singer, musician and producer, the double CD set includes a bonus CD of her two early EPs Plastikreport and Enter The Partyzone, which get their first official release here. The collection is a guided tour through Morgenstern's catalog, starting from her first release on Monika, Vermona ET 6-1, named after the cult organ that BM put to such great use on all of her early work. The version of "Das Wort" contained on Fan No. 2 is a Monika Enterprise rarity that has its first proper release here. Then there's Thomas Fehlmann's "Mix Expansion" version of "Der Augenblick"; another previously-unreleased track originally taken from the Fjorden (MONIKA 016CD) album. There are 2 tracks from 2003's seminal Nichts Muss album (MONIKA 033CD/LP), produced by ~scape label founder Stefan Betke aka Pole, who has also remastered all the tracks on this double CD set. The piano version of "The Operator" is dedicated to Scottish pianist and composer Bill Wells (with whom Barbara has released on Leaf and Karaoke Kalk) and was so far only available on the single of this song. "Camouflage" from BM (MONIKA 064CD), represents another major milestone in Morgenstern's career -- she always wanted to work with Robert Wyatt and the dream came true with this delightfully moving song. The second number from BM is the anthemic "Come To Berlin." This powerful hit appears in this collection as a brand-new edit of the original 12" single track. Fan No. 2 draws to a close with 3 more previously-unreleased tracks. "Mountainplace" originally appeared on Chicks On Speed's acclaimed Girl Monster compilation, but the version included on here is an exclusive version. "Wegbereiter" and "Blackbird" on the other hand, are both completely brand-new, exclusive tracks. The first sees BM typically walking a fine line between kitsch and heart-wrenching while the later, a cover of The Beatles song, is unashamed, uplifting pop. Fan No. 2 charts the course of Barbara Morgenstern's catalog and the development of her style. Not quite a "best of" in the conventional sense of the term, but still packed with hits.

Artist:	BERIDZE AKA TBA, NATALIE
Title:	Forgetfulness
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 072CD

Georgian musician Natalie Beridze aka TBA first came to Monika through her contribution to Volume 1 of the popular 4 Women No Cry series. Following a 5-track EP, Monika is proud to present Natalie Beridze's stunning new full-length album, Forgetfulness. While these are her first solo releases on Monika, Beridze is certainly no newcomer. With output on labels such as Max Ernst, her ongoing collaboration with the Goslab collective, and a release on Laboratory Instinct, TBA's sound is both rich in texture and depth of vision. From the industrial beats of "What About Things Like Bullets" to the club-friendly electroambience of "The Face We Choose To Miss," the cutting-edge production gains warmth and a personal touch throughout from the presence of TBA's voice. As well as Natalie's phenomenal solo compositions, Forgetfulness contains a collaboration with Academy-Award winning Japanese musician, composer and pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto, on the meditative "Blue Shadow." The album invokes harsh winter wastelands and a depth of emotion that is sadly lacking in much of the pop we hear: two prime examples are "In The White" and "Silently" -- which are nothing short of breathtaking. This fine album ends with the cryptically-titled "Half This Game Is Ninety Percent Mental," an epic instrumental ambient odyssey. Natalie Beridze's music is captivating and yet at the same time leaves enough room to let the listeners' imagination run off in its own direction. Forgetfulness is a journey through serious electronic soundscapes, but thanks to the constant presence of her sensitive lyrics and gentle vocal tones, Beridze never loses that personal touch.

Artist:	GREIE GUT FRAKTION
Title:	reKonstruKtion (Baustelle Remixe)
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 073CD

Following the release of their debut album Baustelle (MONIKA 069CD) in 2010, Greie Gut Fraktion, also known individually as AGF and Gudrun Gut, now present you with reKonstruKtion; a full-length album of remixes based on material taken from Baustelle and featuring remixes by Soulphiction, Jennifer Cardini, Mika Vainio, Wolfgang Voigt, Alva Noto, GGF themselves and many more. Any construction opens up the possibility of reconstruction, or in most cases even implies a need for reconstruction. The constructivist movement of the '30s wanted to openly remove the copy-cat character from art. With the remixes of GGF's Baustelle it's similar; it's about finding a different approach to good material. Through progress in technology and networking, the boundaries between producer and DJ continue to blur more and more. Remixes are an integral part of this process and the results are often pleasantly surprising, as is the case on reKonstruKtion. Both exceptional solo producers in their own right, AGF and Gudrun Gut have naturally each done individual remixes. And so the album kicks off with Antye Greie's remix of "Drilling An Ocean," followed closely by Gudrun Gut's new "Rubberboots" take on "Betongiessen" (trans. "Pouring Concrete"). Kompakt boss Wolfgang Voigt presents a superb minimal rendition of the Palais Schaumburg classic which you might know if you got the Stadt Mixe 12" that came out to accompany the original album. Mika Vainio chose to mix "Drilling An Ocean" and his industrial-noise style lends itself perfectly to the subject matter, resulting in a dark, atmospheric piece of sound-art. Natalie Beridze aka TBA delivers a fine version of "We Matter" in a cut-up electronica style. Jennifer Cardini brings a relaxed minimal-dubby twist to "Make It Work," while Soulphiction aka Jackmate supplies a prime cut with his "Late Dub" remix of "Mischmaschine." Barbara Morgenstern also contributes, presenting a delightful pop-mix of "Cutting Trees." Ever supportive of new talent, Monika introduces three new female stars Donna Neda, Chra and Villinette. ReKontstruKtion presents 15 high-quality remixes spanning a multitude of styles -- an exciting development and step forward from the Baustelle album.

Artist:	MORGENSTERN, BARBARA
Title:	Sweet Silence
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 074CD

This is the sixth album by Berlin-based musician Barbara Morgenstern. Following 2010's Fan No. 2 (MONIKA 070CD), a greatest hits compilation of a different kind, Sweet Silence contains a fresh collection of all new songs sung for the first time only in English. As with all of Morgenstern's music, Sweet Silence exudes a glorious honesty which is just what makes her electronic pop sound so appealing. The record was mixed by Shitkatapult founder Marco Haas aka T.Raumschmiere, giving the whole thing that unmistakable Berlin sound. BM breaks the ice on the album with the title song "Sweet Silence," an anthemic intro enriched with vocal delays which sets the mood nicely. Morgenstern soon picks up the pace on "Need To Hang Around" -- this spirited song is a friendly reminder of how important it is to step back every once in a while. It's lighthearted while still carrying an important message; indeed, it remains a large part of the singer's charm that she never takes her music seriously. German fans already know Morgenstern's lyrics have always contained a great depth of meaning and imagery as well as humor. Now, with Sweet Silence, everyone can join in understanding the ideas and experiences at the heart of Morgenstern's songs, rather than just enjoying the sound of her voice on a purely instrumental level. That said, "Kookoo" works on both levels with profound lyrics and extensive creative use of vocal sampling. "Jump Into The Life-Pool" relates the age-old story that is the cycle of life, spiraling ever onwards just like the arpeggiated synth loops that are to be heard in the song. The short interlude "Bela" is one of only three instrumental tracks on an album so reliant on Morgenstern's tremendous vocal presence. "Highway" is probably the most orchestral tune, with a swelling string arrangement setting the mood. "The Minimum Says" is one of the few songs to feature guitar on a predominantly electronic album. "Auditorium" switches instrumentation again -- this time to a Rhodes and some seriously jazzy riffs. "Hip Hop Mice" is the second instrumental number on Sweet Silence and is somewhat reminiscent of Morgenstern's collaboration with Robert Lippok on Tesri, with the focus being purely on electronica and less weight being given to any pop aspect in the music. At just over five and a half minutes, "Status Symbol" seems to have almost epic proportions on an album that otherwise pretty much sticks to the three-minute golden rule of pop -- a long, drawn-out hypnotic jam that has something of a Nichts Muss feel to it. Sweet Silence is in many ways a milestone in Morgenstern's career and the next leg in her ongoing musical journey.

Artist:	GUT, GUDRUN
Title:	Best Garden EP
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 075EP

Gudrun Gut presents her Best Garden EP on Monika. The Jörg Burger (aka Modernist) mix of "Garten" is an absolute hit in the Cologne tradition. The "trimmed" edition of the track is a shorter version taken from Gudrun's upcoming album Wildlife. "The Best" is a cover version which at first glance doesn't really fit Gudrun Gut, but its recontextualization gets a whole new power. Thomas Fehlmann has got all sides covered with two cool mixes.

Artist:	GUT, GUDRUN
Title:	Wildlife
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	MONIKA 077CD

Gudrun Gut goes "back to nature" on her first album release since her outings with the Greie Gut Fraktion in 2009. However, Wildlife does not portray nature as a cosy ur-idyll, but rather as a realm filled with rough tenderness and its very own dangers. Gudrun Gut -- in her guise as Berlin post-punk activist, label owner, radio presenter or party promoter -- has always been interested in gaps, niches and risky locations. Now, nature itself provides such a small and utopian niche; a place where "it" might happen in a very existential sense. All of the album's tracks took shape in Gudrun Gut's Uckermark hideaway, an hour or two away from Berlin. During production, in autumn and winter, this landscape exudes an almost eerie calm, suggesting that the outside world's hectic universe of data and projects is no more than a figment of our collective imagination. Far removed from hippie-esque humanism, Gut's natural states are much closer in spirit to the cool knowledge of punk and its successors. With the sangfroid and serenity of three decades of active music experience, between completely ingenious and utter dilettante, Gut now ventures into a lavishly proliferating world of sounds and references. While the opener "Protecting My Wildlife" confronts us with jarring post-techno minimalism, "Garten" soothes the ear with its shuffling, electric romance. Soon enough, however, well-trodden paths are left behind: Gut's reworking of "Simply the Best" turns this hackneyed mega-hit into a staggering love ballad; a streaky guitar adds further distortion. "How Can I Move" seems to hide a trace of Armand van Helden in the underbrush; "Mond" flirts with subtle Detroit techno allusions. The distinctly dark "Tiger," on the other hand, truly does sound like a veritable tiger leap into the past. Similarly free of nostalgia, "Erinnerung" looks back to the past with a string of words created in a lyrical back-and-forth ping-pong match between Gut and author Annika Reich. All tracks were mixed together with Jörg Burger at two studios in the East and West. Time and again, the album exudes a lascivious and demanding intimacy that comes into its own on the fantastic "Frei Sein." Here, the track turns a nursery rhyme's playful naivety into an idiosyncratic anthem with African-inspired rhythms and a clicking, animist, ambient sound. "Frei Sein," i.e. being free, is what Gudrun Gut is all about.

Artist:	GUT, GUDRUN
Title:	Wildlife
Label:	MONIKA (GERMANY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	MONIKA 077LP

Gatefold LP version. Gudrun Gut goes "back to nature" on her first album release since her outings with the Greie Gut Fraktion in 2009. However, Wildlife does not portray nature as a cosy ur-idyll, but rather as a realm filled with rough tenderness and its very own dangers. Gudrun Gut -- in her guise as Berlin post-punk activist, label owner, radio presenter or party promoter -- has always been interested in gaps, niches and risky locations. Now, nature itself provides such a small and utopian niche; a place where "it" might happen in a very existential sense. All of the album's tracks took shape in Gudrun Gut's Uckermark hideaway, an hour or two away from Berlin. During production, in autumn and winter, this landscape exudes an almost eerie calm, suggesting that the outside world's hectic universe of data and projects is no more than a figment of our collective imagination. Far removed from hippie-esque humanism, Gut's natural states are much closer in spirit to the cool knowledge of punk and its successors. With the sangfroid and serenity of three decades of active music experience, between completely ingenious and utter dilettante, Gut now ventures into a lavishly proliferating world of sounds and references. While the opener "Protecting My Wildlife" confronts us with jarring post-techno minimalism, "Garten" soothes the ear with its shuffling, electric romance. Soon enough, however, well-trodden paths are left behind: Gut's reworking of "Simply the Best" turns this hackneyed mega-hit into a staggering love ballad; a streaky guitar adds further distortion. "How Can I Move" seems to hide a trace of Armand van Helden in the underbrush; "Mond" flirts with subtle Detroit techno allusions. The distinctly dark "Tiger," on the other hand, truly does sound like a veritable tiger leap into the past. Similarly free of nostalgia, "Erinnerung" looks back to the past with a string of words created in a lyrical back-and-forth ping-pong match between Gut and author Annika Reich. All tracks were mixed together with Jörg Burger at two studios in the East and West. Time and again, the album exudes a lascivious and demanding intimacy that comes into its own on the fantastic "Frei Sein." Here, the track turns a nursery rhyme's playful naivety into an idiosyncratic anthem with African-inspired rhythms and a clicking, animist, ambient sound. "Frei Sein," i.e. being free, is what Gudrun Gut is all about.

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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