"Nightdubbing is a multi-layered voyage through vivid experiences Monty Luke has lived and breathed"
Radiance and shade are sensitively balanced on ‘Nightdubbing’, a refreshing album by Monty Luke, a New York-born now Berlin-based DJ who leverages the multi-prismatic influences that drew him to music, namely the subterraneous dub sounds of Grace Jones of his youth on Rekids, the label by Radio Slave, who has released music from artists such as Nina Kraviz, Mark Broom and Robert Hood.
Kaleidoscopic grooves comprised of psychedelic polyrhythms originating from sparse drums and glistening synths are firmly woven by fastened reverb and garbled vocals demonstrate his instinctive production as an explorer, impulsively feeding his natural curiosity motivated by his spectrum of connections including Carl Craig of Planet-E Communications.
A stimulating sound characterised by percussive Hi-Hat rhythms and vitalising MIDI keyboard melodies permeates through kinetic tracks like ’40 Acres and a Terabyte’ and ‘Old World/New World’ while a more aggressive edge introduced on abstract anthems like ‘Travelling Around The Sun’ and ‘Dark Paradise’ utilise delay-drenched vocals and irregular patterns backed by surreal reggae instrumentals illustrates his refusal to shy away from gloom in his lucid journey. At one point, you find yourself in the midst of a late-90’s acid rave in Ibiza and, the next, you hear the call of a dim club in London beckon your name as melancholy tilts your head away from the sun.
Overall, ‘Nightdubbing’ is a multi-layered voyage through vivid experiences Monty Luke has lived and breather, despite lacking slightly in more diversity of instrumentation in intervals, crafts a tight electronic universe entrenched in nostalgia but matured by faded undertones resulting in a lush attempt to bring exotic influences associated with sunshine to a club culture emerged by dingy basements.
‘Nightdubbing’ is scheduled for release on 24th March via Rekids. Order a copy from Bandcamp.
TRACKLIST
1. 40 Acres And A Terabyte
2. Nightdubbing
3. Cop Outside
4. Bob Molly
5. Supernova
6. Starstorms
7. Travelling ‘Round The Sun
8. New World/Old Future
9. Gamma Raze
10. Dark Paradise
11. Future Mystic
12. Theme From Nightdubbing
13. Avantgarde Dancehall
14. Roots