New York, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Om Records) - The UK's Mike Monday is not one to simply follow the sound-alike pack in dance music. He's made a career by sticking to his guns, and crafting his own identity as a producer and remixer that can't be pinned down to one easy category or sound. That musical dexterity is on full display with his new OM Records album "Songs Without Words Part 1", and Mr. Monday himself will be celebrating its release at the Sullivan Room on Saturday,
September 27th. This is Mike's Basic NYC debut, and he's arriving for a special annual event: the B-Day bash for party resident Boo.
"Songs Without Words" is clearly one of the more inventive album projects to grace dance music in some time. It's a visual marvel, with artwork and accompanying video clips (all created by Seb Godfrey from Drunk Partk) portraying a cartoon Mike as a wanderer through a psychedelic landscape of flying synthesizers and sly felines. But aurally as well, the album touches numerous bases with house, funk, chill-out and techno. The album's title reflects Mike's instinct for letting the listener make the decisions. "Lyrics make music specific but instrumental music can mean completely different things to different people," he says. "This allows the listeners to take what they want from the music, making it more personal to them."
With supporters as diverse as Steve Bug, Claude Von Stroke, Peter Kruder and M.A.N.D.Y, Mike Monday has built a long resume of great remixes and tracks for dozens of discerning labels around the world. As a DJ, he's honed his skills at his own Playtime night in London, a perfect name for a party helmed by a DJ who always sees the humor and thrill of making dance music. There's no pseudo-seriousness or dour "darkness' in Monday's music, but rather an winking middle finger to the rigid conventions that have sapped dance music of its wide-open spirit.
Also appearing on the night will be NYC's Samsara from the Global Frequencies crew and Chuck Acquisto from United Sounds. Basic NYC residents Sleepy & Boo will be closing out the night, with Boo's B-Day highlighting what will be a festive night of music all around.
