Introducing Monto – an interstellar young-buck, trained pianist, Crispy M&Ms lover and one of the Emerald Isle’s most promising upcoming producers.
Back in the releases game after a three year hiatus, Monto comes through with his ‘8th Planet’ EP on Liverpool imprint Fly High Society. It is a delectable blend of beats with jazz, footwork and R&B influences that sits pretty under the shadow of Neptune. For me its a journey to the outer reaches of space via the Epcot Spaceship Earth ride.
His music moniker is also the name of Dublin’s Red Light District which I’m sure could potentially lead to some interesting crossed wires…
Big bad world, here comes Monto.
How would you describe your sound? What sort of category would it fall under in say, a record store?
I’d like to think it’s something of a melting pot of all the music I’ve enjoyed over my life. A childhood filled with hip-hop, raised with electronic elements from my late teen years, and peppered with some hints of the Jazz & World Music I’ve encountered throughout my years in college.
I know some people hate pigeon-holing but its not like everybody elses output in a good way…no eski clicks or squeaky bed samples. Your sound actually sounds like a meaner version of Blockhead. Do you look towards anybody for influence or is it purely coincidence?
I’m all for a few Wiley samples here & there…but that overplayed squeaky bed NOISE can get the boat.
I’d never heard of Blockhead before this interview, but I had a listen there and loved it! I’m loving anything psychedelic at the moment, all that lovely flanged-to-the-max guitar, long evolving drones, give me all of that. See that’s the beauty of pigeon-holing right there. It’s interesting to me how two artists can share a common musical thread but be completely independent of each other’s musical influence & paths.
The EP itself is admittedly a bit different to my earlier output. I suppose the best way of describing it is an exercise of limitation. As a trained pianist I’d definitely usually run to the keys first when experimenting with new creations, but as of recently I’ve been reduced to making beats sans-keyboard on a battered & bruised laptop. What started off as a pain in the hole ended up opening my eyes to new methods of creation.
I almost forced myself to focus in on sample manipulation a lot more than ever before. Seeing how far I could bend & contort a sound from its original form. One or two of the songs on the EP are kind of based on chance; one take recordings where I tried to make a sound as zany & out-there as possible. The more unfamiliar the sound the better. A closer representation of space for me & the unknown sounds/vibrations out there that we haven’t experienced yet.
Is there anything that does inspire you (music or otherwise) I did actually think Naiad sounded like the music to the future ride in the Epcot ball….
It’s all so inspiring, maaaaaann. Each and every encounter with music, people is inspiring. I know that’s as cliché an answer as possible, but of course it’s going to be. For me, I find inspiration normally strikes in those early hours of the morning, before sleep. Just as my mind is processing the experiences from the day before. It doesn’t ever feel directly related to a certain memory or anything but when I recall, the music comes.
The Epcot Ball! Haha that’s class, I can’t wait for the future when we’re flung around in giant ‘spaceballs’ from planet to planet, galaxy to galaxy perhaps?
A little backstory on Naiad. Each of the tracks on the EP was named after one of Neptunes moons, and I tried to work some of the characteristics unique to each particular moon. Naiad is Neptune’s closest moon, supposedly made from the fragments of Neptune original satellites. If you listen close enough you can hear some of the elements, or “fragments” of the track ‘Neptune’ motif in ‘Naiad’. I know it’s mad nerdy but I love it when music works on a few different levels. I feel rewarded as a listener when I discover a little reference in a song that I shouldn’t have copped, it’s strangely fulfilling.
“I am deeply into the outer universe/ interstellar type shit. My feet are planted firmly on the ground but my head is soaring through the stars. When I die, put me in a see-through coffin and send me out to space”
Which planet in the solar system would you go to if you could?
Neptune, for sure! If it wasn’t just a big blue ball of gas. If I pick Neptune then I get to catch a glance at all the other planets on the way there…only a stones throw from Pluto aswell then, don’tcha know.
If you could produce a beat with somebody else or work alongside any vocalist (dead or alive) who would you choose?
Hmmmm, I’m in two minds. Part of me wants to say some virtuosic pianist like Bill Evans or Oscar Peterson, just to experience their awesomeness in person. But then again, I can’t see myself bringing much to the table with either of them, both of them would have it sussed with no use for me. I think someone like Aphex Twin would be incredibly fun to get to work with, he’s always pushed the envelope musically speaking and I know he’d be more than happy to stay in the studio for a few days on end! I’d like to think he and I share similar ideas when it comes to composing. Creating as many little dittys & ideas as possible & then weeding out the ones that have potential. But yeah he is the GOAT obviously, I’d say he has literally made more beats than I’ve had dinners, hot or cold.
What is your favourite chocolate bar / sweets?
RED DORITOS. BLUE M&MS. These are my smoking munch of choice and have been since day dot.
You’re going to P Diddy’s white party. What you gonna wear?
Funnily enough, I have the exact suit needed for this event, from the recent Paddy’s Day parade.
(PS Me on the left…PPS We Nah Tahk Tu Police )
Any famous last words?
STAY SPACEY. FLY HIGH>>>>>>>>>>>
Follow Monto – Soundcloud / Twitter
