MONOTONE - Call Your Friends

On Rotation: MONOTONE "CALL YOUR FRIENDS" (EP)

Monotone, a project based out of Italy (Francesco Presotto and Kimi Recor) has released their latest EP, “Call Your Friends” To put it simply, the EP is a great example in atmospheric complexity and percussive ingenuity. Across just three tracks, the EP delivers sounds that feature dark, brooding soundscapes and intricate rhythms, blending the raw energy of Drum & Bass music with the textures of IDM. All in all, “Call Your Friends” carves out a unique space in modern bass music while paying homage to its Jungle roots.

The production across the EP is undoubtedly intricate, pairing basslines with textured soundscapes that evoke both urban grit and celestial expanses. Opening with Echos, an over-seven-minute track, the EP sets a noticeably haunting tone. As the track builds, it layers bass drones, percussive elements, and ghostly echoes to create a sense of vast, echoing space. Meanwhile, H.E.X., clocking in at over five minutes, injects kinetic energy with its sharp, stuttering rhythms and evolving patterns, embodying a darker mood. Closing with PAN, the EP ventures into experimental territory, offering an interplay of syncopated drums and ethereal melodies.

“Call Your Friends” navigates the intersection of Drum & Bass, Jungle, and IDM, balancing traditional rhythmic frameworks with a new sound design. Tracks like H.E.X. and Echos nod to the genre's underground roots, drawing on Jungle’s raw intensity and the structure of classic IDM. Meanwhile, PAN perhaps extends these boundaries further, blending rhythmic autonomy with an experimental edge. The EP’s deep grooves evoke the likes of Amon Tobin, Photek, and more contemporary innovators like ASC and Sam Binga, ensuring its resonance with both purists and avant-garde listeners.

With “Call Your Friends,” Monotone delivers a unique EP. For fans of experimental bass music, this EP is both a cerebral and visceral experience, confirming Monotone as a rising force in the genre.