Monolink is the stage name of Steffen Linck, a German singer, songwriter and producer who lives in Berlin. His music sits between the dance floor and the songbook. On The Beauty of It All, his third album, he chose the songbook.
The record was written largely in retreat from the world. It is not a concept album. It is closer to a series of inner thoughts about joy and pain, memory and change. The first song, “Call of the Void”, is a meditation on loss.
The sound is electronic, but it is built with real instruments. “Powerful Play” mixes acoustic guitar with rhythmic electronics. “Beacon” is led by piano. “Promised Land” uses hand-played percussion and was inspired by the free experiments of Pink Floyd. Two songs are longer than seven minutes, so the album needs some patience. It rewards it.
There are small stories behind the songs. “Avalanche” was partly written in the Swiss Alps. “In My Place” was recorded in one take. “Phoenix” began years ago on a synthesiser taken to Portugal. The last song, “Once I Understood”, begins like a ballad in the style of The Beatles and then becomes a lullaby.
Before this album, Linck was known for live shows with voice and instruments, not only a DJ set. His first album, Amniotic, came out in 2018, and he played at the Coachella festival in 2023.
If you like this, try these from Europe
- Ben Böhmer 🇩🇪: a German producer. He and Monolink made the single “Black Hole” in 2019. His album Bloom (2024) is a good next step.
- Acid Pauli 🇩🇪: he remixed “Powerful Play” for the remix series of this album. His album BLD (2017) is a good place to start.
Where to find it in Europe
- Stream it: on Qobuz and Deezer, two French services.
- Buy it: the record shop Oye Records lists the album on CD (around €20), double vinyl (around €31) and a splatter vinyl edition with a slipmat (around €36). When we checked, the CD was not in stock and the shop showed the items as backorder, so check the page first.
The European context
Berlin has been one of the main cities of electronic music in Europe for decades. Embassy One is a Berlin label, and Monolink’s album shows a quieter side of that scene: songs first, with the dance floor in the background.
Watch the video for “Mesmerized”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouLzOBdGLB0
Official website: https://mono.link
Also on Choosing Europe
- Music: People of the Moon · Nu Genea 🇮🇹: another European album full of warm, hypnotic grooves.
- Music: LUX · Rosalía 🇪🇸: another artist who mixes electronic sound with old traditions.
