Perhaps he is a born multitasker. The talented Chris Hancock is the Monk Fly and also runs the Headroom night at the Brighton Up Bar. On top of that, he has a show on 2SER radio and is the man behind record label The Frequency Lab.
He’s been a prominent figure in the underground for quite some time now, producing his first album of five, Signore Baffone, in 2002. His sixth album of glitchy beats is due out in May.
It’s been a slow progression for Monk Fly over the last few years. He gives us a new layout and informal tune that is not reflective of the current musical zeitgeist and is thus keeping itself on the low down. Only a few punters know about Headroom and what happens there but the small crowd it draws is all they need. With genre-bending antics, cultural visuals and an electric atmosphere, it’s amazing to be a part of a small scene grooving to its own ethic.
It’s exciting to hear about such an underground event taking place.
As the Monk Fly explains, this genre of music developed a strong following in abandoned warehouses. The councils didn’t like the way this free spirit was expressing itself and began to bring out entertainment and club licences to stem the rise of what they saw as illegal gatherings.
Since the involvement of Headroom and the birth of The Frequency Lab, the pressure on acceptance of the scene has lifted. The punters have better access to happenings in the scene and the electro beat sets out, charting a course from the underground world. His abstract, picture-based rhythms map the future and set sail for musical waters unknown.
This is dubstep without so much dub. The beats take a standard path and the glitch provides a foundation for the structure of melody. His Streetisms Vol 1 is due out this May as a digital release and we here at MusicFeeds know you will love it.
Get down to the Civic Underground on the 8th of May to hear him bust out his new work. Also catch Jonny Faith, Know-U, El Gusto (Hermitude), Suburban Dark & Harmonic 313.
