Emerging electronic pop artist MONKyMAN released his album ‘What About Love’, featuring its stirring lead single ‘Hambelela’ via Laut & Luise. Over the past two years, his tracks have garnered more than 3.2 million streams on Spotify alone, while his electrifying live sets have taken him across South Africa, New York, Thailand, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Norway, Denmark, and Paris. His festival credits include Apple Tree Garden Festival, alongside acts such as Biig Piig and Bombay Bicycle Club, as well as Fusion Festival, sharing the stage with heavyweights like ARTBAT, Monolink, and K.I.Z.
Born in Stuttgart and now based in Berlin, MONKyMAN’s music unfolds as a narrative of self-love, awakening, and truth-seeking. His sound balances enthusiasm, hope, and determination with a candid vulnerability, exploring what it means to find light in disorientation. His formative years in Namibia introduced him to beat-making through Fruity Loops at the age of 14 – a spark that ignited his enduring journey into music. Drawing inspiration from figures as diverse as André 3000, Frank Ocean, Sun Ra, Felix Laband, Quincy Jones, Bob Marley, Devendra Banhart, SAULT, and Nina Simone, his sonic palette is as eclectic as it is soulful, sure to be enjoyed by fans of Black Coffee, Nicolas Jaar and Keinemusik.
What About Love is an expansive journey with dreamy vocals, soulful atmospherics, jazzy instrumentals, and afro-inflected rhythms. The album’s focus track, ‘Hambelela’ which features Vaudeni’s glorious vocals, is a timelessly moving song of praise, wherein an organic percussive instrumental spotlights a richly resonant vocal refrain in the Oshiwambo language, no doubt a homage to the artist’s formative years spent in Namibia.
Speaking on the album, MONKyMAN shared: “When making this album, I realized that I am just one link in a chain of creations that led to this record being birthed. So many inventions, jobs, tools, processes happen before I can even play a note on a synth. I am so grateful for all the inspiration and equipment available to me in order to make my music. My music has been created by all of us and will forever be there for all of us.”
Featured image by Gene Glover
SOURCE: Official Bio
LINKS:
https://www.instagram.com/monkyman_music
https://www.facebook.com/monkymanmusic/
https://www.youtube.com/@monkymanmusic
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OZYsEHLgv8uRLvMAywgod