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The Soulful Soundtrack of Summer: Vitae
House | Friday 9th August 2013 | James
The solo release of Monitor 66's Vitae EP on Monday 5th August is the definitive sound of sunshine.
Monitor 66 have always been curiously interested in sunsets. Having declared their philosophy to be “making sunset inspired music with funky bass lines”, somewhere along the line this curious interest has turned into something of an obsession. After all, these are two lads who live ‘by the shore’ in Stockholm, Sweden; a country that arguably hosts the finest scenic landscapes in Europe. An evening sunset over the Baltic Sea must be a wonderfully simple addition to the daily routine for them.
It’s no wonder then that this phenomenon is fixated in their musical flare. Marking their return on the compulsively wonderful House of Disco label, Monday’s release of Monitor 66’s solo EP Vitae is nothing short of a summer gem.
The inaugural track ‘Nyx’ shows that they are not the type of producers to shy away from some really catchy deep-sounding beats or choruses. The track appears to be layered with a sense of electric urgency, yet seamlessly shifts and rises in a carefree ambience to provide the fitting sunrise of the album.
The atmospheric, floaty feel of the opener grinds heavily onto the second track ‘Virago’; the semantics of which are defined as ‘a woman of masculine strength or spirit’. Held together by crushingly smooth chords and domineering bassy tones; it’s hard to texture the track better than its bittersweet titled definition.
However, the true testament to Monitor 66’s production skills reveals itself in the form of the EP’s self-proclaimed title track ‘Vitae’. Although not straying too far from the shores of the album’s melodically gripping feel, the track explores a groovier, fresher sound that the previous tracks do well at hinting towards without fully exploiting. A refined, purified disco ether is met with a cool afternoon breeze that allows the song to glide away and drift towards the horizon. The Baltic sunshine reflects off the ocean surface and straight through the core of a track which suitably moulds the calibre of Monitor 66’s musical manifesto.
If ‘Vitae’ provides the complete clamour of an evening’s sunset, the EP’s final track ‘Cur’ is a lovely sounding piece for when the sun does finally go down. The warmth of the album is replaced by a deeper, darker character, playing host to a duet of mystically love lost lyrics. Not only does ‘Cur’ show off the versatility of Monitor 66, it exemplifies their ability to compete with even the most successful deep house tunes of recent years.
Executed in the same manner for which it was intended, Vitae eclipses the type of artistic spark that any aspiring producer should look at achieving. Put simply, Monitor 66 have triumphed with a fitting seasonal tribute, and an EP that truly personifies their very own musical identity.
James Davies.
