„Trip-Hop-Trio Monophona releases new and last single“ – so der so positiv beginnende, so plötzlich eine traurige Wendung nehmende Titel einer E-Mail, die uns dieser Tage aus dem Hause des Bielefelder Labels KaPiTän Platte erreichte. Das luxemburgische Trio MONOPHONA gehört verbrieftermaßen zu den absoluten Popmonitor-Lieblingsbands (wie ein Blick auf unsere Coverage über die Jahre illustriert), und so wollen wir der Band natürlich noch einmal unsere kleine Bühne bieten und teilen ihr One-Track-Track-By-Track zum heute veröffentlichten Song „Elastic (I do)“, der noch einmal die Stärken von Philippe „Chook“ Schirrer, Singer-Songwriterin Claudine Muno und Drummer Jorsch Kass illustriert: cooles, wendungsreiches Songwriting, Tiefe und Spannung in der Produktion, so starke wie elegante Vocals:

The first line of „Elastic (I do)“ is: I don’t wanna talk about politics. Despite this it is actually a political song that can, if you wish, also be about a relationship. Our song is about being trapped and watching others live their lives freely, we think of cases such as political prisoners living in countries where expressing one’s opinion can be a matter of life or death, or victims of domestic violence that cannot seem to break free from the vicious circle they find themselves trapped in. Inadvertently, the title also addresses various problems that were brought on by the Corona pandemic: The fate of older people and sick people, for example, or people with disabilities that cannot not leave their homes while their fellow human beings are already impatiently streaming back into the DIY stores. To what extent are we prepared to make concessions and show consideration so that everyone in our society can lead a good life? Is that even possible or do the requirements of the free-market economy prevent us from being able to rethink our lifestyle? The song is also about the objects that we leave behind after we disappear. While our predecessors passed on furniture, porcelain, photos or clothes to the next generation, the goods we buy today are discarded tomorrow. Ikea or H&M encourage us to constantly redecorate our interiors and renew our wardrobes in order to reinvent ourselves. What will be left of us? Maybe just a colourful, flickering flow of data and images that no longer makes it possible to see the big picture?

Das Statement der Band zum Abschied hingegen gibt keine Antwort auf die Fragen nach dem Warum und dem big picture:

With great regret we have to announce that our new single « Elastic – I do » will also be our last. After almost 10 years, we have decided to wrap up Monophona and call it quits. We enjoyed the last decade of making music, of playing live, of traveling together and we wish to thank everyone we met along the way: the people who came to our gigs, the crews we could always rely on, bands we shared a stage and a touring van with, everyone who worked in the background to help us release our music. A special thank you goes out to our label Kapitän Platte, thank you for letting us be a part of your family. We really appreciated it.

Wo so wenig gute Grunde für den Abschied sprechen, geben wir die Hoffnung einfach nicht auf, dass wir doch noch nicht die letzten Takte von MONOPHONA gehört haben.

MONOPHONA
Elastic (I Do)
(Kapitän Platte)
VÖ: 26.06.2020

Monophonas „Elastic (I Do)“ auf Bandcamp