Oleksandr Filonenko aka Monoconda is a multi-instrumentalist, experimental music producer, live performer and mastering engineer based now in Berlin. Two years ago, we did an interview for Star Wax Mag about his album “Horizon” on Kashtan records. The Ukrainian autodidact comes back to speak about “Disturbing” - streaming below - his third last album on Salon Imaginalis records, supported with a remix by German audiovisual artist Max Dahlhaus.

Your story behind this new album? 

I’d say I was inspired by a series of adventurous events that made me re-assemble my life right in the middle of it. The world is changing at the speed of light. It often happens that we find inspiration in disturbing events. But in the end — how we pass these challenges is who we really are. The story behind the record is a dystopia, telling us that humanity have failed and machines are taking charge. It should be perceived as a warning before the human race passes the turning point.

Did your way of producing change since “the Horizon” album on Kashtan? 

It’s not only the production approach that changed, but it’s my life in general. It has just become more intense and heavier. Speaking of the production methods — there was one essential. I tried to put my ego away from the music. Because only in that case as I see it now — music can become an art. So, it’s free from any egocentric desires and not driven by a will to fame or success. Often when you make records, you’re led by the will to be heard, liked, played, booked for a specific festival or signed by the specific label. I’ve put that all away and just dived into an experiment. “Balance” track, for example, is made without the grid so its rhythm comes right from my feeling of time as I play sounds with my hands. “No way out of an island” was done using mostly the sounds of Ximbomba or Mallorquina I brought from Mallorca and then mangled and effected it in a variety of ways. In “Empathy Test” I just made some track, then rendered it, put it in the sampler and played something completely different using the track as an instrument. In general, I went more into the digital world, using modern VST synths and effects to achieve otherworldly sounds. I’m not even sure there’s a single note made on an outboard synth. Modern digital instruments and effects are extremely powerful and interesting to explore. That was quite an astonishing journey, I’d say. Unlike anything I’ve come through before as a record producer and musician.

What do you think about AI? 

To be clear, it’s not an AI yet, but the language models controlled and prompted by humans. It’s an intention that determines the intellect, I guess. The ability and need to reflect some thoughts or events in forms of art as well. I think and hope that it will boost the human’s creativity. Machines will soon become quite good in making functional music and anything that is repetitive and mostly understandable and predictable. But our ability to create things out of the box, to expand the boundaries, shape new forms, push things forward in a way we feel — is our main advantage and it will become more valuable with the growth of technology. And AI might help us expand this side if operated thoughtfully. I recently learnt about the movement called Effective accelerationism, often abbreviated as "e/acc”. It is a philosophical movement that advocates for an explicitly pro-technology stance. Its proponents believe that unrestricted technological progress (especially driven by artificial intelligence) is a solution to universal human problems like poverty, war and climate change. I tend to think we should try going this way no matter what because it may be the next step of evolution.

"Disturbing" album in 3 words?

Dystopian Heavy Experimental

What about Salon Imaginalis records? 

Well, Salon Imaginalis is a label my friend Koloah has operated for about 4 years. We make a lot of music together and at some point, we felt that it’s the proper time to unite to boost some aspects of its life. It happened organically because we both live in Berlin now and have a lot in common musically and personally. We decided to divide it by two parts — Salon Imaginalis for forward-thinking electronic music and Tanz Salon as a dance sub-label. We’re looking for the records that push things forward, bring something new and unusual to the world of music.

Our future in one quote? 

There was a phrase in “the Office” series, that sounds like “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them” Let’s celebrate the good old days before it’s too late!

What are your top 5 new releases? 

. Lorraine James "Gentle Confrontation"

. Lanark Artefax "Metallur"

. Current Value "Dream Noire"

. Ben Frost "Scope Neglect"

. Blawan "Dismantled into Juice"

What are your top 5 oldies?

. Eden Abbess "Eden’s Island"

. Aphrodite’s Child "666"

. Harmonia "Musik von Harmonia"

. Tim Hecker "Ravedeath, 1972"

. Tool "Lateralus"

. Valentin Silvestrov "Called Symphony No 2 & Symphony for Cello and Chamber Orchestra, Meditation"

Interviewed by Sabrina Bouzidi / Photo by Igor Tsarukov