Hello there! I am the old salt lamp that nobody likes. I live a cobwebbed life of dust and debasement stuffed in closets and garages. I go for a measly three bucks at yard sales. And yet I still cling to the dream of someday becoming hip and retro for a few years. So I was very happy when the Vienna-based art group monochrom asked me if I would like to be on the cover of their Greatest Hits album ‘Carefully Selected Moments’. We are pleased to announce it will be released in June 2008 on such antiquated formats as CD and, yes, vinyl. I asked them if my old shelf mate, an ugly blue terry towel, could be there too and they agreed. As you can see, monochrom are very nice people, and their music is nice, too! They have recorded a bunch of songs from their many projects (such as the Udo Proksch-musical ‘Udo 77’ and various other plays and performances). They sure do love to add music to their artwork! But unfortunately, monochrom aren’t a regular band. They don’t have time to get involved in stupid band stuff like owning instruments or rehearsing. That’s why they asked some friends if they could help record these songs. Friends such as German house legend Hans Nieswandt, Matthias Kertal (from Mika), Gerald Votava, GameJew, Der Schwimmer, Max of Prey/audiospam, Gegenstimmen and the non-existing average Viennese laptop musician Tonki Gebauer. They all said “Well, yes, that sounds like the kind of collaboration that makes this world a place you can recommend to your children”. And so they did. And they did so in a way that still makes me wonder how they did it. It’s a marvellous collection of songs and moments. Well, legal moments, that is. Stupid copyright asshole law! All these songs reflect on – well – the world in which we live. Sorry if that sounds corny but I can’t help it, I’m just a salt lamp. You know what I mean: It’s a nasty world filled with Lidl shops, heavy metal collectors, Sao Paulo Biennials and unpleasant sex. Not to mention heterosexist musical productions! Therefore, monochrom proudly protest-sings about that. Which makes for some great think-along stuff. Let us all point our fingers at something just for the sake of pointing. Repeat after me: “We don’t need no edutainment.” “Culture leave them kids alone.” “Get on the scene you’re a search engine.” And so on…weiterlesen