Behind the release: Ali Monsta - Reactivate
Whether it's rinsing sound in woods, fields or murky nightclub settings, Ali Monsta is certainly no stranger to setting the party tone at a sufficient level. After his recent Freed From Desire Bootleg released on COTF, and the raucous mash up behaviour that came with it, we had to hit him up for a release and a conversation about the man behind it.
So how did you get into production in the beginning?
The thing that kickstarted it was when some friends and I bought a sound system, aged 15. Now known as Digga sound! We started throwing what began as small raves, I had never DJ’d back then but had such a passion for sound systems and live music.
This inspired me to take music technology in college, however the course was very production based which at the time I wasn’t actually looking to learn but I’m so glad I did. The start was really fun, messing about with noises and learning new things, production and composition was questionable back then for sure! But the tunes definitely did the job and went down well at the raves! I then started to get booked more and polished up my production skills and stage presence.
10 years on I think my style is more defined, but has not changed dramatically although
I do go through fazes of working on different genres. I demonstrate this in my sets using different styles and BPMs throughout.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
I love everything Sample Junkie is putting out now. We’ve been friends for some years now and his production has just gone through the roof. Also Pluvio and Zenji have got some serious stuff coming out that I’m really looking forward to. But day to day I usually listen to ska or disco especially washing up. I am currently replaying GTA Vice City and in case you’ve forgotten the sound track is absolutely banging, highly recommend!
Sets that have gone off the most?
I have been fortunate enough to get booked in Isreal, Goulash in Croatia and Vietnam, it's always wicked and the crowds have got such amazing energy. It's been great to do what I love and travel at the same time. The 24 hour garage girls stage at Balter festival was a hotspot, and a highlight especially as my sexy girlfriend gets to perform with me!
Boomtown 2018 was an epic year, I got an extra set covering for Audio Bullies on the “Wrong Side of the Tracks” stage. I remember that was sick, as a huge turnout had came to see them and then stayed to see me instead even with such a different style!
The last Contraband circus I played at in The Loco Club in Bristol, that vibe was great all night, seriously enjoyed that one.
Tell us about Reactivate, what’s going on with the flavours you’ve cooked up for us?
With this one I’ve taken some inspiration from the likes of boss boys Dr. Cryptic and Deadbeat UK.
Nice shuffley drums with some atmospheric pads and more industrial sounds. Then with some nice crunchy bassline for the drop. Hope you like it!
What’s in the pipeline for Ali Monsta?
Next up for me is the ‘Infinite Noise’ EP coming out with Bass Militia next Friday (26th Feb). Really excited for this, I feel my production has really stepped up over the last year or two and this will be a showcase for some newer stuff I’ve been working on. It has some wicked remixes on there, one from Baitman Swell and Soundchecka that's a real banger if your into your faster stuff! The other one on there is from T-Break with some badboy, classic jungle sounds.
After that I’ve got a release coming with In The Face. This one features two older tracks I've been waiting to release, so very excited to finally let them go. Not to mention alongside some banging remixes too from TVNDRA and Audiogutter. I’ve also got so many projects on the go so hopefully I will finish them soon, and when everything eventually reopens I would love to start gigging again! It's been a strange year but it has given me a lot of time for new music.
Ali Monsta:
https://soundcloud.com/dj-ali-monsta
Matt Knight
February 20th 2021