Monika Kruse (born 23 July 1971) is a German
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
DJ/producer and
record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...
owner, with a career in electronic music spanning more than 25 years. She played an influential role in the early
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
rave scene during the early 1990s and was among the first wave of German techno artists to tour internationally, before moving to Berlin at the end of the decade where she founded her
Terminal M
Terminal may refer to:
Computing Hardware
* Terminal (electronics), a device for joining electrical circuits together
* Terminal (telecommunication), a device communicating over a line
* Computer terminal, a set of primary input and output devic ...
record label.
Kruse remains a prominent fixture on the international
house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
and
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
scene, with regular appearances at major European events like Awakenings and
Time Warp
Time travel is a common theme in fiction, mainly since the late 19th century, and has been depicted in a variety of media, such as literature, television, film, and advertisements.
The concept of time travel by mechanical means was popularize ...
, and is also known for her long-term commitment to social justice via her
No Historical Backspin charity that she founded in 2000.
Biography
Kruse was born in 1971 in West Berlin, but grew up in the Bavarian capital of Munich after her parents moved there when she was a baby. She began classical training in piano at the age of four*, and during her teens began accumulating a record collection that saw her cultivating a love of music that spanned funk, soul, hip-hop and house.
After her final exams she took various apprenticeships in the
music industry
The music industry consists of the individuals and organizations that earn money by writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling recorded music and sheet music, presenting concerts, as well as the organizations that aid, train, ...
, before later commencing a role as a product manager for
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records () is a British record label that was founded in 1968. The name is both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders' names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis. It started as the Ellis-Wright Ag ...
, working with bands including
Gang Starr
Gang Starr was an American hip hop duo, consisting of Texas record producer DJ Premier and Massachusetts rapper Guru. For the entirety of their association, they were based out of Brooklyn, New York. Gang Starr was at its height from 1989 to 20 ...
and
Monie Love
Simone Johnson or Simone Gooden (born 2 July 1970), better known by her stage name Monie Love, is a British rapper, actress and radio personality from London. Best known for her singles during the late–1980s through the 1990s, Monie Love curre ...
.
Kruse's involvement with the Munich scene began in 1991 when she began DJing for the
Babalu Bar
Babalu may refer to:
* " Babalú", a 1939 song popularized by Desi Arnaz in the 1940s
* '' BaBalu'', a 2001 Michael Bublé album
* Babalu, Iran, a village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* The nickname for mixed martial artist Renato Sobral
* B ...
in Munich. While her early sets featured hip hop and funk, she was also influenced by the early emerging sounds of
Detroit Techno
Detroit techno is a type of techno music that generally includes the first techno productions by Detroit-based artists during the 1980s and early 1990s. Prominent Detroit techno artists include Juan Atkins, Eddie Fowlkes, Derrick May, Jeff Mil ...
and
Chicago House
Chicago house refers to house music produced during the mid to late 1980s within Chicago. The term is generally used to refer to the first ever house music productions, which were by Chicago-based artists in the 1980s.
History and origins Disco ...
. Her first residency in the
Parkcafé Club followed next, and her involvement with the blossoming techno scene deepened at the end of 1993 when she became a member of the Ultraworld Crew which began organising techno events in Munich and opened up Munich's
Ultraschall
Ultraschall (German: Ultrasound, ) was a nightclub in Munich, Germany from 1994 to 2003. The techno club belonged, besides the '' Tresor'' and '' E-Werk'' in Berlin, the ''Dorian Gray'' and ''Omen'' in Frankfurt, and the Munich-based clubs ', ''N ...
techno club in 1994. Kruse was a
Resident DJ
In the DJ culture, a resident DJ or local DJ refers to a DJ is part of the staff of employees of the club, unlike a guest artist, who works as freelancer, which means that he or she plays on several clubs (including several countries). Obtaining ...
at Ultraschall from the start.
The middle of the decade saw Kruse performing alongside
Sven Väth
Sven Väth (born 26 October 1964) is a German DJ and electronic music producer. He is a three-time DJ Awards winner, and his career in electronic music spans over 30 years. The single "Electrica Salsa" with OFF launched his career in 1986. Referr ...
regularly at his club
Omen
An omen (also called ''portent'') is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. It was commonly believed in ancient times, and still believed by some today, that omens bring divine messages fr ...
in
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
. It also marked the commencement of her career as an international touring artist, seeing her DJing alongside
Carl Cox
Carl Cox (born 29 July 1962) is a British house and techno club DJ, as well as radio DJ and record producer. He is based in Hove, Sussex, England.
Cox has won and been nominated for numerous awards. He has performed at numerous clubs and ele ...
at
Global Gathering
Global Gathering was an annual dance music festival by Angel Festivals Limited. Festivals are held in countries such as the UK, Poland, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and feature leading electronic music artists from around the globe. The festival ran ...
in the
UK,
Limelight
Limelight (also known as Drummond light or calcium light)James R. Smith (2004). ''San Francisco's Lost Landmarks'', Quill Driver Books. is a type of stage lighting once used in theatres and music halls. An intense illumination is created when ...
alongside
DJ Pierre
Nathaniel Pierre Jones, better known by his stage name DJ Pierre, is an American DJ and performer of house music based in Chicago. He helped to develop the house music subgenre of acid house, as member of Phuture, whose 1987 EP ''Acid Tracks'' ...
in NYC and Chicago as well as her residency at Belgium's
Fuse nightclub
Fuse or FUSE may refer to:
Devices
* Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current
** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles
* Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protec ...
later in the decade.
At the end of 1997 Kruse moved to the German capital of
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
to join the city's renowned techno scene, where she began her Terminal M record label in 2000. The label has played host to early releases from artists like
Stimming
Self-stimulatory behavior, also known as "stimming" and self-stimulation, is the repetition of physical movements, sounds, words, moving objects, or other repetitive behaviors. Such behaviors (also scientifically known as ' stereotypies') are fo ...
and
andhim as well as prominent artists like
Patrick Lindsey
Patrick Lindsey (born April 22, 1982) is an American racing driver, team owner and businessman. Outside racing, he serves as president of the air transport company Mira Vista Aviation.
Career
Lindsey's started his motorsport career in Bakersf ...
,
DJ Rush
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...
,
Miss Kittin
Caroline Hervé (born 1973), known professionally as Miss Kittin, is a French electronic music producer, DJ, singer, and songwriter. Since rising to prominence in 1998 for her singles " 1982" and "Frank Sinatra" with The Hacker, she has worked ...
,
Gregor Tresher
Gregor is a masculine given name. Notable people and fictional characters with the name include:
People
* Gregor Abel (born 1949), Scottish footballer
* Gregor Adlercreutz (1898–1944), Swedish equestrian
* Gregor Aichinger (c. 1565–1628), G ...
, ANNA,
Pig&Dan,
Paride Saraceni Paride is a masculine Italian given name. Notable people with the name include:
* Paride Grillo (born 1982), Italian cyclist
* Paride Milianti (born 1934), Italian alpine skier
* Paride Suzzara Verdi (1826–1879), Italian patriot, journalist and p ...
,
Noir, Victor Ruiz, as well as supporting the music of emerging talent like
Skober,
Metodi Hristov Metodi may refer to:
* 2609 Kiril-Metodi, main belt asteroid with an orbital period of 1209
* Metodi Deyanov (born 1975), former midfielder
*Metodi Shatorov
Metodi Tasev Shatorov - Sharlo ( bg, Методи Шаторов - Шарло; mk, ÐœÐµÑ ...
,
Kydus,
Drunken Kong and
Ilija Djokovic.
In 2000 she played at Berlin's
Loveparade
The Love Parade (german: Loveparade) was a popular electronic dance music festival and technoparade that originated in 1989 in West Berlin, Germany. It was held annually in Berlin from 1989 to 2003 and in 2006, then from 2007 to 2010 in the Ruhr ...
in front of 1.5 million people. In the same year Kruse founded No Historical Backspin, a project founded to assist those suffering from racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism and anti-immigrant attacks*. These charity parties have been widely supported by her peers, with names such as
Cassy,
Tama Sumo
Tama Sumo (real name Kerstin Egert) is a German DJ and producer who has been called "one of the world's finest house and techno DJs whose success and acclaim stem only from her skills as a selector". She is signed to the Ostgut Ton label and is ...
and
Gaiser playing over the years. Her benefit charity party at
Berghain
Berghain () is a nightclub in Berlin, Germany. It is named after its location near the border between Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain in Berlin, and is a short walk from Berlin Ostbahnhof main line railway station. in March 2015 brought DJs like
andhim,
Anja Schneider,
&ME and
Ellen Allien
Ellen Fraatz, known professionally as Ellen Allien, is a German electronic musician, music producer, and the founder of BPitch Control music label. Her album ''Stadtkind'' was dedicated to the city of Berlin, and she cites the culture of reunif ...
together and raised over 20,000 Euros for
Amadeu Antonio Stiftung. Amadau Antonio Stiftung is one of Germany's foremost, independent non-governmental organizations working to strengthen democratic civic society and eliminate neo-Nazism, right-wing extremism, and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry and hate in Germany. Kruse's most recent Refugees Welcome party later that year in October raised money for those fleeing violence and persecution. Raising awareness and funds for these causes is important to Kruse who believes "No one should be discriminated against, hindered or hurt because of their personal background, race, gender, belief, physical challenges or sexual orientation – be it in Germany or elsewhere. We’re against all forms of discrimination – be it sexism, homophobia, or anti-Semitism. 70 years after the National Socialist tyranny in Germany we'd like to celebrate society's diversity through music, joy and togetherness and set an example for tolerance, which should go without saying for a mutual, peaceful future."
Kruse first DJed at the popular
Time Warp
Time travel is a common theme in fiction, mainly since the late 19th century, and has been depicted in a variety of media, such as literature, television, film, and advertisements.
The concept of time travel by mechanical means was popularize ...
event in
Mannheim
Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's 2 ...
, Germany in 1999 and she remains a fixture on the line-up to this day. She also appears regularly at prominent European festivals such as Awakenings in the
Netherlands
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, and her DJ schedule for 2017 sees her appearing weekly in nightclubs across Germany and the rest of
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
She began DJing annually in
Ibiza
Ibiza (natively and officially in ca, Eivissa, ) is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, in Spain. Its l ...
in 2001 when she played alongside
Sven Väth
Sven Väth (born 26 October 1964) is a German DJ and electronic music producer. He is a three-time DJ Awards winner, and his career in electronic music spans over 30 years. The single "Electrica Salsa" with OFF launched his career in 1986. Referr ...
at his Cocoon residency at club
Amnesia
Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use ...
. In 2016 she performed at
Carl Cox
Carl Cox (born 29 July 1962) is a British house and techno club DJ, as well as radio DJ and record producer. He is based in Hove, Sussex, England.
Cox has won and been nominated for numerous awards. He has performed at numerous clubs and ele ...
’s final residency at
Space Ibiza, and for the 2017 Ibiza season she is scheduled for several appearances at the Hyte Wednesday night residency at Amnesia in
Ibiza
Ibiza (natively and officially in ca, Eivissa, ) is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, in Spain. Its l ...
Kruse has also performed at the
Burning Man Festival
Burning Man is an event focused on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance held annually in the western United States. The name of the event comes from its culminating ceremony: the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy, referre ...
that takes place at Black Rock City, a temporary city erected in the
Black Rock Desert
__NOTOC__
The Black Rock Desert is a semi-arid region (in the Great Basin shrub steppe eco-region) of lava beds and playa, or alkali flats, situated in the Black Rock Desert–High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area, a si ...
in
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
. Her first appearance was in 2011, and she described the festival as a "spiritual thing" for her. "I went there for the first time after my mum passed and I visited the temple where you can really relieve your sadness and just get in touch with yourself and write nice letters to the ones you have lost."
She has been a regular at
Berghain/Panorama Bar since the early days, playing in both clubs/rooms.
Kruse is held in the highest regard by her peers. When speaking of Kruse,
Adam Beyer
Adam Beyer (born 15 May 1976 in Stockholm, Sweden) is a Swedish techno producer and DJ. He is the founder of Drumcode Records, and is one of several Swedish techno artists to emerge in the mid-1990s, along with Cari Lekebusch and Jesper Dahlbäc ...
has said "Monika has a very special place in my heart. She was one of the very first international DJs I ever saw in my life. She played in Stockholm a couple of times in the early 90s - as early as 93/94 and I was there a young Adam Beyer in his best form, partying and
really enjoyed it back then and I have done that ever since for over 20 years now. She's been a long stay on the German scene and the international scene. She runs her own label Terminal M which is one of my favourite labels as well. She's a great person and a great DJ, one of the true spirits of this scene and I can't say enough good things about her really."
In 2017 Kruse made her debut on the
Essential Mix
The ''Essential Mix'' is a weekly radio show on BBC Radio 1 currently broadcast between 0:00 and 2:00 a.m. UK time on Saturday morning. Originally broadcast on 30 October 1993, the ''Essential Mix'' features contemporary DJs and music producer ...
weekly
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
show broadcast on
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
, where host
Pete Tong
Peter Michael Tong, (born 30 July 1960) is an English disc jockey who works for BBC Radio 1. He is the host of programmes such as ''Essential Mix'' and ''Essential Selection'' on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio stre ...
described her as "techno royalty".
Recording career
At the end of 1997, Kruse released her first solo production on a compilation and moved to
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, where she released her first mix CD. Around this time she met
Patrick Lindsey
Patrick Lindsey (born April 22, 1982) is an American racing driver, team owner and businessman. Outside racing, he serves as president of the air transport company Mira Vista Aviation.
Career
Lindsey's started his motorsport career in Bakersf ...
, and together they collaborated as producers over several years under the name Monika Kruse @ Voodooamt. Their first release came in 1998. In 2000, Kruse founded her first label Terminal M.
2001 saw the release of the first Monika Kruse @ Voodooamt album, Panorama, with Patrick Lindsey.
In 2003 she founded another record label, Electric Avenue Recordings. In summer she had a hit in Europe with her track "Latin Lovers", which reached #1 in the Dutch dance charts the top 20 in the Spanish sales charts. Passengers, her second LP, was released in autumn 2003.
In 2007 Monika Kruse began a productive cooperation with Worms-based
Gregor Tresher
Gregor is a masculine given name. Notable people and fictional characters with the name include:
People
* Gregor Abel (born 1949), Scottish footballer
* Gregor Adlercreutz (1898–1944), Swedish equestrian
* Gregor Aichinger (c. 1565–1628), G ...
. Their first production "GTMK - and more..." came out in July 2007 - followed by another 12" GTMK - Panchakarma on Dutch label
Intacto
''Intacto'' (English: ''Intact'') is a 2001 Spanish thriller film directed and co-written by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and starring Leonardo Sbaraglia, Eusebio Poncela, Mónica López, Antonio Dechent, and Max von Sydow. It was first released in S ...
.
In 2008 Kruse released her acclaimed debut solo longplayer, ‘Changes of Perception’ – which clocked in at number 2 on Raveline Magazine*’s ‘Best Album of the year 2008’
Kruse's follow up album ‘Traces’ came four years after ‘Changes of Perception’ and is an expression of Kruse's personal and musical influences over the years – "It's a combinations of different electronic styles which have all had a big impact on me"
Though she began working on ‘Traces’ in February 2011, she took a break during the course of creating the album due to the death of her mother. She returned to the studio in the autumn and completed it in February 2012, finding catharsis in her love for music - "When my mother was sick and died, that was not easy, but when I start to spin I immediately – when the first record is playing – I forget everything about me and I just hear the music".
2017 sees the release of a ‘Get Me On’, a new EP from Kruse and her long-time collaborators Pig&Dan, with whom she has made four EP's with. Talking about her relationship with the duo, Kruse says "I'm always happy to spend time with my brothers in the studio because we have so much fun and it just flows."
Monika says she bonded with Pig&Dan in Ibiza more than ten years ago: "I remember clicking with them from the first moment and we’ve been great friends ever since. Even at that early point we had the idea to go into the studio together, but it took years until it actually happened for the first EP".
Monika believes ‘Get Me On’ to be one of her most emotional production works – "It was extra special because it was during my time-out moment where I was doing a lot of meditation and I think that reflects in the EP".
References
External links
Official Homepage of Monika KruseMonika Kruseon
Discogs
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kruse, Monika
Living people
German techno musicians
German DJs
Women DJs
Musicians from Berlin
German record producers
1971 births
Women in electronic music
Electronic dance music DJs
21st-century women musicians
German women record producers