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| Monotonix | |
|---|---|
 Monotonix in Barzilay Club, Tel Aviv, 15.2.2008 |
|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Genres | Garage rock, indie rock, noise rock |
| Years active | 2005–2011 |
| Labels | Drag City |
| Website | Official website |
| Members | |
| Ami Shalev Yonatan Gat Haggai Fershtman |
|
| Past members | |
| Ran Shimoni | |
Monotonix were a garage rock band from Tel Aviv, Israel. They released their debut EP in 2008 and have toured mostly the United States and Europe, including notable now legendary appearances at SXSW. Monotonix subsequently released two full length records - Where Were You When It Happened? and Not Yet and continued an infamous run of 1000 shows in five years into 2011.
Contents |
Dissatisfied with the state of the music scene in their hometown of Tel Aviv, the Israeli trio Monotonix formed in November 2005. The band consisting of singer Ami Shalev, guitarist Yonatan Gat, and drummer Ran Shimoni (later replaced by Haggai Fershtman), started performing and recording. They began by playing shows at local venues. They frequently set up on the floor among the crowd, playing shows raucous enough to result in the power being shut off or the police called in.
Eventually finding themselves banned from most of the venues in Tel Aviv, the band decided to leave Israel and tour the United States and Europe. From 2006 to 2007, Monotonix played over 400 shows around the world, including appearances at notable Festivals in the US and Europe, and a few tours with Silver Jews, whom they have opened for in Israel and befriended. Monotonix have become known for setting themselves and their equipment on fire, stealing drinks from audience members to pour on themselves, and turning their shows into frenzied dance parties, and later, for their unique take on raw garage rock.
In 2008, the band signed to Drag City, where they have released Body Language, recorded by Tim Green of the Fucking Champs, and have continued their all-year touring playing over 250 shows that year alone.
On September 1, 2009, with the release of their first full length - Where Were You When It Happened, they opened (along with Dinosaur Jr.) for the reunited Faith No More at a sold-out concert at the Israel Trade Fairs & Convention Center in Tel Aviv, Israel, and followed that show with tours in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia. "Set Me Free" from Where Were You When It Happened was used in the opening scene of an episode of cult TV show House.
In January 2010, while performing in Florida, singer Ami Shalev injured himself, leading the band to cancel a subsequent show in Athens, Georgia.[1]
That year between tours, the band rented a studio space in the center of Tel Aviv and wrote the 10 songs that would appear on their next album. It was recorded at Electrical Audio in Chicago with engineer Steve Albini. Two 7-inch releases of these sessions came out in April and June 2010, serving as the appetizer for the band's second full length, Not Yet, which was released on January 25, 2011.
During their US tour supporting Not Yet the band announced that tour will be their last, first in Echoplex in Los Angeles, and afterwards in sold out shows in San Francisco and New York.[2] The US tour was followed by a final tour of Europe that concluded in London on March 6, 2011.[3]
On the 25th of March 2011, the band posted a picture in a post[4] onto their myspace music blog showing a sign referencing "The End"[5] above their own band name - entitling the blog post "THANK YOU!".[6]
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