Monopol

Though they didn't attain the popularity of some of their peers, the Neu Deutsche Welle trio Monopol perfected the scene's stylish mischief. The group formed in 1982, when Czech singer/keyboardist Nick Mono joined forces with synthesizer expert Clemens Fobianke and singer/model Elke Steinberg. Mono's production skills, Fobianke's arsenal of analog synths -- which included cutting-edge equipment from Moog, Roland, and Korg as well as instruments he built himself -- and Steinberg's personality-packed vocals allowed Monopol to take influences such as <a href="spotify:artist:0dmPX6ovclgOy8WWJaFEUU">Kraftwerk</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2JIf5JxI3ypOSfrfNIIMQE">YMO</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:3U2U4TR03ZuStsizrv0EJB">Klaus Schulze</a> in their own vividly playful directions. Aside from a handful of television appearances, the trio never played live, instead focusing on studio work. Monopol recorded demos for their album at a 16-track studio owned by some of Fobianke's friends; at the time, the Neu Deutsche Welle craze was at its peak, and several labels wanted to sign the band. <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22EMI%22">EMI</a> won the bidding war, and released the single "Gib Liebe Her" and the album Weltweit on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Welt-Rekord%22">Welt-Rekord</a>, the imprint of <a href="spotify:artist:1UzZshvhiJj0LyztRWC2JH">Fehlfarben</a>'s Peter Hein. Unfortunately, the NDW craze was already waning by the time Weltweit arrived, and disappointing sales led to Monopol's split in 1983. Subsequently, Steinberg pursued a solo career, Mono continued to do studio work, and Fobianke moved into computer animation and virtual reality. Early in 2017, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Medical+Records%22">Medical Records</a> and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Anna+Logue%22">Anna Logue</a> teamed up on a remastered reissue of Weltweit. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi