Monstercat Silk

Since 2008, Silk Music has endeavored to expose a unique style of electronic music, distinguished by its emotive and introspective qualities. We’re incredibly proud and excited to join forces and welcome Silk Music, now Monstercat Silk, under the umbrella of our family.

WHAT IS SILK?

“Music is sacred. It has the capacity to express and illustrate the full emotional spectrum of the human experience better than words,” says Jacob Henry, Monstercat Silk’s Label Director. 

“Inspired by the therapeutic power music has had on our lives, we launched Silk Music thirteen years ago as a means to connect with others and share the most emotional and intelligent electronic music out there.” 

Jacob continues, “This has been our life’s work, and we’re honored to grow the diverse sounds and passionate communities within Monstercat’s ecosystem, as we begin our next chapter as Monstercat Silk.” 

Silk Music officially began under the name Silk Digital, an independent electronic music imprint founded in Moscow in January 2008 by Max Flyant, Mike Alexeev, and Alex “Mango” Golovanov. The name was derived from the original company slogan, “No Synthetics. Only Silk,” which reinforced the brand ideal of exceptional, “top-of-the-line” electronic music. Jacob Henry joined the team after its very first release in 2008 and ultimately became its Label Director several years later. Following a 7-year period that included the launch of sublabels Silk Royal, Silk Textures, Silk Sofa, and Arrival, all brands joined together as Silk Music in October 2015.

“I remember walking with Alex (aka Mango) along the warm streets of our home city Zelenograd back in July 2007,” recalls Max Flyant, A&R Manager of Monstercat Silk. “We were young students full of big dreams and aspirations to create something very unique and personal. Our shared love for melodic electronic music sparked an idea for a digital record label that would allow us to connect listeners all over the world.” 

Max continues, “By the end of our summer stroll, the name ‘Silk Digital Records’ was born, and we got straight to work on our future label. Mango became the first ambassador of the classic ‘Silk sound’ and the rest is history.”

The Silk Sound + Look

Known for its moving and cinematic body of work, Silk Music has pioneered the production of beautifully layered music that turns ‘Emotion Into Sound.’ The majority of its releases cover genres like progressive house, deep house, trance, or chillout. Silk Music has also released a fair amount of downtempo music, with a very deep catalogue in this specific arena, along with occasional tracks in the areas of melodic house & techno, breaks, synthwave, drum & bass, chillstep, house, and indie dance. These sounds were like missing pieces to the puzzle for Monstercat, allowing us to create a more holistic musical universe as Silk enters the fold.

Inspiration stemming from the shared human experience is reflected in Silk Music’s visual style as well, with an emphasis on photography that eloquently captures “mood” in a specific moment. Real people are literally and figuratively “central” to the lion’s share of Silk Music’s designs for release cover art, YouTube video thumbnails, general label promotions, and beyond. Along with the human element, Silk Music’s designs have often featured open, colorful landscapes, which accentuate the beauty of the music. This aesthetic will carry into Monstercat Silk’s visual experience, debuting with the signature sunset colors of orange and gold hues. 

What’s Next for Monstercat Silk?

As we celebrate the transition of Silk Music into Monstercat Silk, our vision is to preserve and amplify the core essence that brought Silk Music to life and shaped it over the past 13 years. With the arrival of Silk, Monstercat’s release schedule will expand to six releases per week, between Silk, Uncaged and Instinct. 

Monstercat Silk is proud to continue working with its beloved label contributors and globally recognized artists in progressive house, including A.M.R, PROFF, Vintage & Morelli, and Arielle Maren, as well as fresh faces from major names like Kaskade, all of which you’ll hear from in the coming weeks.

Kicking off the launch of Monstercat Silk, Tokyo-based producer Shingo Nakamura makes an epic return after a 4 year hiatus, gracing the Monstercat family with his moving slice of progressive house, “Glow,” a track meant to evoke light and positivity during dark times. “Glow” serves as the title to Nakamura’s forthcoming album, due out on Monstercat Silk in June 2021.

What you can expect from Monstercat Silk moving forward is a continuation of its focus on melodic and poignant tracks, appealing to the sensitive souls and lean-back listeners that Silk Music has connected with from the very beginning of its history.

Get Involved!

Monstercat is thrilled to invite a new audience into our world. Community is at the core of our mission, and we’re looking to our Monstercat family to welcome Silk fans with open arms - in addition to falling in love with the incredible, emotive music which will soon be released through our third brand. As our artists and fans become one global family, we hope that Silk enthusiasts may find new favourites in Uncaged and Instinct, while our Monstercat friends expand their horizons into the chill electronic universe that Silk has pioneered. 

You can expect plenty of fresh discoveries from Monstercat Silk as well! Subscribe to Monstercat Silk’s YouTube channel and follow us on social media to be first in the know on upcoming news and releases. 

Want more Silk now? RSVP to Monstercat Silk Sessions on mctv, airing every Saturday morning starting February 13th at 10:00am PT / 1:00pm ET. You’ll be treated to 2 hours of chillout, ambient, deep and progressive house with hosts Elevven + more.

Welcome to Monstercat Silk.

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