OFFSónar x Siona Records

Miss Monique

Miss Monique is miss unique. A Ukrainian DJ, producer and label owner who’s a YouTube, clubland and streaming phenomenon, with over 200 million cumulative views and almost 800,000 monthly Spotify listeners. A trailblazing artist in the progress/melodic space with a huge online following hooked on her exquisitely crafted and produced livestreams – the most recent instalment of her filmed MiMo Podcast, number 042, a 70-minute Melodic Techno & House DJ Mix, had one million views within a month. A talent incubator and champion in her own right: this year Siona Records, Miss Monique’s home for other young progressive artists, celebrates its fifth anniversary. Her Siona Records 3rd Anniversary @ Ibiza mix, launched on YT in June 2022, has been viewed almost 19.5 million times. A fast-rising international performing phenom, drawing huge audiences from Argentina (4500 tickets sold for her last show in Rosario), to Canada (her 2022 set at Montreal’s Biosphere Museum for Cercle is also online, with five million views and counting), to Ibiza (multiple annual shows at multiple venues) to the US (she’s just been announced for Coachella 2024), to the UK – she’ll be appearing alongside CamelPhat at this summer’s Junction 2 festival in London, a show trailed by the honour of an upcoming Essential Mix for Pete Tong. "That's an honour, and I'm very nervous, of course!" she admits. "And very excited at the same time." And Miss Monique is a breakthrough recording artist who cut through in 2023. Building on the success of her 2022 remix of Sied van Riel's Rush (the most-sold progressive house track on Beatport that year), last year she remixed Sorry by BLOND:ISH featuring Madonna and Ringo by Lufthaus, Robbie Williams’s dance project with Tim Metcalfe and Flynn Francis. And she released three big singles of her own: Subterranean, The Morning After (with Paul Thomas) and City Boy. Those artist releases came via Adam Beyer’s techno label Drumcode and Armin Van Burren’s more trance-driven Armada. Factor in her proven ability to remix across the electronic spectrum and collaborate with producers and vocalists such as Avira and Luna (both on Subterranean), and it all speaks to another game-changing aspect of Miss Monique’s skillset: her effortless ability to shapeshift between genres and sounds. Little wonder that she recently signed to WME, and is a 2024 priority act for the powerhouse Los Angeles-based agency’s Electronic Division. This, then, is Miss Monique’s kaleidoscopic world. It’s a space where her signature green hair (an accidentally iconic look now much-copied by fans) is far from the only colour in the creative palette of an effervescent, positivity-promoting artist who prioritises good mental and physical health. Those ideas are also at the heart, sonically and metaphorically, of her epically uplifting, powerfully percussive latest track, Veselka. Long teased as the opener in her sets, the instrumental was finally released on Siona Records at the top of ’24. The translation of that Ukrainian word? Rainbow. "Veselka is the last track which was finished in my hometown Kyiv before I had to leave my country due to the war," explains Miss Monique, real name Olesia Arusha. "This track has pure energy, good vibes and is imprinted in my memory like a bright moment of peaceful times. I feel from our listeners they're excited to finally have the copy in their playlists.” It seems highly likely. As Progressive Astronaut noted in their rave review: “Veselka… has resulted [in] hands-in-the-air moments throughout her huge Christmas and New Year shows from Berlin to San Diego”. But beyond the facts, stats and hits, she’s something more. Born in the small town of Kirovograd and raised in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital where she cut her teeth as a teenage DJ, Lisbon-based Miss Monique is a reluctant artist-in-exile. She's using her music and her performances to spread messages of peace, unity, solidarity and joyful defiance. Two years after she was forced to leave her war-torn country, she’s proud that, wherever she travels in the world, her shows are as much about flags in the air as hands in the air. “This kind of support, it's incredible,” she says appreciatively of the fans, of multiple nationalities, who wave the Ukrainian flag at her gigs. “But at the beginning, it was very hard. You don't know how to control your feelings. I remember when the first time I saw the flag, it was in Israel. I ran away for a few seconds because it was very painful. “Now I'm more controlled in my emotions. But I'm very appreciative of everyone doing this, because that means that people still remember, even after two years. They're still trying to help us. The main thing is that they don't forget, and they show that every time they come.” Miss Monique’s emergence as a global talent came during the pandemic. She was already a big draw at home in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries, her profile hard-earned after a decade playing out and, way ahead of her peers, honing her YouTube artistry. But during the lockdowns her livestreamed sets from her home studio went viral. They were characterised by high production values, with Miss Monique’s natural, unforced decks-appeal radiating good vibes at a time when the world needed them most. Then, as restrictions eased, her profile rocketed as online fans around the world were finally able to see her live – by her estimation, in 2022 she and her close-knit team took some 200 flights to over 100 events. There, again, it’s important for her to be an ambassador not just for her country but for a better way of pursuing both artistry and fan satisfaction. For that reason, “I take care of my body as much as I can,” Miss Monique says. “Because I want to be fresh, young and healthy as long as possible.” And, of course, that clean-living and progressive mental attitude helps with a productivity that is as boundless as it is impressive. In 2024 she’ll be using her new global partnership with talent agency WME to expand the activities of Siona Records in promoting the new artists she and her team have discovered and are supporting. She’ll be touring wherever the music takes her. In the earliest weeks of the year alone those bookings include stops in Italy, Montreal, Andorra, Bali and Amsterdam with, down the line, slots on the Main Stage at Tomorrowland and the Carl Cox stage at Ultra Miami. There’s talk, too, of a fashion collaboration on her own capsule collection, with that signature look having drawn attention from various brands. And, after Veselka, she’ll be releasing multiple new tracks. “I’m always testing my new music in the clubs, because it's very important to me to first of all see how it's working, then I do some more edits. Only then do I release the music.” Somehow, amidst her performing schedule, she vows to “work harder on the production side of my own music. More collaborations with singers, some bigger artists…” Miss Monique, then, is excited for the year and opportunities ahead. It’s a role that’s fired by feelings that, compared to most of her peers are, inarguably, more meaningful, more important and more powerful. “If I have a party in two hours, but I’m reading in the news that Kyiv was just bombed again, I can sit and cry. But at the same time, I know that I have to turn off my feelings, and still bring the people happiness. Because I always try to make people happy.”

GENESI

Glowal

In a very short time Glowal have captivated the imaginations of electronic music lovers and influential tastemakers all over the world, establishing themselves as a dynamic, forward-thinking duo. With releases on Innervisions, Diynamic, TAU, Sapiens and many more, plus gigs across Europe, India and the Middle East they are in high demand, earning universal respect for their productions and sublime DJ performances. It’s only been a year but Glowal have already picked up a dedicated global following, which includes renowned selectors such as Dixon and Solomun. Hardworking, innately talented and full of passion for their craft, Glowal are making quite an impact. Born and raised in Italy, both Alessandro and Fabio were influenced by their older brothers. Alessandro’s brother was an event promoter in their hometown Pisa, he introduced young Alessandro to electronic music by taking him to his parties. Meanwhile, in Lecce, Fabio’s brother collected records and DJ’d at friends’ parties from time to time. Young Fabio fell in love with the electronic artists in his brother’s collection; Daft Punk, The Prodigy, Robert Miles... When they got old enough, the two men began experimenting with making and playing their own music. Glowal was born and hit the scene in 2018. Since then their reputation and status within the underground scene has grown rapidly, buoyed by releases like ‘Flowers On Tears’ [Siamese] and ‘Divisions Control’ [Atlant]. At the beginning of 2019, their breakthrough cut ‘Cries’ was released on Part 11 of Innervision’ highly respected Secret Weapons compilation. ‘Cries’ exemplifies the Glowal sound, rousing atmospherics, solemn yet catchy melodies and slick production with a very human core. It’s music designed to move your body, mind and soul. A few months after ‘Cries’ blazed its trail, the duo released their first full EP with Exit Strategy. The whole package was met with widespread respect and positivity, delivering the full Glowal experience across three distinct compositions. Meaningful vocals play a key role in Fabio and Alessandro’s productions, whether it’s clever storytelling or lyrics that relate to the world we’re living in. This vocal expression gives the music a deeper intention than simply moving the dancefloor. More recently their production exploits have included a stunning link up with Adana Twins for Diynamic’s Picture series. ‘My Computer’ went straight into the the No.1 position on Beatport’s Indie Dance charts when it was released and has been a staple of Solomun sets throughout most of 2019, causing mayhem at clubs and festivals all over the world and hailed by many as one of the tracks of the year. Following that, the duo released a four-track EP on Adana Twins’ TAU label. ‘A.I. Talk’ offered further insight into the Glowal’s world views, with the title track a particularly stark and succinct commentary on human’s destruction of their own habitat, planet Earth. They have also remixed the mighty Agoria and BOg & GHEIST, producing unforgettable reinterpretations that channel their penchant for lyrical content with their innate ability to craft earworm melodies and enchanting rhythms. Their latest release is ‘Pressure’ on Innervisions’ Secret Weapons Part 12. As DJs Glowal operate as one unit, using two pairs of headphones while selecting and playing the music together as opposed to a standard back-to-back. In working like they translate the symbiosis they experience in the studio to a live setting. For both men it’s important to work as a unified force, their ideas and creative energy merging as one to produce a scintillating performance. So far their gig schedule has included shows in London, Berlin, Moscow, Tel Aviv, Istanbul, Milan, Bangalore, Florence, Dubai and many other locations around the world. It’s been a whirlwind so far, but Glowal are only just getting started. Full of energy, ideas and passion, they are driving forward with the intention to keep building on the sterling reputation they have already established. Look out for lots more goodness from Glowal as they continue to deliver their unique sound to the dancefloors of the world...

Greenjack