breaking through the underground

I returned from the bar on my third occasion in a row having bought a round. I was of course chastised for not being able to carry more than three pints in my ‘kiddie hands’ as Bertie called them. I was able to manoeuvre myself to get a seat that allowed me to face mONKEYs fOREHEAd. From this position I turned on the tape recorder and just hoped it would pick up the pure, unadulterated brilliance in vocal form that I was about to transfer to cassette tape.

“So what does the future hold for mONKEYs fOREHEAd?” I sat and waited for Bertie to complete the lengthy draw on his cigarette.

“Dunno” he answered.

“What did you say?” asked Skinny Boy who was attempting to breathe out smoke without it going in his eyes by slightly tilting his head. Bertie stubbed out his cigarette and glugged about a third of his pint. He let out a loud and somewhat impressive belch and then leaned forward.

“If mONKEYs fOREHEAd had the same level of motivation we have as both talent and drive we would be pushing for the stars. However, as with any creative’s you sometimes find your self stuck looking at the stars when you should be walking among them…as stars. You know what I mean?” I sat in disbelief. This guy could inspire the most inspirational.

“What did he say?” added Skinny Boy.

“Do you ever see yourselves as stars in the public eye? Breaking through the underground,” I asked. Bertie lit another cigarette and paused in thought.

“Our creations aren’t born, they are created. We can sit staring at a screen for hours and then Skinny will just play a couple of notes at the high end of the keyboard, coz that’s the end he usually sits at. Then I will do like a bass line at the low end of the keyboard. Coz that’s the end I sit at. It will then just melt together and perfection will form. A creation will be born”. Again, Bertie drifted off and I sat feeling as though I had missed another crucial moment to explore this mind. He could pull quotes from the air like God created stars.

Unperturbed I pushed for more information regarding a solo project of his called monism2000 and the six-track ep he created. So, I asked, where did monism2000 begin?