Hollis P. Monroe
Hollis P. Monroe
Born a child of Hip Hop, Hollis P. Monroe explored every facet of the then developing culture. Starting out as a casual observer, he quickly became a contributor through break-dancing, djing, rhyming and tagging. Always searching for other artistic outlets, he found what would eventually lead to his true and final calling: beat making. During his high school years, Hollis was formally introduced to [a=Prince] via a friend's copy of "Sign O' The Times" and it changed his musical perspective forever. He became inspired to play his own self-taught chords and melodies along with the samples he used in his Hip Hop productions. From that point on, Hollis consumed a strict diet of Hip Hop and [a=Prince] and expelled a weird hybrid music which became the foundation for everything he does musically today.
In college, Hollis was reintroduced to electronic music (which he vaguely remembered from his break-dancing days) and began experimenting with a formula to combine the mechanics of electronica with the organics of his style. Aided by his friend, musical counterpart, and business partner Kyle Odum, they started a demo production company called [l=Renaissance Infinity Recordings] which eventually evolved into a small record label. On this label, they would release their own tracks to gain exposure and make an attempt at music as a career. Renaissance Infinity's release of "The Stupid Def EP" marked a turning point where lifelong dreams of success seemed to be within reach. Recorded under his early turntablist pseudonym, [a=DJ Decent], it was Hollis's tribute to his B-boy beginnings. This very diverse collection of breakbeat-laced tracks received very favorable reviews from magazines such as XLR8R, Urb, and DJ. It also received high acclaim from individuals including [a=Keoki] and [a=Alex Gifford] (from the [a=Propellerheads]) who listed "Reflex Speed" in his top nine all-time favorite records on the internet magazine Ultra. This particular track from the EP, is frequently noted as a standout on DJ Icey's mix CD "The Funky Breaks" to which it was licensed. Avoiding the typical pigeon hole effect, "R.I." followed "Stupid Def" with a deep house-influenced track called "I'm Lonely". Completed in approximately three hours, this was the unexpected result of Hollis's mood during a solo recording session at home. Only available as a promo with no credit given or taken, it was destined to become an underground classic. Judged only on the merits of Hollis's chords, melody, bassline and use of a vocal sample by [a=Terence Trent D'arby], it was quickly added to the charts and playlists of many notables such as [a=DJ Sneak], [a=Kenny Dixon Jr.], and [a=Manny Ward] to name a few. Eventually, it's underproduced yet mysteriously complete sound reached the ears of [l=Stickman Records], who licensed it and immediately used their resources to take things to the next level.... The end result: licensing to an unheard of 7 labels around the world, 11 remixes, over 60 appearances on CD compilations, a video, and recognition as an instant classic.
http://www.myspace.com/hollispmonroemusic
http://www.tigerhook.com
http://www.pmonroe.com