Silver Monk Time is both a tribute record to the German-American beat bandThe Monks and the soundtrack to the award winning film . The record was produced and compiled by the filmmakers Dietmar Post and Lucia Palacios. It was released in October 2006. The official record release was part of a major event at Berliner Volksbühne,. Play Loud! Productions not only premiered Monks: The Transatlantic Feedback but also invited renowned guest musicians to join The Monks on stage to what would be their first German live show after almost 40 years. The following guest musicians from Silver Monk Time took part: Mark E. Smith, The Raincoats, Peter Hein and Schorsch Kamerun.
Styles, concepts and reviews
The film Monks: The Transatlantic Feedback throughout its entire production process continuously encountered financial problems. Many people within the media thought of the Monks music as something not relevant. The creation of Silver Monk Time meant both a new financing concept for the film and a sort of musical experiment and/or maybe even demonstration. The title Silver Monk Time came about due to a rumor that after the release of Black Monk Time in May 1966 The Monks already had initiated work on what was supposed to be their second LP. One beat accompanied by one continuous feedback was supposed to have spread out on two LP sides that would be known by the title Silver Monk Time. For the new Silver Monk Time it was decided no to do a standard tribute record by just having the original songs covered. The participating 29 bands were explicitly asked to experiment with the Monks concept. Famous German electronic avant-garde band Mouse on Mars wrote in the detailed booklet to the record: "Mouse on Mars have tried to prove that after the deconstruction of the Monks their undeniable influence on 21st-century pop music has been proven. Rhythm, sound and melody grow together to a stream of lava on which the energy laden music surfs down into the valley of Dionysus by tearing down mirror balls like apples from trees." The Neue Zürcher Zeitung writes: „Künstlerisch ähnlich kreativ und unerschrocken wie die Monks stehen ihre Enkel für eine Form von Popmusik, in der es ästhetisch und musikalisch Gewagtes zu entdecken gilt, in der einmal das Unversöhnliche vor dem Selbstzufriedenen den Ton angibt“. The Village Voice is convinced that: "The Uberbeat goes on. Silver Monk Time buys us all some more hop time, finally!“ The Wire mentioned Silver Monk Time among the best compilation records of the year 2007: "Unlike many tribute projects that fall flat due to those involved being either overawed or ignorant of the original material, Silver Monk Time succeeds because the participants have taken the group's primitive rock surge as a template to experiment with. As a result the sound of The Monks is treated to a 21st century workout with synthesizers and beat tracks threaded through the original quartet's already way out psychotic minimalism“. The artwork to Silver Monk Time was created by Lucia Palacios and is based on the motif of the film poster by German painterDaniel Richter. There have also been two 7" single releases taken from Silver Monk Time: 1) "Monk Time" by Alec Empire and original Monks singer Gary Burger and "Higgle-dy Piggle-dy" by The Fall. 2) "Drunken Maria" by Gossip and "Monk Chant" by The Raincoats
