In the wake of his debut album What About Love dropping just a few days ago via Laut & Luise, MONKyMAN is already proving why he’s the electronic pop force Berlin’s been quietly buzzing about— a producer who layers dreamy vocals and soulful atmospherics over jazzy keys and those subtle afro-inflected rhythms that pull you right into his world of raw self-discovery. Born in Stuttgart but forged in Namibia’s wide-open spaces, where he first hacked together beats on Fruity Loops at 14, the now-Berlin-based artist has racked up over 3.2 million Spotify streams in the last two years alone, all while hauling his gear to stages across South Africa, New York, Thailand, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Norway, Denmark, and Paris. He commanded crowds at Apple Tree Garden Festival alongside Biig Piig and Bombay Bicycle Club, then traded sets with techno titans like ARTBAT, Monolink, and K.I.Z. at Fusion Festival, his live energy channeling the eclectic spirits of André 3000, Frank Ocean, Sun Ra, Bob Marley, and Nina Simone into something that resonates deep for fans of Black Coffee‘s groove or Nicolas Jaar‘s haze. Kicking off with the stirring lead single ‘Hambelela‘—a percussive gem featuring Vaudeni‘s resonant Oshiwambo refrain that bowed on Electronic Groove—the record feels like a direct line to his roots, balancing hope and vulnerability in every bar. 

As MONKyMAN unpacks the inspirations behind it all in this conversation, it’s clear his chain-of-creation mindset isn’t just talk; it’s the spark lighting up electronic pop’s next chapter.

Those first beats on Fruity Loops back in Namibia at 14 sound like pure discovery—what’s the one loop or sound from back then that still sneaks into your tracks today?


What never left my repertoire are soothing and hopeful melodies. Also I’ve always been very specific about my snare or clap sounds. Those are getting special treatment ever since 🙂 



Berlin’s got that endless creative hum after coming from Stuttgart—how’s the city’s late-night spots feeding into your daily grind right now?

I’m pretty much over the whole Berlin night life adventure. It did influence my sound a lot when coming from Stuttgart back then but nowadays I feel less attracted to Berlin’s mainstream electronic scene. Rather I’m looking for a niche for myself to get comfortable in. Somewhere between live instrumental electronic band music, partly improvised by the musicians on stage. That excites me. 


Pulling from Frank Ocean’s intimacy to Sun Ra’s wild cosmos must keep things unpredictable—how do you let those influences collide in the studio without overthinking it?


Both artists are perfectionists and care sooo much about the impact of their sound and music. That’s what I love about their music. Sometimes we want it clean, sometimes we want chaos. Sometimes a clean chaos. I just like to think of music as an expression of self. Whatever wants to come out is welcome. Overthinking is a killer. But we all do it. 


With 3.2 million streams piling up and sets from Johannesburg to Jordan, what’s the wildest crowd reaction that’s replayed in your head since the album dropped?

The gig in Jordan was pretty special. I like playing with people on the same level when doing a solo live set. Like that I am part of the party.


‘Hambelela‘ hits differently with Vaudeni’s Oshiwambo lines cutting through that live percussion—how did linking up with her turn a simple homage to Namibia into something so alive on the page?

Honestly it went through so many stages. The demo beat, then some different vocal recordings with other artists but when I got her voice note with that young and innocent voice and her melody I had goosebumps. These are usually the signs that you’re onto something special.

Choosing ‘Hambelela‘ as the lead for What About Love feels spot-on for its raw praise vibe—what moment in the recording session sealed it as the album’s emotional anchor?

We decided at the very end to try it with ‘Hambelela‘. Each song speaks to a different audience I feel. But Hambelela just has this undeniably good feeling and energy to touch everyone somewhere you know. 

The record’s all about chasing light through the fog of self-doubt—did any late-night doubt during the making process actually sharpen those hopeful edges in the final mix?

It’s all so foggy I can’t even tell. But I am sure they did yeah.

That chain-of-creations idea you mentioned ties everything together, but digging into ‘Hambelela‘ specifically, what unexpected tool or accident flipped its organic groove into that resonant hook?

When making music, things just randomly happen all the time. It’s hard to pin down the moment. But I remember Vaudeni saying the word „hambelela“ and I said stop, what does that mean? She told me and I loved it so we looped the beat and created the melody. It’s about getting out of the way with the mind. You just freestyle and usually the first take or improvisation is the most potent one. 




Post-album haze settling in, if you had to remix one track from What About Love with just a thrift-store synth and a beach bonfire, which one’s calling your name and why?

I would go for „lil mystery / lil misery „. That one just speaks from my heart and is always a feeling I can relate to.

Stream What About Love LP:

Follow MONKyMAN:

Instagram – Facebook – Soundcloud – Youtube – Spotify