Monopolar began back in 2000 when Carlos “Mono” Ramírez and Humberto Polar joined forces as Bogota’s ‘La Sala Club’ owners and resident DJ.
Previously, Mono had had a successful career as techno/industrial DJ for over ten years while Polar had been an active jazz guitarist since the mid 80’s and later on put his musical skills into experimental electronic production along the 90’s becoming a well respected DJ in the northern South American circuit.
From making weekly back-to-back DJ sets, they moved on swiftly to produce their own tracks, which ended in producing their live act. Their experience as DJs led them to an instant dance floor ethos, but on top of that they decided to add a conceptual approach to their music: their Latin-American roots. Away from the clichés and the obvious sampling, their tracks are deeply rooted on the syncopated backbeat that defines the “Afro-Latino “ sound through a contemporary techno and house vocabulary.
Today the couple works mostly online. Mono is still a resident DJ at ‘La Sala’ and his sets have achieved an almost-mythical status among Bogotá club-goers. Polar moved to Mexico City in 2003, and since 2006 spends part of the year in Berlin producing the music they both produce. They get together to perform live.
Their 2008 schedule took them from Berlin to Dessau, from Buenos Aires and Caracas, to Lima and México city. They also performed showcases at Proton Radio (Los Angeles) and at Lexy & K-Paul’s ‘Komisch Elektronisch’. They’ve shared the stage with the likes of Noze, Samim, Richie Hawtin, Dinky, Josh Wink, Ambivalent, John Selway, Dan Curtin, Miss Kittin, David Carreta, Diego Ro-k, Alexi Delano amongst many others and they were selected for the Mutek Mexico 5th Anniversary edition to perform live. You can find their releases on Pantamuzik (their own label) and Evolved Records (London). Amongst Their 2009 first releases is a new EP on SoundSelective (Milano) with a Milly De Mori remix, and a new EP on Pantamuzik with remixes by Lexy and Miguel Toro.