Submitted By: bohemianrobot

Genre: House

Date of Set: Jan 2007

Filesize: 76.77 MB

Total Downloads: 12

From raving in the mid-nineties to DJing at sweat-soaked college parties full of cornhuskers out of their minds on every drug imaginable in downstate Illinois in the late nineties, to busting ass in the studio in the present day, it's always been a precarious mixture of fun and hard work for The Sound Republic (the partnership of John Mork and Frankie J. Monacella). actually it's probably mostly been fun. But those early years are a bit hazy and you can ask anyone: staying up for more than 24 hours straight is hard.

Coming from a diverse background of musical influences, both John and Frankie have had their hands in lots of different musical honeypots throughout the years. Frankie has enjoyed a long and hearty love affair with the breakbeat, and spent a good part of his DJing career pushing drum n bass in Chicago and out of speakers across the Midwest. This was followed by a short stint as being one of the original jocks in the U.S. to pick up on the UK Garage/2-step sound along with then-partner in crime DJ Casper. Both eventually tired of the UKG sound and found their ways back to drum n bass. All the while Mr. Mork was busy collecting and playing house music with nearly obsessive- compulsive tendencies, playing events all over the Midwest and generally concerning himself with all things that go bump.

Longtime friends and collaborators, John and Frankie had worked together on a few projects in the past, but things really started marinating for The Sound Republic project in the spring of 2004 when they started up the weekly night Swallow (at Sugar, Chicago) focusing on that quirky new-school brand of house music à la Jacob London, Lawnchair Generals, East Coast Boogiemen, Swirl People, and the like. It's exactly this forward-thinking, kind-of-weird, and definitely-jackin' sound that can be expected from John & Frankie's production.

This night eventually fizzled and gave birth to their new monthly 'Grizzled' at legendary Chicago nightspot Lava Lounge, a bang up night of new school house that has residents John, Frankie, and Bunchlox Music label owner Karl Almaria playing to capacity crowds alongside guest like Raoul Belmans of Swirl People, DJ Jonana, Guesthouse Music label boss DJ Mes, Olivier Desmet, and plenty more heavy hitters representing the new school US House Sound!

Now clocking long hours in the studio, the Sound Republic is working hard on making the tunes that not only they want to hear, but that set dancefloors off as well. With releases out and slated for release on such heavy hitting imprints as Guesthouse, Tango, Lowdown, Dae Recordings, Bunchlox, Jackin Tracks, and Guess Who? (under the alias Francis Jilla and Johnny Drama), The Sound Republic is primed to be a major name and make real waves in the house music community.