| Description: | To describe Robert Henke's influence on contemporary electronic music as incalculable might seem hyperbolic but, in fact, it's hardly an exaggeration. While his Monolake recordings alone have exerted a huge impact upon experimental electronic music's evolution over the past decade, the impact of Ableton Live, the music production software created by Henke and one-time Monolake member (and now Ableton CEO) Gerhard Behles, has been profound; not only has it become the software of choice for digital music-makers everywhere, it's also, by Henke's own reckoning, the most successful commercial music software today.
Even so, any appreciation of Henke's contributions, whether it focuses on the body of work issued under his real name or Monolake, must contend with the encompassing scope of his output. Perhaps the best way to grapple with the largesse is to address separately Henke's still-growing discography and his multiple non-recording projects. The risk in doing so is that it misleadingly suggests that the two can be bifurcated when, in fact, the two strands continuously intertwine and, even more importantly, nourish each other: Henke's programming innovations and interactive installations naturally help catalyze the ever-evolving Monolake sound, while the group experiences bolster Henke's engagement with his non-recording endeavours (or, to use Henke's own words, Technology fuels inspiration. Art inspires technological development). Without question, Henke's involvement in the creation and design of Ableton Live has influenced dramatically Monolake's development. (It bears mentioning too that, while Henke is Monolake's guiding force, the group initially included Behles, and T++ [real name Torsten Proefrock] contributed to both Cinemascope and Polygon Cities). |