Max HeyraudBlame The Mono blur the lines between UK club culture and European techno, forging a sound that’s rich in detail, fractured rhythmic structures, and texture.
Blame The Mono have been pushing against conventional techno frameworks, marked by their idiosyncratic and creative way of manipulating vocals and interlocking rhythms, alongside a forward-thinking sonic palette and a distinctive approach to sound design—squeezing the life out of synths in the process. With releases on respected labels such as Molekül, Taapion, and VOXNØX, they represent a new generation of European producers expanding the boundaries of modern electronic music.
Their reputation has been reinforced through a strong physical presence, with recent vinyl releases consistently selling out and being repressed shortly after release. Projects such as Pulse Persisters (Molekül, 2025), Sample and Hold (Misguided, 2025), Riot Toys (Molekül, 2023), and Demons And The Ghost (VOXNØX, 2023) highlight a catalogue that continues to grow and showcases their depth as artists.
On the club front, Blame The Mono have steadily expanded their European footprint with stops at some of the continent’s most respected venues, such as Tresor Berlin, RSO Berlin, Kompass Klub Ghent, and Grelle Forelle Vienna, alongside a Manchester residency with HØL.
Now making their EP debut on RAW with their latest offering, Pace Refinery, Blame The Mono arrive at a defining point in their trajectory. The release sharpens their Franco-British identity into a focused, forward-looking statement, balancing high-impact club energy with refined sonic detail and reinforcing their position as one of the most inventive acts in contemporary European electronic music.
How have you both been doing creatively lately? What’s been inspiring you?
We’re super happy with the direction our music has been going recently. We’ve been listening to lots of speed garage, trancey hardhouse and this fresh wave of what we call Neogroove Techno. Our new batch of EPs for 2026 blends all these influences into something that we hope people will still recognise us in.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you guys?
Not gonna name drop here, but it usually starts with one of us arriving way earlier, the other being less of an early bird… Other than that, it sometimes feels like a long 12-hour day at the office! We have a rather slow workflow and give a lot of attention to details in our productions: now and then, it’s hard to clearly see the progress made on a track after a day in the studio.
During the production phase, we often work separately on tracks, then meet up to exchange ideas and opinions on what needs to be removed, modified or improved. The mixing phase is done with both of us present in the studio, as this is where having two pairs of ears can really help achieve a balanced mix.
It feels like the French scene is in a really strong place right now. How are you experiencing that from your perspective?
Despite being based in Berlin, a big share of our gigs over the last two years has been in France. This has made us notice how many amazing clubs the country has to offer, such as Macadam in Nantes or Kalt in Strasbourg, which are just as good as some more internationally known clubs. There is a strong club culture, amazing collectives (a particular shoutout to Brittany, which has a thriving party scene) and great sonic diversity in what producers and DJs have to offer.
Can you tell me something about the Pace Refinery EP? It’s a really compelling project. How are you feeling about it now that it’s out?
There are so many steps between the initial excitement you get in the studio when you know you are onto something and releasing a finished track. It’s the equivalent of converting a raw material into a finished product: this is why we came up with the idea of the studio being like a refinery. In this instance, the raw product we are working with is rhythm.
There’s a sense that the EP explores a slightly different direction sonically. Would you say that’s a fair assessment?
We are a product of the evolution of our scene, and of the new music we discover: in that sense, every release sounds like it’s taking a different direction from the previous one. In the case of this specific EP, maybe the more stripped-down approach on ‘’Skip The Line’’ or the synth work on ‘’Space Rocker makes the EP feel like it differs from what people are used to hearing from us. We think of it as a new chapter in our musical journey!
Your sound has always felt like a blend of different aesthetics and genres. Is that something you consciously aim for?
We get bored sticking to one style, so our productions have always blended genres and influences. It’s a game of musical quotation that we find often resonates with our listeners. When people approach us to excitedly discuss where we found such and such a sample and how they noticed this particular influence in one of our tracks, those are the moments that please us the most.
It also feels like the Blame The Mono project has never really played it safe. Would you agree with that?
We don’t restrain ourselves from taking a few risks, be it through an edgy sample choice or a breakbeat part in the middle of a track. But we still produce dancefloor music mostly built around a 4/4 beat, so compared to many more experimental artists, we are playing it pretty safe.
I know UK bass has been a big influence on your sound. What artists or movements from the UK are you listening to at the moment?
The aesthetics and spirit of UK electronic music have always been something we’ve been attracted to. There is something fun, unpretentious and irreverent about garage, dubstep or drum & bass that we really resonate with. Some timeless labels like Deep Medi Music or XL Recordings have a specific place in our hearts. When it comes to more recent releases, we’ve been playing many tracks released on Bristol-based ‘’Time Is Now’’.
Can you talk about your relationship with RAW? It feels like a very natural fit in terms of ethos and aesthetic.
We’ve been following them almost ever since they existed. We still remember listening on repeat to their First Blood Compilation released back in 2018 in the heyday of pre-COVID Industrial Techno. We attended their first parties and had released tracks on some of their VAs even before starting working with them on the booking side, so yes, it felt quite natural to put out an EP on the label after all this time! Their catalogue is very diverse yet remains qualitative, so it’s an honour to be part of that with a full EP, especially with a vinyl release.
Looking ahead, where do you see your sound evolving? What kind of imprint do you want to leave with your music?
We have no idea what our next tracks will sound like, and that’s what’s so exciting about it! The winter period is a moment when we usually take a break from producing to recharge our creative batteries. This means that we will be back in the studio working on some new ideas very soon, and we can’t wait to plunge back into the unknown!
The great aspect about releasing music is actually not knowing how other people connect with it. We don’t try to think about what kind of imprint it has because in most cases it will be completely different to our expectations. As long as people have fun listening to our tracks, that’s all that counts for us!
You can purchase and stream their Pace Refinery EP on RAW here.
