Premiere: Soul Clap Remixes Nick Monaco’s “Physical Therapy”
We learn about the labelmates’ naked tendencies
Nick Monaco likes to bare it all, but it’s been a journey. His first EP was titled Naked is My Nature, and now he’s set to release his full-length Half Naked on 10 June, on Soul Clap and Wolf + Lamb’s new-ish collaborative label Crew Love (the two groups officially joined forces this past February). Monaco’s new single “Physical Therapy” is slick, groovy but refreshingly not over-produced. Monaco’s voice has a gravelly edge to it, and the staggered, stumbling guitars add a sense of off-kilterness. Premiering on CH today, Soul Clap enhances this gritty DIY house feel in their remix of “Physical Therapy,” furthering its dance floor potential but sustains Monaco’s intimate intentions.
“They are my brothers in arms; it’s under their guidance early on that I’ve been able to strip off the figurative layers and be me,” Monaco tells CH about working with Soul Clap for such a long time (they released Naked is My Nature). “And since we’re talking about naked encounters let me just say that Charlie [Levine of Soul Clap] has mastered the art of tanning—he’s the baron of bronzer, a loyal tanning buddy. We’ve shared many half-naked moments tanning throughout the years. I’ve spearheaded the fully nude tan and he’s followed suit, which makes for an even tan and an even tighter friendship.” Adds Levine: “Nick Monaco is a true indigo child. He’s proof of a hopeful tomorrow… It took a few years before Nick got half-naked, but the day was very clear in the memory banks. There was a Playboy playmate named Sara Jean Underwood who did a series of naked yoga videos and Nick took it upon himself to do a spoof. He sent that out to our Crew Love collective email thread and had everybody in stitches! Nick really takes ‘Free Your Mind… And Your Ass Will Follow’ to a higher level!”
Nick Monaco is touring throughout Asia for the month of May and a digital pre-order for Half-Naked is available on iTunes and Google Play. With the upcoming album, he’s working with a young perfumer from Thailand to develop the Half Naked fragrance line: each track on the album will have its own inspired scent so you can smell along with the lyrics. Also we highly recommend browsing around Crew Love’s webshop—they have $5 specialty hot sauce made in Jamaica as well as Monaco’s Freak Flag lipstick (with all profits donated to the non-profit Jim Collins Foundation, which funds gender-affirmation surgeries).
Images courtesy of the artist
