Monotronic was born from the creative vision of guitarist and producer Ramsey Elkholy, an artist whose sound is deeply shaped by travel, cultural immersion, and a lifelong curiosity about music beyond borders.

Elkholy’s influences stem largely from his extensive journeys throughout Asia and Southeast Asia. After spending two years backpacking around the world, including studying Indian music in Calcutta , he returned to Southeast Asia as a graduate student. There, he lived for two years among the Orang Rimba tribe in the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia.

This experience proved transformative.

Living within a “collective” or “tribal” society where community is valued above individuality and resources are shared — profoundly shaped Elkholy’s artistic philosophy. That ethos now lies at the heart of Monotronic.

Music as Collective Expression

Rather than positioning himself as the central creative force, Elkholy encourages each musician within Monotronic to contribute their own ideas, textures, and personality. The result is music that feels organic, layered, and unified — not driven by ego, but by collaboration.

As Elkholy explains:

“Monotronic is a concept, whereby each instrument can be heard as a continuation of the other and the music sounds as one distinct whole, emanating from a single source.”

It’s this philosophy blending global influences with communal creativity that gives Monotronic its distinctive identity.