MONOKROMATIC

Born and raised in Ontario, Kevin McMorran II spent most of his formative years in rural Alliston, Ontario. It was there that he developed an urge to make art, picking up a paintbrush and aspiring at a very young age to a life as an artist. Those aspirations eventually led him on a different path, a musical path, one that has him performing his unique brand of EDM throughout southern Ontario, and releasing his debut EP as MONOKROMATIC.



While art may always have been Kevin’s initial interest, it wasn’t long before music overtook his artistic sensibilities. He was gifted his first DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) when he was just eight years old, and ultimately learned all of the popular digital audio applications, from Logic, to Ableton, to Pro Tools. Along the way, he also developed his musical chops, learning guitar, bass, drums, piano, saxophone, and also developing his vocal talents.



Kevin grew up on his parent’s music, whether it be Andrea Bocelli, the Stones, or The Eagles, but gradually he began to cultivate his own musical tastes, and carve out his own musical identity.



“My fascination with electronic music started when I was young. There were all these kids who had insane skills at playing their instruments. But I wanted to find something that nobody was doing and become good at that. I didn't want to be in the band, where everybody was trying to do something that’s already been done. I wanted something that would catch the listeners not just by their ears, but their heartstrings.”


His first doses of electronic music came through artists such as Outkast, Cosmic Gate, ATB, Tangerine Dream and Infected Mushroom, while simultaneously sifting through popular teen angst acts such as Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance and Billy Talent. But it was the music of Three Days Grace and The Used that was particularly affecting.



“They were my biggest influences. Their music got me through a lot of my trouble spots in life; they helped me channel my inner thoughts, emotions and how I looked at the world. Their lyrical content as well as distinct sound and hidden messages made me obsessed with that mentality of making music with more than one meaning, issue, or even political view.”

Kevin began DJing when he was just nine or 10, learning about mixing, EQs, and crossfading via an old version of Virtual DJ. He got his first USB Mixer shortly thereafter, and was soon playing techno, electronica, dance and house music for anyone who would listen. When dubstep emerged in the late 2000s, it became his obsession. And when Kevin heard Skrillex for the first time, it would change his life forever.



“I came across this video called First of the Year (Equinox) by Skrillex. I instantly became obsessed. It was different. It wasn't like the pop I heard on the radio or saw on MuchMusic. It was literally the birth of my music. I started fully making electronica, dubstep, and bass music, with alternative and metal influences. Skrillex literally made this world a reality to me.”
It’s his passion for so many different styles and genres of new music that led Kevin to dub himself MONOKROMATIC.

“My music today still has a lot to do with what I grew up on, and what I truly loved about music. Passionate and home hitting lyrics and complicated rhythms that make you bang your head and sink back into your emotions.”
Having played venues across the province over the past several years, 2016 is shaping up to be a crazy year for Kevin. He recently graduated from the Audio Production and Engineering Program at Metalworks Institute in Mississauga, where he was able to hone his recording, mixing and producing skills. He’s worked on numerous tracks for other artists, and now his debut EP is ready for launch. It promises to be a colourful future for MONOKROMATIC.