[munk]

Go! has sung the praises of local artist Munk ever since we heard his CD ''Anime Sweetheart,'' overflowing with dizzy beats and hooks. Arbiter of cool that we are, we saw others jumping on the bandwagon, and buzz began to build. He crafts his music with intelligence and panache. Can superstar status be far behind? - Boston Globe

I am in love with Munk. I pop this CD in my player and it hasn't left since. His stuff is madly addictive. Before you know it, you’ll be skipping work to listen to Munk. Not long afterward, you’ll start shooting up Munk in the bathroom. No really, it’s that good. A perfect blend of irony and just plain kick ass rock & roll. The pace changes with every
song, keeping you glued to your earphones until the end of
the album. Never a dull moment, I swear! It’s the kind of music that simply oozes coolness. - The Noise

"[munk] is living proof that a man with the right amount of moxie can go very far".

[munk] is a Boston recording artist who does everything his own way, a strategy that is paying off. His songs, combining elements of rock and electronic sounds, have been featured on episodes of nationally broadcast television shows such as The Sopranos, Charmed, One Life To Live, as well as a spin on The Howard Stern Show. He also composes music for MMP games like Dungeons & Dragons Online and Lord Of The Rings Online.

"I’m most proud of my publishing deal and getting my music on TV on a regular basis," [munk] said. "You’re never really sure what the touchstone is, if what you’re doing is valid. You just do what you do for yourself, first and foremost, and try not to focus on pleasing everyone else. When, after years of anonymity, you suddenly start to see these music supervisors coming out of the woodwork, and they think what you’re doing is cool enough to back up all this big league stuff, it makes you feel good."

Getting royalty checks for his songs is becoming routine. "Last quarters check was the biggest one I’ve seen yet. My jaw hit the ground when I opened it. I had 46 placements last quarter, which was a huge jump for me. I’m working to continue this kind of exponential progress but in my head, I’m still a beginner—I’ve only been at the publishing game for a few years."

Receiving local radio play on WFNX, WAAF, and WBCN, as well as national airplay on over 100 college stations, [munk] has played many high profile gigs in the Boston area. In 2002 [munk] played at the WFNX/Phoenix Best Music Poll and The WBCN Rumble. He also performed at NEMO Music Conference showcases three years in a row. "I take each one as it comes. I never expect to be invited.”

His first solo album in 2001 "Anime Sweetheart" found him working without a band for the first time after playing out for years in a group. “The band that I had right before I did ‘Anime’ were offered a deal with a well established indie who had distribution and radio promo through a major. We spent six months in negotiation for that deal, which at the end of the day was simply a terrible, boilerplate label deal. We declined and all the lost momentum and downtime spent in negotiating this thing destroyed the band. My only experiences with labels were negative up until that point so doing the solo thing was like throwing my hands in the air and just saying, ‘Fuck it!’ I was going to try it my way on my terms and things got better. I honestly never expected that path would take me to doing what I am now. "

[munk] did increase his name recognition by changing his strategies, altering his creative process to an uncompromising vision and becoming more independent. "I finally didn’t care any more and it was liberating. I spent a lot of time when I was in bands caring about what other people thought, trying to live up to expectations, trying to keep my ear on the radio, doing a lot of anticipating and not doing a lot of the soul searching that needed to be done to write lyrics that meant anything of a personal nature. I took a big leap in cutting myself off from the ‘get signed game’ that I really didn’t realize I was doing at the time. It created more sincere, fulfilling music.”

His second release, 2003’s "Severed", marked a departure from his electronic/breakbeats flavored solo debut. "’Anime Sweetheart’ was more about celebrations. I was in a good mood. After that, my personal life took a dive. ‘Severed’ became more of an outlet for a lot of negative feelings, becoming a full on aggressive rock record. ‘Severed’ was essentially me throwing a fit. I was in the middle of a divorce. I had just been in a really terrible car accident (more about this later). I was reacting on autopilot. The music on ‘Severed’ was all the things I really wanted to express, musically and lyrically and could not intelligently verbalize as I was living the experiences.”

The songs "If I" and “You Will Know” earned recognition. Billboard Magazine said it features "the talent and dedication it takes to write a hit song." “If I” came about while contemplating divorce. "It was early on when my marriage was deteriorating. I knew at that point that the best thing was probably to leave, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. ‘You Will Know’ was for my son. I was projecting forward, writing a note to him from this point in time, letting him know how much I love him, it wasn’t his fault and hopefully in the future he’ll truly know."

On "The Lies We Tell", [munk] seems to be saying that everybody is a liar but a closer examination reveals a deeper meaning. "I think that everybody has a self-portrait, and I think the self-portrait and reality are skewed," he explained. "To what extent depends on the person and their character and their upbringing and their morals. But we tell a story from the perspective we’d like other people to see. Sometimes we do it consciously, and it’s really exaggerated. Sometimes it’s just our subconscious coloring and editing perspective."

The song "Scarification (Hurt Me More)" was the Buzzcut on WBCN for 4 weeks. [munk] was coy about the lyrics. "I can’t tell you who I wrote it about. The song makes an analogy to the act of scarification. That word never actually appears in the song. It’s about when you know that something is bad for you and you just keep doing it to yourself over and over again. You get some kind of perverse intimacy out of doing it on a primal level. You know it’s wrong. You know it’s bad. You know it’s actually hurting you, but somehow you’re at such a low point you’re just connecting to it."

An experienced producer, [munk] recorded "Severed" on his laptop at home. Where “Anime Sweetheart” was a ‘one man band’, he opened the floor on “Severed”’ to his backing band, Dave Rangel on bass, Troy Velazquez on drums, and Fil Pacino on guitar. "Those guys are just pros who have been around the block a few times. They’re so solid. This band never rehearses. They just know the material cold, and never cease to surprise on a gig. Dave was in the uber popular, early 90’s Boston funk band Chucklehead for years. Troy had been on the road abroad and plays with everybody (and was the drummer for super-G). I didn’t start this with the intention of having a band again and just wanted hired guns. We became a band in spite of that as we bonded—these guys became some of my best friends.

"[munk]’s vice might be his own intelligence. "I over think things a lot. I think I was getting in my own way. When I reach a creative resolve and set myself on a path, things start coming together. I want to do so much musically that when I set out on a project I trip a few times before I get it right"

[munk]’s next release, titled “Modest Among The Living” is slated for 2007. [munk] said he’s trying to stretch himself once again to come up with something fresh. "I’m taking a bit of a left turn again. I’m not anywhere near as angry as I was on ‘Severed,’ though it’s still a rock record. ‘Modest…’ is a lot more pensive, moody and reflective."

Of remarkable note is [munk]’s rehabilitation after his near fatal auto accident on Father’s Day in June 2003, just after sessions for “Severed” were completed. "I was on Long Island visiting my mother and I was driving home from a friend’s house at about 1:30 in the morning on a small, dark backroad, driving kinda slow to avoid all the deer in that area. A very drunk kid came screaming around a bend in a Mercedes and hit me head on. Without going into the gory details of the injuries he basically broke both of my legs and put me in a wheelchair for four months."

[munk] had to cancel his summer gigs but came back to perform at the 2003 Nemo Conference at Boston’s Hard Rock Café. "I was being pushed to cancel that one too, but I absolutely refused to. This drunk kid had taken enough from me and I wasn’t about to let him have that show too.” [munk] performed just five days after getting out of the wheelchair. “ I was completely focused on just biting my lip through the pain and trying to mask it and praying I wouldn’t topple over."

Physical therapy and willpower have made all the difference for this resolute local recording artist. Accomplishing musical goals, in spite of huge obstacles, have made a big difference in his career. [munk] is living proof that a man with the right amount of moxie can go very far. - Skope Magazine

“Modest Among the Living,” has a “unique blending of lyrical resonance with the soft, vibrantly fluid flow of his music. The Alternative genre finds a touch of spirituality in the subtle beauty of his music, like a lively orchestra wrenching at your heartstrings while [munk]'s calmly passionate words reverberate a sense of understanding and recognition into your soul.” - Aced Magazine

Usually when an artist has penned music for a variety of TV shows and video games, it means that they're quite musically versatile. As evidenced by the 2008 release, ‘Modest Among the Living,' the gentleman who goes simply by the moniker of [munk] is up for a challenge of genre jumping any day of the week... pretty darn impressive how many different styles of music [munk] takes in on ‘Modest Among the Living.'

Case in point, the album opening "Dirty Work" comes off part pop/part Nine Inch Nails (the vocals especially sound Reznor-like), while "30 Days" is Beatles-esque, "Brush Against Me" is any emo boy's dream, "Awake and Waiting" is a sweet ballad, and "Superheroes" is a Moby-like dance rocker.

With popular music becoming increasingly predictable circa the early 21st century, the arrival of a ‘hard to pin down to a single genre' artist like [munk] is certainly a welcome one. - All Music Guide

Second chances are rare, but exciting. After a near-fatal car accident, Munk is back from the dead (metaphorically speaking) with “Modest Among The Living;” a Swing-Pop/ Alternative Rock opus complete with crooning/raspy vocals and smooth guitar work.

Heavy without going overboard, and poppy without leaving that sugarless aftertaste in your mouth, “Modest Among The Living” is so much more than a mere come-back album.

Starting with “Dirty Work,” a classic Pop/Rock banger, and swinging into piano-driven rocker “30 Days,” “Modest Among The Living” starts with a bang. The album flows into “I Am,” a flutter, electronic-influenced slow jam. This song is as innovative as it is ambient; slightly influenced by fellow East-coasters God Lives Underwater, and flows into electro-ballad “Awake and Waiting.”

- Chicks With Guns

In the early part of the decade, Boston-based independent musician Munk spent several years trying to promote tracks from his two albums
through traditional PR and college radio. In 2004, he sold scarcely 100 single downloads, according to a CD Baby digital sales report. That number reached 2,500 in 2005, and by the
end of 2007, after not releasing an album since 2003, his paid downloads totaled more than 12,000. Munk has now also found success with publishing deals, and he is unequivocal about how he gained exposure: “I know that it was
all driven by podcast plays,” he says.

Indeed, while the media attention devoted to podcasts in 2005 and 2006 may have waned, Munk is one of many musicians and companies
finding that the opportunities around them are steadily growing. - Billboard (5/08)

[munk] Is Back...
His new CD, Severed, just hit stores, and if you haven't bought it yet you're obviously not one of the cool kids. Chances are you've heard the hit track, “Scarification” on WBCN and loved it. The guy can sing, write, and play guitar like a bull that just did away with a pussy matador. Get in line now, cause he's
serving up some highly addictive songs that feature an
aggressive sound, yet are still intricate enough to be
appreciated by listeners who prefer other genres. It's rock at
its finest. This release party is sure to be hot so show up and
avoid being the knave who hears about it the next day. - The Weekly Dig

Munk has a complete game. The album sounds great, it looks great and Munk's writing is strong enough for each track to have an identity. Munk's spiffy superhuman ability: production. He cooked up this entire disc on a Mac laptop in his house, and it
sounds lovely. His material crackles out of the speakers. Guitar and drums are perfectly integrated into the mix, while retaining their inherent nastiness. The mix is perfect, and there's no dross: everything's good. Mixing a home-studio CD to this
production level is no joke. There's not a major-label studio in LA that could have done any better... progressively more
memorable as it goes, and that's from a strong start. - Northeast Performer