Monki played her first DJ set at the age of 17. Ten years later, Monki is not just one of the most in demand electronic music DJs in the country, she has stepped out from behind the decks to build a career which spans the worlds of music, sport and presenting.
This last year has seen Monki, real name Lucy Monkman, diversify and conquer more new territory than ever before. Having become highly respected as an electronic music tastemaker, she set up her own label & Friends in 2018, putting out releases from the likes of Big Miz, DART, Chambray and Vonda7. After stepping down from her popular Radio 1 show, which ran every week for 6 years, during summer 2019 Monki embarked on a new fortnightly radio show with Defected which is downloaded in its millions worldwide.
Gigs on all corners of the world mean that Monki isn’t always in one place for long; her schedule spans the US, Europe, Asia and Australia throughout the year, along with phenomenal annual Ibiza seasons. She has been a regular fixture at some of this country’s most iconic clubs, including fabric, Sub Club, The Warehouse Project and the late great Plastic People. Appearances on the main stage at festivals like Sonar, Defected Croatia, Snowbombing and Annie Mac’s Lost And Found and California’s HARD Summer are yet more regular bookings.
Monki developed a passion for dance music from an early age (sparked by her mum’s love of listening to the Chemical Brothers and 808 State and Prodigy in the kitchen at their South London home when she was growing up).
She cut her teeth in the world of pirate radio, it was while interning at Rinse FM that Monki’s ear for spotting underground talent soon meant she was offered her first show. That early morning Thursday show turned into a weekly prime time Saturday slot, before she was poached by 1Xtra and eventually Radio 1.
As well as releasing on her own imprint, Monki has also dropped tracks via respected labels such as Defected, which released her ‘Electricity’ EP, while Jamie Jones’s label Hottrax will see the release of ‘I Woke Up’ in November this year. Monki’s debut release on Toolroom is expected in February 2020.
Spotting and championing up-and-coming artists is integral to Monki’s daily life, and she channels that not only through her DJing career and radio shows but by acting as an A&R for Atlantic Records, the prestigious label which represents the likes of Stormzy and Ed Sheeran.
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