Suzi Analogue and Tokimonsta Unearth Their Analogue Monsta Album, Boom

Back in 2011, when Suzi Analogue and Tokimonsta released their project Boom under the moniker Analogue Monsta, they couldn't have imagined that their lives would soon bring them international touring, a professorship, and a Grammy nomination.

"During this last decade, you can see a palpable change in the music industry, Tokimonsta (AKA Jennifer Lee) tells New Times over Zoom. "POC women in electronic music and hip-hop are very few. In many ways, when we started, Boom was a smaller release because no one really believed in us. We didn't sign it to anything big, but now, people want to hear from us, which is very positive."

Now, that small release has been remastered and set for release on Friday, December 8, via Young Art Records.

Analogue Monsta's genesis began in the late aughts when Lee and Suzi Analogue (AKA Maya Shipman) were already touring artists. The two met online in 2008 as they shared music.

"I met your beats first before I met you as a human," Shipman, who is based in Miami, tells Lee over Zoom.

"That's right — internet friends," Lee adds.

"We joined Bonobo's Black Sands Tour, and we were in the car and got to play a lot of music together, and we found a similarity," Shipman continues. "We felt like we were onto something new, and that's when we pushed the album."

Shipman described those early days as a vibe, playing on the computer and making music as if your collaborator was in the same room as you. Analogue Monsta's first release was 2010's Analogue Monsta Mixtape, followed by Boom in 2011, released via Proved Records.

"There was SoundCloud, but it was raw and unadulterated. People would use it to check out profiles every day and be super happy to hear a new edit or flip," Shipman explains.

Though Boom has been available to listen to on YouTube, Lee and Shipman decided to remaster the album and upload it to streaming platforms through Lee's Young Art Records.
The music found on Boom is less volatile than the kind of dubstep that was emerging around its release and less polished than the EDM style taking over in the 2010s. The music blends Shipman's luscious, angelic vocals with off-kilter beats produced by the pair. Ultimately, Boom feels like two young women making music on the fly in their bedroom without a plan — and that's a good thing.

The pair have already released the remastered versions of "Time To" and "Conversion Theory." The former is a balmy, sun-drunk song with a Western twang and bouncy percussion as Shipman sings, "You make me reevaluate who I give my time to/Who I give my time to." "Conversion Theory" keeps a similar breezy flair and a percussive breakdown in a similar style to Flying Lotus circa 2011.

"It's always a pleasure to blend with Toki," Shipman says. "It's always a vibe, and we don't overthink things. I was providing songwriting and vocals, but we were both providing a beat maker's perspective — 'This bangs. This should go here. This is something people will like.'"

"The perspective of having Suzi understand how to make beats fits with the vocal writing in a very specific way," Lee adds.

"It was a natural algorithm," Shipman continues.

Lee notes that over the years, they had thought about re-releasing Boom, but it wasn't until 2023 that they had the time to take on the project.

"It's a whole decade behind us, but it feels like the music we made ten years ago kinda matches up with the current climate of music consumption and taste," Lee says. "There are fewer barriers to entry now with Gen Z'ers and millennials making it feel like there is such an open approach to music."

Ultimately, Lee and Shipman hope the project will pique new and younger listeners' interest in making music.

After the release of Boom, Lee is taking a break from touring to work on her upcoming album. Meanwhile, Shipman is hosting a party for her record label, Never Normal Records, during Miami Art Week on Saturday, December 9. Still, Shipman isn't dismissing the idea of an Analogue Monsta show in Miami in the future.

With Analogue Monsta reissuing Boom, it would be easy for the pair to get lost in nostalgia, but for Shipman and Lee, the future is now.

"Time is a construct," Lee says. "In many ways, I feel like we have more experience now and are smarter. We can use the last ten years to tell and teach people to be creative. It wasn't an easy path, so I'm really proud. I want to see amazing new music heard by all."

Shipman adds, "I'm a music professor now; I teach beat making. It's funny, we never went to each other and said, 'Hey, I'm going to start this.' No, we saw the need for something brand new. I'm honored to do this work. I'm glad we found each other and chose this path. It's bringing hope to the world."