For years, New York-born street artist Alec Monopoly’s irreverent and socially conscious depictions of Richie Ritch and the Monopoly Man have appeared on the streets of major cities, in posh galleries, and on the walls of celebrity homes worldwide. However, his blend of pop art and graffiti techniques is only one facet of his creative signature. He’s also a rising star in the DJ world who brilliantly blends a diverse sound palette with live art. A favorite of acts like Solardo and Sofi Tukker, he’s recently brought his sounds to Ibiza, Hong Kong, Mykonos, and Las Vegas, and now he’s taking over The Convergence on Saturday, September 2, at Electric Zoo Hyperspace.
Alec often pulls double duty, providing custom art pieces for festivals while rocking the crowd. When we caught up with him recently, he remained cryptic about whether we’d see any of his famous Richie’s around EZoo. However, he did reveal his thoughts on how music can be elevated with art, why dance music has always been a haven for future-forward visual creativity, and what excites him about the future of dance music.
You’ve said that you’ve had a thrill working on street graffiti. How does the thrill of DJing for a crowd compare?
You can’t compare two different crowds, especially when live. The thrill of music is that you can see everyone’s reaction and feel their energy through yours and the music. With art, the thrill is to see the final result and for the crowd to take a step back and appreciate the vision come to life.
Your mom was the person that initially got you into art. Was there someone or somewhere in particular that inspired you to bring music into the equation?
Music and art go hand-in-hand. Music is an art, and it’s inspirational while creating my pieces. It’s another form of inspiring myself.
You often bring graffiti and DJing together on stage. How does that heighten the experience both as a curator and a visual artist?
Both heighten everything by bringing a story together visually and musically. It brings fans to experience where my mind is and the vibe I want to bring to the moment.
Dance music and visual art have always been synonymous, whether through flyer art, visuals, or art installations at festivals and events. What is it about dance music that inspires such future-forward visual art?
The beats and rhythm of the music bring a different essence. Music brings colors to life, just like art.
New York is home for you. How do you see yourself bringing some New York flava to your EZoo performance?
When in NY, it’s a different energy that the fans bring out of me, and that’s what they can expect. It’s being home and in a creative comfort zone of creativity.
You’re on the musical lineup, but we have to know if there will be a visual element to your performance or if there will be any Richie’s on Randall’s Island?
You have to check and see what will combine!
What excites you about the future of dance music?
The genre is coming back and growing because it’s free music and rhythm. Everyone right now wants to feel open and themselves, and dance music makes them feel liberated.
