Hamburg-born artist MONA MUR is known for her unique voice and intense live performance as well as for her soundtracks for games and movies.  In the 80s punk explosion, she hooked up with FM Einheit, Mark Chung, Alexander Hacke (“Einstürzende Neubauten”) and Gode B. to release the seminal 12 “Single “Jeszcze Polska” immediately claiming the “Single of the Week” slot of NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS. In a second MONA MUR BAND line-up, Gode B. and Chung dropped out, keyboardist Nikko Weidemann  Thomas Stern  and Siewert Johannsen joined the group. Together with sound engineer Raymond “Nainz” Watts. the band played acclaimed concerts in Europe (“Pandora’s Box” Festival Rotterdam, “One World Poetry” at Melkweg, Amsterdam, Schlachthof Bremen with Sonic Youth ) and Germany, did live sessions in German major radio stations and recorded underground anthems like “Eintagsfliegen”, “Snake” and “120 Tage”. They are particularly known for their unforgiving Brecht/Weill interpretations of “Surabaya Johnny” and “The Ballad of the Drowned Girl” in guitar tempests and morbid slow beat chic. Nonetheless, they disbanded in 1986. MONA MUR embarked on a solo carreer. Dieter Meier (“Yello”) became a supporter of her art, arranging for a production with Jean-Jaques Burnel and Dave Greenfield (“Stranglers”) in the UK for her first solo album “Mona Mur” (RCA 1988). It was also Dieter who brought Mona to Poland in 1989, where she met rockstar Grzegorz Ciechowski and top notch polish musicians to record the concept album “Warsaw”, featuring the 64-piece Warsaw Symphonc Orchestra.

In the 90s, Mona Mur travels frequently to India, deeply attracted by its unique culture and music. In Berlin, she meets up with keyboardist, drummer and medaevist Christian St. Claire, creating a bunch of spheric electronic art songs like the acclaimed “EDEN”. She starts studying the Martial Art of Taekwondo which she practises until today, achieving the 3rd DAN grade, being a member of the German National Team for two years.. Since 2007, Mona Mur has frequently toured the US, Canada and Europe together with EN ESCH of “KMFDM” fame with whom she released three albums. Another strong bond exists with lifelong artistic friend  photographer Ilse Ruppert who captured and helped create her iconic image.

In 1999 Mona joined the Computer Games industry as audio artist. In her Berlin KATANA STUDIO, she creates unique, eerie and haunting electronic music and sound FX for game titles such as “Kane & Lynch2: Dog Days” (EIDOS/SQUARE ENIX), “Velvet Assassin” (SoftPeak/UbiSoft Japan) or “Ballance” (ATARI USA/Japan). For her groundbreaking work on KL2, she was invited to GDC San Francisco 2012, EA DICE, Stockholm, MIGS Montreal, HTW University of Applied Sciences Berlin and many more.

Recent works include her solo albums “Snake Island”  (GIVE/TAKE 2022),  “Delinquent” (2019) written and produced with Ralf Goldkind (Lucilectric, Fantastische 4) featuring an illustrous host of guest musicians.  Another  core release:“Those Days Are Over” (2018), a collection of 15 Music Poems written by Miron Zownir  for Mona Mur who produced the soundscapes and her spoken word performance.  “Those Days…” have been performed in London, Glasgow and Berlin. In fall 2019, Mona was part of the successful concert show “Znikajace miasto – The Vanishing City” at the festival  “Łódź Czterech Kultur”. For Muffatwerk Munich, she produced  “Henker und Jäger – On Hate as Collective Obsession”. funded by German Ministry of Culture and Media MUSIKFONDS.  Moka Efti Orchestra from Babylon Berlin TV series has covered  the MONA MUR song “Snake” with singer Severija .

In recent years, Mona Mur engages in writing and producing music for directors such as Monika Treut ( “Genderation” ), Rudolph and Werner Herzog  (“Last Exit: Space” Discovery+/ARTE) and Elfi Mikesch (upcoming in 2024: “War or Peace” .  She has also started a collaboration with Berlin-based arthouse label Playloud! for a series of Vinyl reissues and a documentary movie “MONA MUR in Conversation” due fall 2024.

A collaboration with Xmal Deutschland frontwoman singer Anja Huwe with Mona Mur as producer, co-composer and musician on her  2024 solo album “Codes” has  resulted in a remarkable success.  “Codes” was released by Sacred Bones Records Brooklyn, NY, March 8th, 2024, stirring a lot of attention worldwide.

“Her dark, dramatic voice lets our blood flow backwards.”