Ramsey Elkholy
Guitarist, Producer, Songwriter, and Anthropologist
Ramsey Elkholy is a guitarist, producer, songwriter, and anthropologist who fronts Monotronic, an indietronica collective he founded in 2016. Monotronic, according to Elkholy, is where instruments flow together as a single, unified source, emphasizing a collective, “tribal" approach to music-making where the group is prioritized over the individual.
He encourages each musician within Monotronic to contribute their own ideas, textures, and personality. The result: Music that feels organic, layered, unified, and collaborative rather than ego-driven packaged entertainment
Elkholy holds a PhD in Anthropology. He is the author of Being and Becoming: Embodiment and Experience Among the Orang Rimba of Sumatra, which explores the lives of tropical foragers in Indonesia and their relationship with their rainforest environment.
Blending Global Influences with Communal Creativity
Elkholy’s music is heavily influenced by his global perspective, shaped by extensive travel and cultural experiences across Asia, Southeast Asia, and India, as well as by his lifelong curiosity He spent 3 years backpacking around the world, studied Indian music in Calcutta, and conducted 2 years of anthropological research with the Orang Rimba tribe in Sumatra, Indonesia. According to Elkholy, he would fall asleep every night to the intense sounds of the forest, which he described as “truly an orchestra or cacophony of sounds and polyrhythms ”
A native New Yorker, he currently lives in Los Angeles, where he plays music and has converted his home garage into a recording studio.
Ramsey Elkholy Monotronic’s New Release
Monotronic recently released a new album, Waiting for You, along with music videos for the tracks “Looking Away,” “Everything Moves,” “Sun Song,” “Photograph,” and “Kettle Song.” The album features acclaimed bassist Mohini Dey on the track “Close Enough” and legendary drummer Omar Hakim (known for his work with Daft Punk and David Bowie), who performed drums across the record. Three of these videos premiered at #1 on VEVO.
The music video for ‘Everything Moves’ was filmed in an escape room in Los Angeles and features a fast-paced, high-energy style, while the music video for Kettle Song features K-pop dancers, Samurai warriors, and an oversized kettle drum that was also used in the latest Godzilla movie
The reviews have been positive about the genre-defying album that combines indie rock, pop, and indietronica with introspective lyrics and polished synth-heavy soundscapes, creating a reflective, atmospheric, and cohesive tone Tracks such as ‘Looking Away’ and ‘Everything Moves’ showcase a sophisticated and cinematic sound, according to one review
All of the songs on the album were written by Ramsey Elkholy, many while spending time on the beach in Tulum, Mexico
Monotronic’s Debut
After releasing their self-titled debut in 2019, Monotronic earned praise from respected outlets including Rolling Stone, Relix, Rock Cellar, and Hype Magazine. Over the years, Monotronic’s
rotating collective has brought together an exceptional roster of musicians who have performed or recorded with icons such as Daft Punk, Joe Jackson, Chic, Robert Randolph, The Spin Doctors, and Dweezil Zappa The band has energized crowds at renowned New York City venues and major festivals, including Disc Jam, Meeting of the Minds, and MUSEXPO. In the fall of 2025, they embarked on a sold-out US tour through Denver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and two dates in Texas
Critical Claim for Monotronic’s Music
The praise and recognition have continued for Ramsey Elkholy and Monotronic since their debut album After that release, Monotronic released the singles “Kids of Summer" and "Buy Yourself a Dream" (both music videos premiering at #1 on VEVO), followed by the singles "Just Another Day", "Livin' in a Lie", and "In Between" which featured Russel Graham on vocals, who plays keyboards for Nile Rogers This was followed by “Looking Away” - a four-track EP in late 2024.
“Kids of Summer,” which was originally released during the pandemic, was reworked, re-released four years later, and features Grammy-nominated drummer Omar Hakim. There was also an accompanying music video, a love letter to summers in New York City Filmed with a GoPro in Manhattan’s streets and parks, the video captures the city’s outdoor liveliness The video features skateboarders and breakdancers against the backdrop of Manhattan cityscapes and vivid psychedelic visuals, with Elkholy's dog Snookie riding a skateboard “Kids of Summer” debuted at #1 on VEVO’s Incoming Indie playlist.
When “In Between” was released, The Big Takeover Show wrote that “it’s a sure-fire summer hit. It's a neat blend of euphoric dance energy, pop awareness, indietronic groove, cultish vibe, and commercial potential, which means that it’s going to turn a few heads in all musical quarters ”
Rolling Stone wrote that “Looking Away” is a winning cocktail with festival potential The EP also includes a Tame Impala-inspired cover of ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World,’ the 80s classic by Tears for Fears,” wrote the magazine. Obscure Sound called the cover “stellar.”
Open Call Magazine wrote that “Looking Away” is proof that they [Elkholy and Monotronic] are only just getting started, referencing the band’s distinctive fusion of indie, electronic, and world music influences and its steady trajectory in both the underground and mainstream scenes
Another reviewer, music blog Wolf in a Suit, wrote that “Looking Away” is a song that “knows how to get you hooked from the moment you press that always enticing play button It hooks you in and never lets go, inviting you to press play over and over again, keeping the song on repeat and your imagination invested without any care at all.”
And B-Side Guys wrote that “What elevates ‘Looking Away’ beyond standard indie rock fare is its ability to maintain tension between movement and stasis, between escape and confrontation.
Like the desert setting of its accompanying video, the track finds power in negative space, allowing its themes of transition and transformation room to resonate.
“Looking Away” and two other tracks from the four-track EP in 2024 are on Montronic’s new album "Waiting for You", released in January 2026.