Miami-based DJ and producer m.O.N.R.O.E. joins EG ahead of the 2026 ADE Week Fundraiser, dedicated to the memory of Philipp Jung. The conversation reflects on Jung’s influence, the importance of supporting emerging artists, and the changing relationship between music and image in electronic culture.
Photo credit: m.O.N.R.O.E. – Instagram
For m.O.N.R.O.E., the connection with Philipp Jung goes back to the beginning of his career. At 22, with no established profile, he received support from Jung, who signed two of his releases after receiving his first email. That early encouragement remains central to how the producer remembers him.
Beyond the fundraiser, m.O.N.R.O.E. is developing his Miami event series Mass Signal, preparing releases for Dan Ghenacia’s SPASM label, and continuing to explore different musical directions through solo productions and collaborations.
In this conversation with EG, m.O.N.R.O.E. discusses his memories of Philipp Jung, his creative development, the evolution of Miami’s underground scene, and the projects shaping his next chapter.
EG: Jordan, welcome back to Electronic Groove. Where are you today, and what has life looked like around you lately?
m.O.N.R.O.E.: Thanks for the invite. I’m in Miami, and things have been going really well. I have my new event series, Mass Signal, at Sable, and some great releases coming up, including two on Dan Ghenacia’s new label, SPASM.
EG: This year’s ADE fundraiser is dedicated to Philipp Jung. When you think about Philipp, what memory or part of his personality stays with you most strongly?
m.O.N.R.O.E.: His positivity. He had a way of overlooking the bad, focusing on the good, and always staying silly. Philipp was an open-minded guy who wasn’t afraid to take risks musically.
EG: Some people in the room will have known Philipp personally, and others will only know why we have gathered. What do you hope those two groups can share through the music that night?
m.O.N.R.O.E.: I knew Philipp on a personal level, and one thing I’d want people to understand is the type of person he was. If he believed in someone, he would fully get behind them and support them. He didn’t care about image, following, or hype. He just liked the music.
When he met me, I was 22 and had no profile. He signed two of my releases off the first email I sent him and helped me start my career. There aren’t a lot of people like him left in dance music.
EG: Your releases in 2026 have moved through very different labels, collaborators, and musical contexts. Do you see them as one chapter, or are you deliberately allowing m.O.N.R.O.E. to become less predictable?
m.O.N.R.O.E.: I just make what inspires me or what I like. I’ve never been the type of person to stay in one lane, but I feel like I’ve been finding a really good groove lately.
EG: ‘Back To The Hip House’ reconnects with musical DNA that surrounded you long before you became a professional producer. When you return to those roots now, how do you keep memory from turning into nostalgia?
m.O.N.R.O.E.: I’ve always loved ’90s music. I took inspiration from things I’d heard in ’90s hip-hop, hip-house, and breaks, then worked those ideas and old samples into something new with an old-school feel, but in my own way.
“He didn’t care about image, following, or hype. He just liked the music”
EG: Collaboration has become an increasingly visible part of your work. What does another artist need to bring to a session before you are willing to give up some control and let the result become something neither of you would have made alone?
m.O.N.R.O.E.: A set of skills that complement mine. It could be so many things, like a good co-producer with direction or someone with really tight production chops. Everyone has a different superpower. When you have two producers who are good at different things, I think that can be a great combination for making a cool track.
EG: ‘Only For Tonight’ introduced your work to a much broader Defected audience. Did that experience change the way you think about scale and reach while still identifying with underground music?
m.O.N.R.O.E.: In some ways, but as I said, I just make what I like. I made that track with my friends Oden & Fatzo. It’s very different from my usual sound, but I had a lot of fun making it with them and recording different artists. I definitely realize now, more than ever, how much a vocal can connect with people and attract a much bigger audience.
EG: When we spoke in 2021, you told us that music should come first and social perception second. Five years later, do you feel the culture has moved any closer to that ideal, or further away from it?
m.O.N.R.O.E.: Further away every year… I don’t know what it’ll take for the new generation to catch on. They’d have so much more fun if they listened with their ears instead of their eyes. Or maybe they’re slowly starting to catch on. Ask me this question again in five years.
“I’ve reached certain levels of success, but I still feel like I have a long way to go”
EG: You have watched Miami change from inside the city rather than from the perspective of a visiting DJ. What part of Miami’s musical identity do you think outsiders still misunderstand?
m.O.N.R.O.E.: There’s a lot of cool stuff happening in Miami. Most people only see the big events, and that’s fine, but there are so many cool, small, intimate things happening all around the city that are fun and interesting. There’s Mad Radio, Dante’s HiFi, Sable, The Electric Pickle at Aero Squadron, Jolene, just to name a few.
When I was younger, Miami Beach was loaded with clubs, and around where Space is now, there used to be four or five after-hours clubs. Miami has actually become a lot more tame to me in many ways.
Recently, though, I’ve been seeing more clubs opening back up and more parties popping up, so maybe things are starting to go back to how they used to be. I’d like to hope so.
EG: You also told us years ago that producing music for other artists without your name attached became one of your most rewarding experiences. Has that work quietly changed the way you make records as m.O.N.R.O.E.?
m.O.N.R.O.E.: Yeah, it’s made me a better producer. It teaches you to work fast and have a clear direction for what the track is supposed to be.
EG: When you first committed your life to music, what did you imagine success would feel like? And what does success actually feel like to you now?
m.O.N.R.O.E.: I’ve reached certain levels of success, but I still feel like I have a long way to go. Or maybe that’s just what it always feels like.
EG: What are you building right now that gives us the clearest clue about where m.O.N.R.O.E. is heading next?
m.O.N.R.O.E.: My new event series, Mass Signal, and soon-to-be record label. I’ve been wanting to do this for some time, and I’ve finally been able to make it happen this year.
EG: Thanks for the time and for being part of our fundraiser!
m.O.N.R.O.E.: Thanks for having me, and I’ll see you guys out there!
The ADE Week Fundraiser 2026 is set for October 23rd at Duke of Tokyo in Amsterdam. Grab your tickets at EG Tix here.
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