Monaco

Monaco formed in Manchester in 1995, Peter Hook — bassist of Joy Division and New Order — and David Potts developing a sound that drew on the electronic dance music Hook had helped create with New Order while finding its own more melodic, song-based identity. Their music was immediately accessible — hook-driven, melodic, and built around Hook's distinctive bass playing.

'Music for Pleasure' (1997) was one of the most underrated British electronic albums of the decade — a record of genuine melodic charm that produced 'What Do You Want from Me?' and 'Sweet Lips'. It reached the UK top ten and earned strong reviews, but Monaco dissolved before a second album could be completed.

Monaco dissolved in 1999. Hook subsequently returned to New Order before forming Peter Hook & The Light to perform Joy Division and New Order material. Monaco are remembered as a charming and underrated footnote to the Manchester electronic music story — a project that produced one genuinely strong album and deserves wider recognition.