Fresh from a landmark year that saw him tick off his first-ever US tour along with continuing his shift into darker, more weight-driven territory, Monrroe is in a reflective yet forward-looking headspace. Long celebrated for his emotive liquid roots and now equally revered for his deep, techy edge, the Shogun Audio mainstay has spent the past 12 months testing his sound in new environments, reconnecting with his origins, and laying the groundwork for bigger, more cohesive projects to come. We caught up with Monrroe to talk highlights from the US, evolving crowds, creative resets, and what lies ahead as he moves into 2026.

October marked your first-ever tour of the USA, playing seven shows across the  country. Looking back, what was the highlight of the tour for you, and why? 

For me the overall highlight was for sure just meeting all these amazing new people and  learning how to play to a US crowd, is always interesting playing a new place as all  crowds are so different… So, trying to adapt can be hit or miss but that’s always part of  the fun! Show wise I think a personal favourite was LA with Respect/Machete, was just  something special about the LA energy… But all around everything was wicked. 

What was a moment that made you think the US tour was totally worth doing? 

Honestly sounds a bit corny but just landing in the US and actually making it overseas was a moment that stuck with me. Coming out of the airport looking around feeling  totally out of my depth but knowing it was a reality was pretty surreal. Then getting  throw in at the deep end with Submersion Festival was the icing on the cake to kick  things off. 

Drum & Bass is growing rapidly in the US rave scene. What did you expect going into  this tour? How do American audiences compare to European ones? 

Yeah, it’s wicked seeing everything kick off in the states, it feels so new but so much  heritage from heads that have been holding it down for years! This whole mix of heritage  & new school ravers makes it super interesting crowd wise, as you’ve got a mad pallet  to roll with… Can play some proper old niche tunes and the heads will get it whilst  introducing a new audience to some mad stuff they haven’t heard before, the whole  dynamic was something I wasn’t expecting for sure but was a welcomed surprise. It’s  such an interesting contrast between Europe & the US, feel like the US crowd feels  more like a festival crowd, where colours/costumes’esq fits/glitter seem part of the  norm… which I think reflects the people stateside just being more upbeat in general,  whereas especially in the UK we’ve got more of this moody atheistic which again I think  reflects the people, either way both sides of the scene have mad love and the music  always comes first.

Now that you’ve ticked off your US debut, do you already see the potential for a bigger  or more frequent return to the States? 

Definitely, coming over and feeling so welcomed really has opened a whole new avenue  of opportunities… With the scene developing increasingly over there, it’s wicked to be a  part of it. 

Coming off that tour, did you gain any inspiration from it? 

For sure, came back beyond tired so took a couple of days to really let it all settle in. It’s  been a mad busy year writing wise so took a break from writing while I was out there,  which was needed and definitely reset the drive to get back in the studio.

Musically, this year you’ve showcased a darker sound more often than ever. Is this  the most natural place for you creatively at this stage of your career? 

Yeah, has been a really lovely shift this year, been given so many amazing opportunities  to really push this sound… Shout out to MustMake/Overview/GutterFunk! For me this is  100% where I feel more comfortable these days, I’m such a different person to who I  was when I was writing straight liquid (for better or worse) … This evolution of sound is  much more represented by who I am today.

You also released music on Gutterfunk, reconnecting with jungle and Bristol’s roots.  What does working in that space give you creatively that modern drum & bass doesn’t? 

To me this is where I first connected with dance music, coming from the more  free/squat party scene this was my staple… Jungle/Hardtek/Hardtrance, which later  developed into a more Drum & Bass focus. So was a return to my roots as well which  was great to get back to! Production is so much looser, in a way you’ve got more  freedom to work with and this rawness you can’t get with more modern Drum & Bass,  feels like there is less rules in a way.

Following previous singles, you are finally set to release a full EP with Duskee. What’s  it like being in the studio together now, given that you probably know each other’s  approaches well? 

Yeah full EP inbound soon, has been a pleasure to work with Duskee as always… He’s a  brother to me so getting to work on a fully fleshed out project is wicked. Being in the  studio now is basically a second language between us, just know how each others heads work and can just bounce & flow. A lot of the time I feel like I’m translating what  Duskee feels like could work production wise, the man has a gift for it… beyond  talented.

After such a big year, playing Boomtown and debuting in the US, what can fans  expect from you in 2026? 

Clueless haha, hopefully more of the same. We’re slowly chipping away on bigger  projects music wise so will see how that goes, is an exciting time for writing.

Entering the new year, are you considering producing more standalone singles, EPs,  or something larger and more cohesive? 

Big time! Something larger and more cohesive is the one, just hope I can do what’s in  mind justice.

Finally, what’s one thing you’re determined to achieve in 2026? A more stable personal life haha. That’s normally the goal every year. 

Follow Monrroe:
Spotify / Soundcloud / Facebook / Instagram / YouTube