Shaka Ponk 

Biografia

• Hailing from Paris, France, Shaka Ponk formed in 2000. Since their 2006 debut record in they have released five studio albums and are as famous for their eclectic mix of rock, hip-hop, funk and electronica as they are for their animated monkey mascot, Goz.

  There’s an argument to be made that rock and roll has become an inherently conservative art form. Long gone are the days when rock artists were at the forefront of cutting edge music and social change as a whole, changing the face of pop culture one power chord at the time. Nowadays you’re far more likely to see a rock musician complain about sampling or authenticity or the inherently flawed concept of “Real Music” (thanks, Royal Blood!) than actually do something forward thinking with a sound that’s still recognisably rock and roll.

  However, music has been more easily accessible now than it ever has been, so now we can easily seek out the bands doing something new and exciting. With that in mind, there are fewer bands doing more things that most have never seen before than the French collective Shaka Ponk.

  It makes a lot of sense that the band grew out of a collaboration between a guitarist and a web designer. They go by the nicknames CC and Frah, respectively, and they first came together in 2004 to not so much form a band as start a movement. Their intention was to combine modern technology with the creative freedom that a rock band gives, and use as many forms of new media as they can to create a band that reflects the spirit of these modern times.

  However, this might have all sounded a little… familiar by the time they were signed. There was another band around who were also fascinated by what a rock band could do when augmented with modern technology that also had simian themed animated avatars, you might have heard of them, they were called Gorillaz.

  Yes, Damon Albarn’s project might have beat them to the proverbial punch by a couple of years but Shaka Ponk are a very different band, not least because they are far more prolific than Albarn’s group. CC and Frah conceived of the band’s sound and image first before recruiting the band members and began performing live, even their first concerts were riots of colour, sound and video and by 2005, they were signed to German label Edel Music.

  Their debut “Loco con da Frenchy Talkin” was released the following year and since then, they’ve built a reputation for being one of the most interesting, unique and exciting bands of our time. With sets for New York’s CMJ festival under their belt it’s only a matter of time before they spread all over the world, and whatever your feelings about the state of rock and roll or modern music as a whole, that’s going to be an incredible sight, and an even better sound. One’s to catch as soon as possible, and the band comes highly recommended.

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