Hi, I'm Ray and I'm a founding member of both Moonwing and Terrorists (the musical type). Our story and music follows below...
About Terrorists:
Jesse Ashlock - Epitonic.com
They were a bunch of New York City kids whose interest in dub and reggae predated that of the U.K. punk community (The Clash, Madness, The Specials, et al) by several years.
Founded...in 1977, the loose-knit collective kept dance floors crazed at clubs throughout New York (CBGB's, Max's Kansas City, Tramp's) with a propulsive brand of punky reggae that caught the attention of superstar dub producer Lee "Scratch" Perry. This was a time during which Perry parted with his Jamaican house band The Upsetters and traveled widely, forging musical partnerships wherever he went, of which the The Terrorists were one of the first. He offers some typically lunatic toasting on a few of the group's dubbier tracks, like the stoned, whimsical single "Guerilla Priest."
Rolando Alphonso of the legendary ska institution The Skatalites also joined forces with the group, sounding out his mellifluous sax tones over the group's smoky, groovy island rhythms.
The music feels closer in tenor and flavor to the ska, reggae, and dub they were inspired by than the bands of the U.K. Two Tone movement.
The ROIR release Forces, documenting all the group's recorded output over their five-year existence, including their collaborations with Perry and Alphonso -- nearly all culled from a few singles and compilation tracks -- offers an engaging and invaluable snapshot of a moment in time when Bob Marley was introducing the earthy pleasures of roots reggae to mainstream music audiences and punks were discovering the hypnotic magic of dub rhythms.
From Jazzreview.com
A great reggae/ska/dub band during the years 1977-82. Though affiliated – either by critics, scenesters and/or circumstance – with the emerging NYC punk/new wav/
underground scene.
What makes the music on this collection work so well after all this time – the vast majority previously unreleased – is the band’s obvious, passionate commitment to reggae, ska and dub. More importantly, not only do they have the sound down, but they never try to “sound like†they come from the island nation of Jamaica. Long Island maybe, but not from the land of Marley, Tosh and Pablo – no fake or affected Island patois.
Their feel for the music is as genuine as the blue-eyed soul singers of the 60s (Dusty Springfield, The Rascals, Laura Nyro, Tony Joe White) had for the music of King Solomon (Burke), The Goddess Aretha and The Impressions, made all the more “real†because they are not striving for a “simulation†of their idols’ sounds.
Like the best roots-reggae bands, they leave some space “between†the notes, forgoing the usual “rock-ist†tendency to busy-up the proceedings with a lot of irrelevant flash and soloing, and their springy, ebullient feel for reggae and ska RHYTHMS is second to none. And they were most capable at some way-cool freaky dub - check out "Anittoo" and "Drainidge."
Calling all fans of 70s;early 80s Jamaican sounds: Forces 1977-1982 is The Real Thing, and it’s one of the few discs I’ve heard in months that I can play all the way through in a single sitting (all 21 tracks worth).
Mark Keresman - Jazzreview.com
About Moonwing:
MoonWing is comprised of former founding members of The Terrorists, Lead Vocalist/Rhythm Guitarist-Ray de Angel and Keyboard player-Frank Covello. Together they began performing with the band on the East Coast, particularly in New York City clubs in 1977.
They shared the stage with well known artists such as Talking Heads, Patti Smith, Brian Setzer (of Stray Cats), Johnny Thunders, and Sylvain Sylvain (of The NY Dolls and The Heartbreakers), Selector (of Two Tone), Lee Perry, Roland Alphonso (of The Skatalites), Alan Vega (of Suicide), The Fast, Joe Bowie (of Defunkt), Lester (Almost Famous) Bangs, and many, many more.
They've headlined and played venues at Max's Kansas City, CBGB's, Irving Plaza, Hotel Diplomat, Hurrah's, The Ritz, The 80's Club, The Rat, Peppermint Lounge, Electric Circus, Trax, Tramps and many others.
A 45 titled "Riis Park/I Want Justice" was released at the time on the Max's Kansas City label.
In 2001 a compilation CD titled "FORCES" (title track by de Angel) featuring Lee "Scratch" Perry and Roland Alphonso (of The Skatalites) was released on ROIR Records and is available in stores, and at Amazon.com worldwide.
Get our CD At AMAZON.COM (click here)
Featuring Roland Alphonso of The Skatalites and Lee SCRATCH Perry
Also on AMAZON.CO.UK (click here)
Download MoonWing Music (click here)
Start A Punky Reggae Party In Your Neighborhood With These CD's!!! (click here)
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