Prank Monkey Records started when two members of the online bootleg/mash up community had a drunken discussion around releasing a Clash Remix LP (London Booted) which had been doing incredible online business (downloads were free but users were asked to donate to several charities).
Richard Brown ran the Culture Deluxe website, home to the bootleg chart and aforementiond London Booted whilst Nick Foster had been releasing white label bootleg/mash and selling them to the community. The coming together of these two halfwits made one whole wit and with the addition of graphic artist Pheugo, Prank Monkey Records was born.
The original idea was just to do short runs on vinyl only to sell to the ever growing bootleg community as a bit of fun (hence the not particularily serious name) but after a distribution deal was cut and after substantial plays on national radio the label quickly out grew the plan and more people were brought on board to help deal with the unexpected demand in the form of Dan Tappin (A&R) and Ben Stroud (PR).
Arguably the label's biggest success so far was the hotter-than-a-big-bowl-of-chilli-flavoured-biscuits-on-fire double A-side single by DJ Riko, the absolutley cracking 'Whister's Delight/P-Funk Is Playing At My House', which not only got played by DJ's as prestigious as Rob Da Bank and Huw Stevens, but was also purchased by both of the aforementioned DJ's with their own hard-earned wonga. Yes, it was that good. To top 2005 off niceley for everybody at the label (apart from hearing Rob Da Bank open one of his sets with 'Whistler's...'), the annual festive 50 countdown (the chart started by John Peel in 1976) was announced and Whistler's Delight by DJ Riko made it in at a hugely respectable number 15! Everyone at Monkey Towers has gone nuts over this, and it was far more than we ever expected in our first year as a label. And Ben Stroud got an MP3 player for Christmas, which he was very pleased with. Everbody else got mountain bikes.
Prank Monkey Record's first release of 2007 will also be our first record availiable on the online sonic jumble sale that is iTunes, and is from an artists that everbody here at Prank Monkey have been dying to work with again since his sterling work on our first remix album, the wonderful 'London Booted'. He is known, quite simply, as the Poj Masta, but you can call him Poj if you like.A spanking slice of nouveau Big Beat that's phatter and hornier than your mother's Jack Russell, 'Foo!' is the first official release from the North London Mozart of squelch, the Emperor of Bootlegged Beats himself, Poj Masta.Stolen horns, wonky bongos and enough sweaty, pounding rhythms to put a your average teenage boy to shame, this is the track that'll get your party started in a thumping (but credible) fashion, and will get bits jiggling from Barbados to Bermondsey (including Islington). Trust this monkey, you need a hunk of P-O-J in your life.
What they've said:
"Introducing Poj Masta
the boy genius, the
Mozart of our time, you
have never heard talent
like this prepare to be
amazed."
--BrightonBootlegClub
"Complete Cool."
--Observer Music Monthly
"The next Aphex Twin"
--XFM
Now, who wouldn't want a slice of the P-O-J after those glowing recommendations?
'Foo'!' will be availiable in all good record shops and on iTunes from February 26th.
And here's the Video too!
And just as we thought things couldn't get any better, April 16th saw the release of one of the best pieces of work that we have ever had the privilege of hearing, the stunning 'Louder', by Tauchsieder. The folks at Mixmag and Word clearly agree with us too, giving the album
five headphones out of five and a great write-up respectively!A dark and sometimes unsettling sonic collage that is based upon
short-wave and radio static and the assorted noises generated by the
spaces between channels, 'Louder' follows in the footprints of their
previous release (the online-only 'Quiet'), 'Louder' follows the same
sonic blueprint - but, as the title suggests, takes it a step further.
Sticking to the modus operandi of creating 'quiet music for quiet
people', Tauchsieder generate Eno-esque sonic landscapes that generate
a genuine atmosphere, without pandering to the obvious, the dull or
the tedious.
On this release they are joined by esteemed guests Colin Newman of experimental art-punks Wire, mash-up pop maestro Richard X, Tom Ellard of Australia's electronic innovators, Severed Heads and JD Twitch, one half of Glasgow's now-legendary Optimo DJs.
Buy it HERE!
And to sweeten the deal, here's the fantastic video to accompany one of the best tracks on the album album, 'Herd The Shadows'.
Featuring art-punk legend Colin Newman of Wire (the band Elastica wanted to be) on vocal duties, this is a beautiful slice of Eno-esque ambience, with an equally beguiling visual accompaniment to boot. Enjoy!
Tauchsieder - Herd The Shadows
The video is by the uber-talented, award winning Konx-om-Pax. check out his website at http://www.konx-om-pax.co.uk .
Thank you!You can buy any of our previous releases by following the links below...
Various - Cowboy Boots EP
Various - London Booted LP
DJ Riko - Whistler's Delight / P-Funk is Playing at my House
Lemon Lime - Malcolm McLennon
Various - House of Infinite Zen EP
Tone396 - Wreck Up My Versions EP
Big Bad Baz - Calling America
Poj Masta - Foo'!/Gadass De Badass
