Clash would like to present you the first look at the secretive shamanic masters of the drum, Rhythm Monks, who appeared exclusively to a gathering of a lucky few earlier this year at Berlin’s Tape Club from a five song teaser from their impending new self titled album, dropping in early 2011.
Complete with a stunning pmd-art ( pmd-art.de ) interactive video projection system and draped in demonic robes with reactive screens on each pastoral torso transmitting morphing visuals triggered by their assault on the light filled transparent midi drums set up in front of them like globes being smashed by dark masters of the universe.
The main screen behind the three mysterious masked musical marauders also talks, chants and sings in unison with this battery of African rhythms, most noticeably when emergent Belgian composer and vocalist Barbara Panther’s unmistakable face appears to bellow the vocals to their first hit Primal Beat. This one track is slightly out of sync with the visuals however the shear ambition of the set-up coupled with the jaw dropping happenings to follow allowed the assembled to apply some forgiveness to any small glitches on this maiden voyage of such a tricky set-up to execute.
The event takes on a whole new awe inspiring direction three songs in as the mass of twisted metal, akin to a post apocalyptic Terminator baddie, which initially looked to be stage-right purely for aesthetic value, cranks into life in as a fully functioning, smiling, nodding, head shaking drummer. And not a bad one at that.
This tears up whatever drumming rulebook tonight’s crowd had adhered to up till now, as the venue goes completely mental to what they see in front of them, the drum robot nodding appreciation as he thrashes his way through incredibly tight rhythm after rhythm transmitted by his ghostly puppet-masters on their not-too-shabby controlling midi drums opposite.
Leaving the crowd on a high that could not really be topped tonight, the mysterious monks glide off-stage to leave us wondering when they’ll be back. That time is almost upon us as forthcoming album Rhythm Monks which has been described as spiritually percussive electro will drop sometime around March 2011 followed by a series of live shows across Europe’s darkest bastions of tribal club culture.
You can find out more about Rhythm Monks at:
Homepage: http://www.rhythmmonks.com
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/rhythmmonks
Video Link: http://www.rhythmmonks.com/video.html
And our drumming robot friend can be tracked down as created by the guys from Robocross: http://www.robocross.de
