Transglobal Underground
+ Rachel By The Stream + Bombay Monkey
Entry Requirements: 16+
Line Up
TRANS-GLOBAL UNDERGROUND BACK IN ACTION IN 2017....after spending much of 2016 in the studio preparing new recordings, which will be being released over the year, Transglobal Underground, with shows being confirmed from May onwards.
There are few acts in the UK with as strong an influence, as complex a legacy, and as mysteriously legendary; even trying to describe what Transglobal Underground is and what it was has defeated the most eloquent of journalists, and those involved in TGU itself have made no effort to help, refusing to define themselves on the grounds that it wasn’t their job to do so while rejecting any signs anyone attempted to hang on them.
So what is Transglobal Underground? Well, over 25 years it’s been a DJ/musical collective, a working band famous for it’s scorching live shows, a techno soundsystem, a folk festival rabble rouser, a pop group, a club night, a Middle Eastern hit production team, an improvised study group for Indian classical music, an Albanian brass band, a duo..or was it an octet?...a seminar, a medicine show and several things no one involved would admit to if they could even remember them.
The music? Starting out in the 90s as a heady blend of dub, funk and bhangra with a strong Madchester vibe, TGU have taken in a huge mixture of influences and style from around the world, a world they have always seen from the viewpoint of their London base. By the time the word multiculturalism was being bandied about as a buzz word TGU had long moved on , sticking to only two rules; it’s got to be funky and if you hear the warning sound of a barrier ahead, smash it down with bass.
The albums? From the top 40 debut ‘Dream of 100 Nations’ to the double independent music awards winning ‘Kabatronics’ in 2015, TGU have built up an huge legacy of music which different audiences have chit upon and loved in different eras, leading to a bizarre reputation for being at once a best selling band/production team and at the same time an entity thriving in the depths of the underground that they helped define.
That selfsame legacy of 25 years of adventures in groove defines TGUs current live set, a joyful and unpredictable journey into the bottomless vaults of the Transglobal catalogue. Still a big festival favourite across Europe, no one at the start would have predicted that after all these years Transglobal Underground would still have the energy to continue a touring schedule that would finish most groups off. Transglobal Underground developed a life of its own, goes where it will for it’s own reasons. Everyone else simply follows.
Founder members Guy and Andy started building tracks on an AKAI MPC2000 at Guy's (poorly heated) flat in 2003. The end results... ’atmospheric, rhythmic, heady, melodic or just plain funny, and sometimes all five’. The fruits of their labour came to light in a series of 3 (limited edition) albums 'Vanish!'(2005), 'Time Travellers' (2006) and '130 Astronauts' (2008). Each of these featured cuts from the legendary Mr Thing (world class hip hop DJ and producer) and vocal samples from Rosco John (rapper from UK trip hop band Archive as well as solo performer).
Initially Bombay Monkey played out as an audio visual set with Andy triggering live samples on the MPC whilst Guy added visuals from a laptop. In this guise they supported Hexstatic (Cargo), appeared at Digital City (Elephant and Castle and Islington) as well as appearing at small festivals around the UK. They then decided to up the ante and started writing heavier, faster tracks - dance tracks with vocals. Andy graduated from the MPC to a microphone and they started singing on the new recordings - mainly because they didn't know anyone else who would do it.
Dave Tonkinsmith joined the band in 2012 and recorded vocals on several tracks on the band's 4th album 'Dark Flow'. Now both Dave and Andy both sing on Bombay Monkey tracks - one takes lead and the other backs (according to whose voice works best with the music).
In April 2013 they got hold of 3 pairs of ijaaks (innuit eyewear and possibly the pre-cursor to contemporary sunglasses) and played their first show with the new line up. Since then Bombay Monkey tracks have been played BBC Introducing (The South and 6 Music). Bombay Monkey signed to BBE music in February 2014. Joining Bombay Monkey at this show will be local dubstep maestro CODE: MARLA providing live bass and synths.
Bombay Monkey will be test driving some brand new tracks from their upcoming release “Chef’s Orders”.
