Shaka Ponk (sometimes abbreviated as SHKPNK) is a French

electro rock Electronic rock is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s, when rock bands began incorporating electronic instrume ...

band formed in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

in 2004. They mix different forms of

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Funk ...

into their songs in addition to world music, although predominantly with an

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

and

experimental rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, with ...

sound. Their lyrics are mostly in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, though they sometimes sing in French and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

History

Shaka Ponk is a

-based band that blends

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

, punk rock,

funk rock Funk rock is a fusion genre that mixes elements of funk and rock. James Brown and others declared that Little Richard and his mid-1950s road band, The Upsetters, were the first to put the funk in the rock and roll beat, with a biographer statin ...

, and hip hop. Their live shows combine digital animation with an energetic display from the band members. Shaka Ponk got its start between Paris and Berlin in 2005 from a concept that brings together music, imagery, and energy. The former web designer and frontman of the group, Frah, along with guitarist CC, came up with a project that combined conventional rock-n-roll elements (dirty guitar riffs and beats) with techniques such as VJing, which mixes sounds and images around an animated monkey character named Goz who is considered as much a part of the group as the other members. Since then, the band has been active online creating videos and motion graphic work along their conceptual style, releasing videos on their online channel "Monkey TV". The band released their debut album ''Loco Con Da Frenchy Talkin in 2006 and followed up in 2009 with ''Bad Porn Movie Trax'', under the French record label Tôt ou tard (

Ben Howard Benjamin John Howard (born 24 April 1987) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and composer. His self-released debut EP ''Games in the Dark'' (2008) was followed by two more EPs, '' These Waters'' (2009) and '' Old Pine'' (2010). Signed t ...

, Patrick Watson). This album spawned the singles "How We Kill Stars" and "Do". Shaka Ponk performed in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

for the first time in October 2009 in the celebrated CMJ Musical Festival and on November 7,

AOL AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo! Inc. ...

chose the track "How We Kill Stars" as the Music Video of the Day. The band released ''Bad Porn Movie Trax'' in the United States on March 1, 2010. In 2011 Shaka Ponk added a female vocalist, Samaha Sam, and released their album ''The Geeks and the Jerkin' Socks'' in June, 2011. Shaka Ponk - Fête de l'Humanité 2012 - 014

Shaka Ponk - Fête de l'Humanité 2012 - 014

The band released two albums simultaneously in 2014, titled ''The White Pixel Ape (Smoking Isolate to Keep in Shape)'' and ''The Black Pixel Ape (Drinking Cigarettes to Take a Break)''. Their latest album, ''The Evol, came out in 2017.

Band members

Current * Frah – vocals (2004–present) * C. C – guitars (2004–present) * Steve – keyboards (2004–present) * Mandris – bass (2008–present) * Ion – drums (2008–present) * Samaha Sam – vocals (2011–present) Other * Goz – digitally created monkey serving as the band's mascot, sometimes credited as a band member (2004–present) Past * Thias – bass (2004–2008) * Bobee O.D – drums (2004–2008)

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Reissues

Live albums

Singles

*Did not appear in the official Belgian Ultratop 50 charts, but rather in the bubbling-under Ultratip charts.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Musical groups from Paris Musical groups established in 2004 English-language singers from France MTV Europe Music Award winners