“To use music as a vehicle by which we can create diverse situations that directly affect society before the world criminal order.” – 8monkys
Born in the year 2015, 8monkys (“ocho monkeys”) is a co-op of practitioners in funk, hip-hop and alternative rock music, inspired by the urban sounds and lyrics of rebellion riddled with strong engaging content. Their first album La Ira provided them much success with a record-breaking tour that garnered them the most tour dates abroad for a Chilean band, second only to Gondwana. With that first album came hits like the title track La Ira and Monkyman and now we prepare for more.
Although from Chile, 8Monkys owes much of its roots in music to Mexico. The intention of its creators was for the band to be known on the continental scene vs being known only as a Chilean band. As a result, the band became better known outside of Chile before garnering popularity in Chile itself. Now, in the pursuit of building an audience in their native land, 8monkys recently played Lollapalooza Chile and continues to make great strides in events and popular media within their country.
The Chilean band is in large part the brainchild of “Papa Monky” Daniel Silva (guitar and vox), whom shared with us some insight into 8monkys as the band completes their latest musical creation for release in early 2019.
So, at the risk of asking such a cliché question, why the name 8monkys?
Everything began in 2015, while going to Mexico to record and complete some mixes. We were eight Chilenos traveling together and, well, the term “monky” is a slang term of endearment to us, similar to saying “brother” (“compadre” in Spanish).
Your songs are socially conscious and speak about the social and political problems plaguing this world. Has this always been the mission of 8monkys and your lyrics?
The members of 8monkys have always been persons with strong opinions, so it has been natural for social themes to arise when our songs take shape; themes about things that occur throughout the world, injustice, etc. So, it became a part of our music to create consciousness and add our little grain of sand [to the world] because there is so much to talk about and still a lot that isn’t being talked about. And, this [our music] is a good way to start the conversation and bring those things to light.
The first singles released from the new album are a little more “hard rock” or “hardcore” than the majority of the tracks on your first album La Ira (title track below). Will this be a recurring theme throughout the majority of the new LP?
With this new material we probably got ourselves a little closer to a style similar to “hip-hop rock,” but we consider our style varied; hip-hop, rock, or alternative and at times funky.
In La Ira, 8monkys had the opportunity to work with artists and music professionals like Arianna Puello, Gabriel “El Queso” of Resorte, Tweety Gonzalez and more. Can we expect more of these great collaborations on the new LP? (At this point our connection suffered a great deal of interference and some of the answer below is from research of sources online)
Yes, we have participants with mutual interest on both sides. Plans are being made to collaborate with the Chilean singer-songwriter Eduardo Gatti, a famous figure in the tradition of Nueva Cancion and Nueva Trova. The famous Chilean actor Bastian Bodenhofer has also been invited to collaborate but because he is also an accomplished saxophonist.
Do you have a name and release date for the new album yet?
It will be released toward the end of March 2019 and available on all online platforms and streaming services, but we don’t have a name yet. We will decide on a name once the album has been completed and we can go through the songs again to help us make a decision.
Perhaps the answer is obvious from listening to your music but, in closing, is there a message that you hope to communicate with your fans and listeners?
I think more than anything, we want people to have an opinion, contribute to a [social] consciousness, understand that no matter where they are or what they are doing, their opinions matter and are just as important as anyone else’s and they should never stop having an opinion and a conscience.
End interview.
With 8monkys’ established ties in Mexico and their work for the new album taking place both there and in Chile, I’m holding out for some surprise guest appearances but, even if we don’t get them, based on the production and success on La Ira, I think we can expect to be impressed with the new release. La Ira is definitely a worthwhile addition to your collection, with the right balance of rock, hip-hop, and funk!
Interesting Tidbit:
8monky’s hit song Bomba Atomika (video below) was inspired by Manu Chao’s song “Machine Gun,” particularly the verse that says, “Bomba ATOMIKA, Bomba POLITIKA, Bomba ECONOMIA… sera culpa ti, nadie se va salvar!”