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Boo! - A Monki's Discography

Boo! have released several records now, yet they've received little to no press, except for their live performances. KindaMuzik took the musical journey through the Monki's discography and discovered a whole new world of sublime originality with an extremely wide appeal.

Tekst: Sven Schlijper

Publicatiedatum: 29 september 2002

Having played Utrecht's Ekko earlier on in the Shooting Star Tour, Boo! took its success to the next level with a renewed visit, now to the larger Tivoli venue. What the audience witnessed was a two-set show of old and new songs, with the slow ones in a short opening set, and the up-tempo ska/reggae/monki-punk jump-around tracks in the latter part of the show. With some songs being committed to tape in a studio in Holland whilst on tour and a new album in the works, it's time to look back on the Boo!dist discography.

Boo!'s first release was a cassette titled Banana Flava, featuring a short, six-song live set recorded on Valentine's Day. Taped at the small Not venue in Johannesburg, South Africa, the raw energy of Boo!'s party-oriented songs, like #1 and Ol' De Bewtiful Girls, is omnipresent. Now a collector's item, this indie tape paved the way that led to the full-length album Pinaple Flava. (The video Cherry Flava, completing the triptych, has eluded my grasp.)

Including several songs from the live show at Not, this album has a more controlled and channeled feel to its tropical, summer-style, rock steady blend of musical references that range from rock to electronics, and from dance to punk, with the multi-instrumentalist clown Ampie Omo providing the melodies and strange twists and turns in addition to Chris Chameleon's weird, almost helium-fueled voice. Highlights are live favorites like OO AA, Anjels, and Mud. The pounding electronic beat of Lucki brings the dance feel into this record. But there are plenty of moments of peace and quiet on there too. This precarious balance — from the outset of the album, ironically entitled Stop, to the hidden interview at the very end (by means of an introduction) — is never off or deserted. A stunning debut that firmly puts Boo! and Monki Punk (this what Boo! themselves like to call their style) on the musical map.

With the follow-up and breakthrough album for Holland's club audiences called Seventies, Eighties, Nineties, Naughties, Boo! earned critical acclaim, as well as a loyal party audience, especially in what might be called their second hometown Utrecht. Containing a straight flush of seven live favorites of carnivalesque, typical Boo! dance tracks with the instantly addictive and catchy dose of good fun, this CD is on full rocket speed when, after hits like Avrocado Pair, Champion, and Wishboan, things are taken into orbit with Franki and I Ying I Yang to let us catch some breath. With a synth melody reminiscent of old Sky Channel animation series like Inspector Gadget, Wannabe gets things going again at an easy pace. Next, Ben Hur takes us into the classic Boo! anthem #1, with a lot of dynamics and again a cool synth reference to the '80s. Krusti is a strange assemblage of sound with quite a haunting feel to it, but the album closes off with a Beatlesque song spiced up by some Boo! gimmicks. And yes, yet again, there is a hidden track on this CD! More fast and furious party vibes then ever, this album leaves less time for contemplation or ease. This one will do well at any disco party!

The 3 Boo!dists album opens with the all too familiar ringtone of an alarm clock and sounds of waking up. It will take some getting used to, just like kicking the body into gear in the morning: These remixes are something new. The first one brings back memories to old synthesizer music from the Kraftwerk era. Heer Koms de Nyt mixes slow dance with muted trumpet and beats, culminating in a soft blowout. Two deconstructed party movers ready for the disco dance floor and then Too Doo complete this 8-track's lineup. And a sweet baby melody lulls us back into slumber at the very end. Not everyone's cup of tea, but a good showcase of both Boo!'s electronic side and three talented producers/remixers from South Africa.

Shooting Star, Boo!'s most recent offering, opens with the more mature sounding Boo!ble. As was the case with some of the new tracks played at Tivoli, the band manages to seek the experiment and write catchy, melodic, arty, pop music with an alternative hint, like Belgium's Zita Swoon can, to counter the all-out partytime tracks. The rest of this album is filled with three remixes (interesting reworks of Boo!'s biggest live anthems), live tracks from the opening slot they played at Amsterdam's Paradiso whilst on tour with Zita Swoon, and a new song (Rested Defence) recorded and produced by Zita's Tom Pintens. This one certainly ranks amongst Boo!'s best works in the more serious section of the catalogue. It's an awesome track! A live track closes a full circle between the indie release of 1998 and the present day. Strangely, something was missed during editing, because there are only 13 tracks (but 14 listed) on the disc. Probably due to an omitted index after an interlude in the live set. Again the energy and joy of a full-on Boo! set injects the living room with Avrocado Pair, Wannabe, and Lucki in their far from impeccable, but all too committed, party live renditions.

>From the discography it becomes clear Boo! is a great and original band with a fair deal of catchy, danceable tunes. It works fine at home, but the studio tracks don't have half the impact, energy, and feel the live versions do. So, for the true Boo! Experience, go see them play live, tape the show, or buy Banana Flava or Shooting Star. For a more complete overview of Boo!'s capacities, songwise, the other two albums offer a better listen when you're not (only) looking for a Boo!fest. The Boo!dists have even thought of late night disco, with the remix album and the mixes on Shooting Star. So, there is something for everyone here. Strange isn't it? Boo!: one of the most non-standard bands on the circuit with a discography ready to please (almost) everyone. Boo! has it all. Check it out, enjoy, and have fun. And don't forget to Boo!

http://www.kindamuzik.net/achtergrond/boo/boo-a-monki-s-discography/1904/
Meer Boo! op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/boo