Los Kung-Fu Monkeys

Los Kung Fu Monkeys are a ska punk band based out of Canada and Mexico. They were formed in 1997 by Canadian brothers Tarek and Hassan Limas with Bernardo Leos. That same year, the band recorded their first three-song demo which included the song "Consecuencias" based on the excess of uncontrollable youth, costing them 10 dollars to record each song, and opening the doorway to being one of the top local and regional bands with such a loyal following that it caught the eye of Los Angeles-based now defunct label ONE SHOT RECORDS, who released their first album Rebuilding the World recorded in Love Juice labs in Riverside, California, U.S.A. in 2000. With the release of Rebuilding the World in 2001, they were brought to the attention of an international audience that it became the precursor and the beginning of what would be the path to endless touring throughout the world, starting their first with Union 13 (Epitaph Records) all over Mexico in 2001 with a sold out concert in Mexico City for more than 2000 people.

In 2002 they released the Para los que ya no estan E.P. limited to only 1000 copies that included a series of lost demos by Philco Raves of Mystic Records (punk label in the 1980s and 90s and producer of NOFX’s Maximum Rock and Roll Album), including a hidden track of AFI’s song “A Single Second” covered by Los Kung Fu Monkeys live at the Glasshouse in Pomona, Ca. “End Transmission” was released in 2003, recorded, mix, mastered and produce by Mike Trujillo (Strung out, Chocking Victim, collaborator with Epitaph Records) and this album becomes the fuel to get the band to shared stage, tour Mexico and for the first time the U.S. with Voodoo Glow Skulls in 2004. Time passed, promotion still going on the album, and the band gets invited to take part on one of the most important punk festivals in the U.S. the “Vans Warped tour” in 2005 becoming the first Independent Mexican Band to be a part of the festival tour and getting a slot on the 2006 “Vans Warped Tour” Compilation with the song “Short Fuse”, also by this time the band records their first official music video for the song “Neglect” landing a month plus airtime on the National Mexican Music Television station TELEHIT.

This same year they released the self-titled album, the first album on their own label RIOT RADIO Records, taking this decision when the band got offered a deal from a label in Mazatlan, Mexico that the owners ended up being involved with drug trafficking, laundering money and being arrested by the authorities, leaving the band with no label and no way to release their album, so they took upon themselves to make this happen, the result, one of their most successful albums in Mexico, recorded, manufactured and distributed by the band itself, with 14 songs mostly in Spanish (one in English), and the sound and the fury of such songs like “Una y Otra Vez” caught the eye of European label Übersee Records who opened the doors for the band to release and tour Europe for the first time in 2007, going to France, Germany, Czech Republic, and Austria.

In 2008 LKFM was hand-picked by Dropkick Murphys directly to be their support band in all their Mexico dates, and also to be included in Guadalajara’s “Festival Extremo” with artist like Moby, Underworld, Maldita Vecindad, Stephen Marley and more. In 2009 Übersee Records asked LKFM to release an EP exclusively for Europe, as a result they released the “Lobo Hombre in Paris” E.P. where they cover the iconic Spaniard pop band La Union with the song of the album title, also including another cover “Screaming at a wall” from the iconic legendary hardcore band Minor Threat, a remake of “Ciudad de Nadie” and 2 more unreleased tracks for the album that open the doorway to tour England, and Belgium for the first time as well as coming back to Germany, then coming back the tour the United States, and once again being picked to be the support band for NOFX’s Mexican tour in late 2009 Tijuana and Mexico city. By 2010 the band releases their first discography collection album “And they came from Tijuana…” recollecting almost all of their songs from their firs 3 full-length albums and giving the opportunity for the band to play in Canada at the “Victoria Ska Festival” with bands like Fishbone and the Aggrolites, and tour once again the U.S.A. 2011 came and with 10 years of non-stop touring, being included in many important compilations, played with many important bands, and festivals, Los Kung Fu Monkeys return to the game and continue touring Europe once again now playing in the Netherlands, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Croatia for the first time, and coming back to Belgium, England, Germany and Austria once again, playing 4 shows of the tour with NYC’s The Slackers for a crowd of 2000 in Austria at the Arena. 2012 became the most important year of the band, after many years of proving that they are a Mexican Icon and Institution in Mexico, they get added to the most important rock music festival in Latin America “VIVE LATINO 2012” playing with Gogol Bordello, Foster the People, Café Tacuba, and MADNESS. A new record on the works for the first time this same year Los Kung Fu Monkeys release their first vinyl record a 7” 45 RPM split records with the Voodoo Glow Skulls on their own label Cafeina Riot Radio in Mexico touring to promote the release September and October. And also releasing a greatest hits record in Japan on ska in the world records.

2013 saw the band tour Canada again with Jamaican Canadian singer Jah Cutta and share the stage with bands like the Planet smashers and Rude city riot. Also Returning to Mexico city to play a sold out headlining show at the famed Alicia venue. 2014 Los kung fu Monkeys start the year playing Que me pregunten fest in Mexico city in front of 10,000 people and in April start to record their new upcoming album with Canadian producer Steve Loree (The Real Mckenzies, S.N.F.U) 2015 looks to be their best year putting out a new record with Canadian label Stomp Records and planning on touring for the 2015 release of the record and all of 2016.

Los Kung Fu Monkeys has toured in over 15 countries all over the world, headlining, and also sharing the stage and bill with bands like The Misfits, Moby, Panteon Rococo, Mad Caddies, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Fishbone, Madness, The Toasters, The Aggrolites, NOFX, Dropkick Murphys, Enrique Bunbury, the Planet smashers, and The Adicts.

Discography

•2001: Rebuilding the World (One Shot Records)

•2002: Para Los que Ya No Están EP (One Shot Records)

•2003: End Transmission (One Shot Records)

•2006: Los Kung-Fu Monkeys (Riot Radio Records) Mexico

•2007: Los Kung-Fu Monkeys (Übersee Records) Europe

•2009: Lobo Hombre en París EP (Übersee Records) Europe

•2009: And they came from Tijuana first ten years (cafeina riot radio records Mexico) (Evoekore Media U.S.A.)

•2012: And they came from Tijuana greatest hits (ska in the world records) Japan

•2012: Cafeina Riot Radio Records Vol.1 Vinyl SPLIT with VOODOO GLOW SKULLS-LOS KUNG FU MONKEYS (Limited Edition only 1000 Copies)

• 2015 Rudeboy Rockers (Stomp Records/Union Label Group)

External links

• Official Homepage
• MySpace