Los Kung-Fu Monkeys

Los Kung Fu Monkeys are a ska punk band from Tijuana, Mexico. In 1997, they started operating when Bernie Leos and brothers Tarek and Hassan Limas joined their talents and forces to follow a dream called Los Kung Fu Monkeys. That same year the band recorded their first three-song demo which included songs like “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 produces of NOFX’s Maximum Rock and Roll Album), including a hidden track of AFI’s song “A Single Second” covered by the 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 LKFM to shared stage, and 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 well as 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, becoming one of the most played videos with no corporate sponsors or support.

This same year release their self-titled album, their first in mostly all in Spanish on their own label RIOT RADIO Records (now evolved to CAFEINA RIOT RADIO), 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 and 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 them selves to make this happen, the result one of their most successful albums in Mexico, recorded, manufactured and distributed by the band it self, 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 the 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” for 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. By 2010 the band releases their first singles collection album “And they came from Tijuana…” recollecting all their hits from the first 10 years of the band, and giving the opportunity for the band to play in Canada at the “Victoria Ska Festival” with band like Fishbone and the Aggrolites, and tour once again the U.S.A.

2011 come and with 10 years of non-stop touring, being included in many important compilations, play with many important band, 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 3000 in Austria at the Arena.

2012 became the most important year of the band, after many years of proving that the 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.

Till this day Los Kung Fu Monkeys has touring in over 15 countries all over the world, and sharing stage with all the greats in the underground as well as the mainstream markets, mythical bands like The Misfits, Moby, Panteon Rococo, Mad Caddies, Underworld, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Fishbone, Madness, The Toasters, The Aggrolites, NOFX, Dropkick Murphys, Enrique Bunbury, The Adicts and many more.

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 Best of (cafeina riot records Mexico)(Evoekore Media U.S.A.)
• 2012: Cafeina Riot Radio Records Vol.1 Vinil SPLIT with VOODOO GLOW SKULLS-LOS KUNG FU MONKEYS (Limited Edition only 1000 Copies)

External links

• Official Homepage
• MySpace