I.R.O.K.
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I.R.O.K.

London, England, United Kingdom | MAJOR

London, England, United Kingdom | MAJOR
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This band has not uploaded any videos

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"New Noise: I.R.O.K."

There are some bands you listen to and you think, “Well, it’s just more of the same, isn’t it?” The Intergalactic Republic of Kongo (I.R.O.K.) are emphatically not that kind of band. Here to make your mind melt and to make you “lose your shit”, they’re a nosebleed-inducing sonic dervish of Afro-punk-meets-Beastie-Boys electronica. - Wonderland magazine


"I.R.O.K. hit Africa"



London newcomers I.R.O.K. recently travelled out to Africa - check out some footage below.

It's one of the most remarkable sets ClashMusic has witnessed in some time. The Intergalactic Republic of Kongo fuse demented, tribal percussion with berserk electronics and a truly extrovert frontman.

Storming into London venue The Lexington, I.R.O.K. were almost forced to abandon their set two songs in. Bouncers intervened as the band pulled fans onstage, with the party atmosphere continuing throughout.

Recently deciding that a visit to Africa was only appropriate, the band flew out to Morocco for a number of impromptu shows. Posting footage to their blog, I.R.O.K. wrote the following message: "THE INTERGALACTIC REPUBLIC OF KONGO (I.R.O.K.) recently travelled to Morocco to play some stripped sets wherever we got the chance to plug in our gear. We ended up bringing chaos to a theatre in TIZNIT, the beaches of MIRLEFT and the medieval city of AIN OULLED JARRAR. It was a mad adventure and a real trippy time".

Watch I.R.O.K. in action below: - Clash magazine


"HOOP DOOP MEETS I.R.O.K Interview"

HOOPDOOP met up with UK-based afro-punk band I.R.O.K. They had a few things to say about musical expression, freedom, and today’s society… read on.

Tell us a bit about how I.R.O.K. came together.

I.R.O.K. hit me with the same feeling as coming up on drugs. It was at a time when I was escaping and I was totally free. I was being the most spontaneous I could be. One saturday afternoon, I was leaving a place in Southern Morocco and heading away somewhere quiet by the beach when I heard music and chanting and started following a crowd. I thought I was going to a festival or a wedding but I realized very quickly by the hands in pockets and intent that I was going to a football match. I could have been walking up Tottenham High street, there was no difference. I started talking to some boys and they ended up helping me get in to the stadium easily. They were part of the crew chanting on megaphones and leading the songs. There were drums everywhere. Smoke, explosions, singing, high pitched reed instruments and an expression of anti-authority I’ve never seen in Morocco anywhere on the street. I was in it all, going crazy, and then it hit me that I was going to go home and recreate this chaos in songs. The moment became bigger than me in an instant. It felt as if the moment chose me. It was not considered. It was something else. I felt a spirit…a calling.

You recently confessed you actually love a bit of Phil Collins.. ;) Any other influences you’d like to mention?

I totally disagree with his political Conservatism but how can you not like Phil Collins as an artist? He drummed and sang in arguably the most incredible band to come out of the U.K, in Genesis, who never stopped evolving. He defined in many ways a whole era with his music in the 80s and inadevertantly helped define the production of hip hop music to this day. One great thing about him is he had the decency to fuck off when he realised it was all over for him. Maybe the best thing about Phil Collins though is that we live in such a time where everything is cynical and snipey and ironic and he was actually sincere but good. Most sincere stuff now is dogshit.

I.R.O.K. is short for The Intergalactic Republic of Kongo. What is the association you’re hoping to create in people’s minds? Are you taking a stand or just going for the absurd?

Is everything not absurd? I can’t walk down the street to catch a tube train without thinking that everything is totally and utterly unreal. The fact that we go about distracting ourselves from the fact that absolutely nobody knows what we are doing here and what is going on. Science, religion, politics… it’s all absurd and proved to be bullshit time and time again, and we still cling on to it because everyone is scared. That’s normal but I’ve noticed that we are being clamped down on and encroached. We should be allowed to meet and dance and scream and shout and reach other states of consciousness whenever we want. I don’t want to go home at 2am. I don’t want security guards or security barriers. All these things will be burned. Humans need to let go. Acid House was the last time it happened. All the other revolutions in music have been false as it was an industry. Especially grunge which was just about selling records and not changing your clothes very often. Acid House changed the way that humans acted towards each other and was truly an alternative to proscribed ‘fun’. The Intergalactic Republic of Kongo puts on shows like no other band I have seen out there right now. Where if you join in with us you become part of something bigger. Where you can totally transcend in the moment. You have to take part in the ceremony to understand.

To quote, “I.R.O.K. is the state where we meet in sweat, blood and joy”. Can you open this up for us a little?

That’s what I’m talking about. Just Let Go. Cut loose, rid yourself of fear, express your demons, your joys, your love. Then rise above these feelings and become ‘The Moment’. Yo - Hoop doop magazine, NL


"The Intergalactic Republic Of Kongo, Take On North Africa FEATURE"

So, I.R.O.K. – otherwise known as The Intergalactic Republic Of Kongo – are a "violent psychotropic afro-punk" outfit. We're not really sure what that means, but it's on their Facebook, and no one ever tells lies on the internet, so it must be true. They just sent us a short video they made with the filmmaker Jose Otero of their recent Moroccan tour.

The film features them playing strange shows in places you've never heard of, like on beaches in Mirleft, a local theatre in some place called Tiznet, and the local town square in the medieval village of Ain Ouled Jarrar. Tottenham it isn't.

Anyway, watch the film, it all looks pretty fun and a kid does THIS!
Next up on I.R.O.K. gig list? Playing in the restored grounds of a 1000-year-old prison... no big deal. Apparently, it'll be a bit like "Pink Floyd Live in Pompei but on opium tea rather than acid." Can it be that tough to get a Barfly show?
- Vice music blog (Noisey)


"I.R.O.K. XFM radio live session"

4 track live session on Xfm on the May 17th 2012 - XFM radio


"Interview: The Intergalactic Republic of Kongo"

The Intergalactic Republic of Kongo are a London-based afro-punk experiment meshing haywire electronic sounds driven by Africa ’70-influenced percussion, a Sex Pistols aesthetic and found-footage video/commentary on modern society. We chatted with Moroccan band leader Mike Title to delve into the, self-described, “violent psychotropic” work of I.R.O.K.

I.R.O.K sounds part-electronic experiment, part-British punk with about a million other themes in there. How would you describe the music? What are some of I.R.O.K’s influences?
Prince made my face sting from hot tears when I saw him play for the first time last summer. It was like being in the presence of God. And Seun Kuti playing with his father’s band at another festival made the place go wild but also connect. Everyone was smiling; It was a joy. I was lucky enough to speak with George Clinton recently and his take on simply ‘existing,’ let alone making music, blew my mind. I remember exactly where I was the first time I heard Crass. I have spent many lost nights raving in clubs, warehouses and fields to DJ’s playing songs I will never know the names of. I could keep going on but you get the picture. It’s about creating energy.

The found-footage visuals in your music videos are pretty striking. Do you see them as a direct furthering of I.R.O.K’s sounds? The videos, like the music, feel like a global collage — visiting everything from boxing fights, English supermakets, to images of the Arab spring.
Yes, well as you can see we prophesised the Arab Spring, The English Summer of riots, the Wall Street Bumps and Google invading China with a terrifying battalion of modified attack-baboons. Oh no, that is yet to pass. Beware of false prophets.

What’s the idea/theme behind the track and clip to “All My Children” (above)?
The idea that runs through ‘All my Children’ is that this is where the apocalyptic meets the mundane. How we can all of us be at once great but totally meaningless. There are threats and warnings that the oceans will be covered with water; that the discontent and murmurings from those cuddled for comfort in tunnels can manifest. That the security of our every day lives is an illusion. That there is real pain in being stuck in a supermarket queue or standing at a bar drinking your life down the drain. Imagine your superhuman power was that you could call upon every moth around you to attack your enemies. They would smother every pore of their skin. Block out their eyes, their nose and go down your throat.

Can you expand on the name The Intergalactic Republic of Kongo?
Imagine the future where the Space Race is being won by Africa. The Democratic Republic of Kongo has now become Intergalactic. Colonies on lunar landscapes, sex with aliens. Now stop imagining that and realise that other dimensions exist only millimeters from your subjective world. That shit you see from the corner of your eye is your potential. It your dreams. Its lucid, it’s real … you can make anything you want happen. Not just good stuff.

You’re originally from Morocco, do you feel a North African identity plays part in I.R.O.K.’s work?
My mother was born in Casablanca, her family are Berber, Sephardim from the South. To be part of any ancient culture is a blessing, a source of comfort. To appreciate or be subsumed within anyone’s culture is the same but to be part of it is magical right? Morocco is so magical because it’s so paganistic. You get to live in the moment but in another time. Islam and Judaism have come about only a few hundred and a few thousand years ago. The Sun, the moon, the ocean. Thats what i’m talking about. The breeze caressing you just right. You can go deep to traditions and cultures that go back to the dawn of our consciousness. There is nothing like it. It’s a purity that Modern corporations that sell us computers and stuff are dying to extinguish from our minds.

How does it feel playing an I.R.O.K. show in Morocco?
Well I dreamt up I.R.O.K. in Moroc - okayafrica


"The Great Escape 2012: Ten Great New Bands"

I.R.O.K, or the Intergalactic Republic Of Kongo as they're known to those with a penchant for elongated names, are an energetic bunch who will leave a lasting impression. Primarily rythmn driven with splashes of cosmic brain melting synths; this dance heavy, body moving inducing musical soup is the sound of early E-driven Prodigy being beamed into new and interesting territories. NW - Artrocker


""Bizarre, hypnotic, addictive""

I.R.O.K. have pieced together a bizarre, hypnotic clip for their recent track 'God'.

Once, there was Dead Kids. An explosive London indie troupe, the band's live exploits instantly became the stuff of legend.

Tragically splitting after just one - free download - album, Dead Kids singer Mike Title took time away to regain his sense of focus. Now, though, he's back.

I.R.O.K. - The Intergalactic Republic of Kongo - is a new project that melts together African percussion, brutal electronics and a sense of psychedelia. Live shows have, predictably enough, been raucous affairs with a recent visit to KOKO resulting in a running battle with security.

Rapidly becoming a name to drop for those in the know, I.R.O.K. also have a stunning control of visuals. The ballistic electronics of 'God' are matched to spliced together with black and white footage, with the emphasis being placed on terror, the body and control. - Clash magazine


"Intergalactic Republic of Kongo // Koko"

"I.R.O.K are unparalleled by any other band right now, shaking some life into a tired London music scene, bringing it forward and taking everyone with them as they go - Octagon Octagon magazine


"We Have I.R.O.K.'s Psychotropic New Track"

Mondays are--generally speaking--not the best times for psychotropics, but we decided to make an exception as soon as this new single from The Intergalactic Republic of Kongo rolled in. London psycho rave-wavers I.R.O.K.'s latest track, "God", is a dark disco banger that's been kidnapped by the indigenous tribe of some unnamed jungle and forced to ingest viciously potent hallucinogenics (think Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" with less indecipherable run-ons and more designer drugs). Chaotic and hypnotizing, "God" sucks you in and then knocks you out with its dangerous mix of sinister UK grime and frenzied afro-beat. - Noisey (VICE magazine)


""Uncategorisable, just as I like it""

"Uncategorisable, just as I like it" - John Kennedy, XFM radio


"Live review: Kavinsky/DJ Feadz/Yelle/I.R.O.K. @ The Playground, Koko Camden"

East London afro punks I.R.O.K. were on hand to start the riot inside of you! Known for their infamy around Shoreditch and Hoxton, the five-piece’s explosive live show transformed the already great night into a spectacular event. Playing their largest set to date, it was clear the genre defying act belonged on this bigger stage, kicking off their own mini revolution. Channelling the spirit of early rave and psychedelic rock and roll, there were stage invasions and dives a plenty, all lead by the pig tail adorned dance commander, front-man Mike Title. Ferocious, chaotic and hedonistic, these guys showed exactly why shouldn't set foot on smaller stage ever again. - subba-cultcha


"NME Radar Buzz: I.R.O.K."

IROK
AKA The Intergalactic Republic Of Kongo
AKA Mike Title from London non-starters Dead Kids. Mike dressed as Colonel Gaddafi - post-golden gun shooting - during IROK's set at London's newest, most depraved venue the Sebright arms recently. It was the perfect setting for his self-descirbed "violent and contagious psychotrophic afro-punk". 15/11/2011 - NME magazine (UK)


"LIVEMUSIC INTERVIEW: I.R.O.K. AND AZEALIA BANKS AT AMSTERDAM'S PARADISO, 2011"

Bands: I.R.O.K. + Azealia Banks
Last weekend Amsterdam's Paradiso was taken over by London Calling, a mini festival jam packed with bands, geographically leaning towards association with the English capital. Will and the People, Friends, Jamie N Commons, The History of Apple Pie and many more made their way to Holland, but the highlights were undoubtably I.R.O.K. and Azealia Banks.

The latter appeared at 1am, shortly before I.R.O.K.'s set at 2am - both on the upper stage. Azealia Banks.....

...I.R.O.K. were also spot on the money, the London-based troupe raved in mad rapture beneath the luminous glow of Amsterdam's iconic venue. The 'dimension' the band creates, as discussed by lead-man Mike Title below, is a fine example of what is commonly referred to as 'magic'. We're not talking about Paul Daniels chopping Debbie McGee in two - we're talking about Prospero, Edward Kelly and Agrippa. The British artist Grayson Perry, in a new exhibition at the British Museum, boasts a section of 20 or so objects dedicated to his role as magician. Perry embodies objects with sacred powers, he transforms them into mystical entities - as do I.R.O.K. through the medium of music.

"Art is literally magic" according to comic book savant Alan Moore. A book of spells, a grimoire, literally means 'book of grammar' - words being integral to creative outputs. Occult shares its etymology with 'cult' and 'culture'. In early history magic was referred to as 'the art' or the 'black art'. Black art is commonly misunderstood as sinister and evil, but then it simply referred to the fertile black soil lining the banks of the Nile. Ancient Egypt has long been known as a spiritual menhir. Take The Exodus for example. When Moses goes to the Pharaoh to demonstrate his relationship with God, he first tosses down his staff and turns it into a serpent. The Pharaoh's magicians are not shocked by this transmogrification and swiftly follow suit. Can we conceive the human mind, through magic, has the ability to access ulterior dimensions? Something demonstrated in Exodus as a more simple task, before the Enlightenment took hold with iron grip. Pathfinder of this movement Isaac Newton was not only a pioneer of physics, he was an alchemist. The idea of Newton as rationalist has been popularised but he was in fact the last of the magicians, he spent most of life immersed in alchemy and attempting to decode the Bible in search of esoteric knowledge.

Well I.R.O.K. are modern alchemists, new magicians helping shift our malleable consciousness through art. Title writhes in shamanistic fulminations and their afro-futurist punk fizzes with the evening's effervescence. A band so singular in their vision hasn't performed since Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars - but Bowie acted like a bit of a self-aggrandising penis. Recent scientific discoveries maybe heralding the undoing of rationalism.

The £11 billion LHC experiment in Geneva has turned up some curious results. Let us assume these results from CERN are authentic and Einstein's Theory Of Special Relativity has been disproved. Subatomic particles, neutrinos, have been measured on multiple occasions to have traveled faster than the speed of light. One explanation is they take short cuts through other dimensions. Perhaps human consciousness has the ability to access these. Perhaps hallucinations are simply other dimensions staring back at us with equal curiosity - perhaps The Intergalactic Republic of Kongo are our modern ships transporting the mind through portals of space. Livemusic certainly tripped our tits off and left our inhibitions in London. Below Mike Title gives profound insight into the mind of a modern alchemist. Replaced are mercurial liquids and pestles and mortars, instead this band stir the cauldron of modern culture and audio colours, then spit down the throat of the Magi's serpents. Guttural, immediate and a live act to miss at your peril. - livemusic.fm


"MTV HIVE : Stupid Pretty” (I.R.O.K. Remix) — Song Premiere"

On this remix of “Stupid Pretty” by I.R.O.K. (a.k.a. Intergalactic Republic of Kongo), a group helmed by Young’s keyboardist and hypeman Jan Blumentrath, she describes him as ” a crazy bitch,” in reference to his style. “I love watching them play. He bites the heads off children in the audience.” While her band-mate’s rendition doesn’t conjure up any images that are quite so violent, it certainly does venture towards the dark side. The original’s hip-hop-friendly backtrack of driving bass and bright synths are replaced with a glitchy, tribal drumline, chopped vocal samples and a sinister male on the chorus of “I’m a pretty girl,” essentially morphing Young’s rap into a vogue-worthy club track — a place we can only assume Young feels quite comfortable in. - MTV Hive blog


"THE NEW BRITISH is I.R.O.K."

posted the "all my children" video on the 3rd of Nov 2011 - http://www.thenewbritish.com/


"From the Dead Kids to I.R.O.K.: Interview with Mike Title"

It’s hard to write a feature about a band that you are/were really passionate about, I mean really hard. Dead Kids were part of that rare bread that didn’t have a band-to-fan bridge. There was no divide, accessibility was there if you wanted it, and enigmatic frontman Mike Title would even jump on your fuckin’ shoulders if you asked him to. They ripped crowds up and spat them out in every show they performed in their short existence and best of all, they got off on it and so did we! There was a belonging that came with this whole tribal fuckin’ orgy. You felt an integral part of this party, one which you hoped never ended.



And then, the bombshell, they were to split. It was like being promised a shag and then the person in question at the last minute saying “actually, I’m tired”. Fuck! All that hard work, for what seemed nothing. Their debut album ‘Dark Party’ was released as a free download and they disappeared for a while, well some of them.



I won’t gush anymore about what this band meant to me or the others that got caught in the melee of the Dead Kids. This article, if nothing else hopes to celebrate Mike Title’s new project I.R.O.K. and not get all sentimental about what could have been….They were fuckin’ good though, weren’t they?



Hey Mike, what are you up to tonight?

I am digesting the heart of my enemy in the dark, drinking wine. I’m making moves. I am also avoiding going out tonight. I wish to exercise some form of control until tomorrow. Tomorrow is feeding time. No tomorrow I’m going out with a mate.



It’s nice to have you back! I miss the Dead Kids though. So before we chat about your new band, please enlighten me on some grey areas…



As Dead Kids debut album was due for release, the band split. Did it not feel like all that this project that you’d been working towards came to nothing? Or will you always have fond memories of those fuckin’ raucous shows? Was that enough though?

Well it was a project that I lived passionately and one that didn’t ‘come to nothing’ for me. When you reach the end of a relationship, do you wish you had never been in it? They all end man, they all do. It felt right to stop when we did.

The album is here:

http://deadkids.bandcamp.com/album/dark-party

It’s free to download. That doesn’t mean that it’s not good though. We are all very proud of it. It will stand up in time.



I was extremely lucky to have that adventure and share it with, not only my band mates, my brothers but with the people that went nuts at our shows all over Europe. It was a great time in our lives. Three summers of burning everything hard and fast. I’m not one to reminisce too much though. There is plenty more fun to be had if god wills it.



It was a fuckin’ shit experience learning that you lot split and knowing that stage show wouldn’t be accessible again. The music would not be there on a live platform. What was the major reason for the parting of ways?

Seb went home to America, Adam stopped playing music. I did a few gigs with guys who weren’t original members of Dead Kids and it felt wrong. You have to leave a good legacy. That’s all you have. I didn’t want to write with the others and I just wanted to go travelling so I packed my bag and went to the Atlas Mountains for a while.



So many people were enthralled by your music; you were one of the most potent live bands around when you were in Dead Kids. Can you recreate this presence with I.R.O.K.?

Well we have only done a handful of shows but yes the crowds have been very responsive. The energy is more voodoo. Religious let’s say.



After, the Dead Kids split were you itching to get back into music. Or did you never leave?

Music never leaves you. Not anyone. It’s inside all of us isn’t it. It communicates the things we suffer to express with words. So the itch under the skin, as it were, is always there itching.



During your time with the band, you painted this image of the ultimate DIY band; home studio, manic shows, creating your own fan base through hard work and putting your own music out on your own label. Is your Sparrows Tear a now defunct label or can we expect the I.R.O.K. releases to come out on it?

Well Sparrows Tear was a label that we, and when I say we, I say Adam put together to put out some releases because the music industry would not touch us. It became like war. We were blowing these bands off the stage night after night. We stormed Glastonbury so hard that we spent the weekend on peoples shoulders but we were not really a business model for a record company freaking out that no one was buying records. What really killed it for me though was when people ripped off our songs and released them on major labels. That was like the biggest joke of all. We got out of court settlements and a fuck you.



Will the band be driven by the same ethos as Dead Kids was?

I.R.O.K. is different in many ways and not different at all in others. I think its crass to talk about business but shit is happening and music will come out and we will be on tour and I will always bleed for the things that I believe in. Look, I live through my music. If you don’t then what as a musician are you doing?



Talk to us about ‘All My Childen’ (the video will be posted below)….

All my children is a series of prophecies of plagues, riots and fires and how wrongs will be overturned in time. How nature takes care of shit. It’s also about the delusions of a dangerous idiot who hears voices in the supermarket haha. For every prophet who got it right there has been ten thrown on the fire or left pissed up at the bar.





The name of your new band is I.R.O.K. or The Intergalactic Republic of Kongo. Because…

It came to me in a vision that in the future the Democratic Republic of Congo would be in outer space and would choose to change their name. Then i realised that this is already happening but in another dimension that’s always only millimetres away from my head.



And, how contagious is your psychotropic afro-punk? Am I likely to get poked in the eye? A bloody nose?

Keep asking the questions and we can see at the end can’t we?



Returning back to the live scene, have you got any new dates pencilled it for the rest of the year?

I’m organising a big I.R.O.K. party in October for Halloween in East London which will be fun. I am also making plans for us to play in Morocco. To return to the place where the band was dreamed up. Where we eventually want to record. I remember when it hit me that I was going to do this and I burst into tears. I knew i didn’t have a choice. That’s a beautiful thing is it not? To make something real.



I.R.O.K. play Blood Feast @ The Seabright Arms, Hackney, London October 30th: http://bloodfeasthalloween.tumblr.com/



As I.R.O.K, you recently played the Macbeth. What other shows have you played?

It was a pretty immense show at Macbeth for our launch which was rammed to the gills like a baboon choking on liver sandwiches. We’ve played a couple of others and a festival. It’s very early days for us.



We’ve obviously heard ‘All My Children’ and ‘Ooaaoo’ which is on the new WW1.0 Compilation. Have you got any others tracks that are ready for public airing? How did the WW1.0 Compilation come about?



We have finished one album ‘Ye Ye God Revolution’ and that should come out this year or early next and we are already writing the new one. I’m feeling very inspired. We all are.



The compilation came about through Guy Wampa who produced our record and plays incredible percussion for us. He’s someone who is incredibly versatile. A drummer, a percussionist, a great producer, he runs his own studio, a small label and writes his own dance music and string quartets. Basically he’s nuts but has helped I.R.O.K. shape itself with great energy. It was an amazing feeling to leave the windowless studio with him and go to the Atlantic Ocean and Morocco. He enjoyed the experience more than anyone.



And finally, last time I interviewed you, I asked you where you got that American flag bomber jacket you wore at the Dead Kids Glastonbury performance. This year, I’m going one step further…can I have it?

Haha I’m sorry mate. I burned it in a ritualistic ceremony.



Follow I.R.O.K. on the following:

http://theintergalacticrepublicofkongo.tumblr.com/ AND https://www.facebook.com/weareirok?ref=ts - http://www.shout4music.com


"live review I.R.O.K. supporting Death grips"

This evening’s support came from I.R.O.K (Intergalactic Republic of Kongo, I believe) and they did a more than sterling job when faced with a crowd expectant of a night of chaos, violence and noise. Headed up by a lead singer channelling equal parts Prince, Napoleon Dynamite and Art Brut’s Eddie Argos the band put in a storming shift of synth driven wonderment and are truly worthy of a mention here, if you get chance catch these guys. - kollektivnye


"THE INTERGALACTIC REPUBLIC OF KONGO - new bands"

This band pushes next level with some heavy lifting sonic vehicles, I.R.O.K which stands for; THE INTERGALACTIC REPUBLIC OF KONGO are "Contagious and violent psychotropic afro-punk." But like this stuff rushes head-on occupying somewhere just ahead of Rainbow Arabia and attacking that Moroccan alt headland from a synth sucking rhythm breathing angle last seen emanating from a band like Asian Dub Foundation but not them. Kick ass! - Fokkawolfe blog


"SSQ: I.R.O.K. interview"

Psychotropic afro-punk ensemble The Intergalactic Republic Of Kongo, oft-abbreviated to I.R.O.K., first came about when one-time Dead Kids frontman Mike Title was inspired by the sights and sounds he witnessed at an African football match.

Having formed, they then divided recording sessions for their yet-to-be-released debut album ‘Yé Yé God Revolution’ between London and Morocco. For the uninitiated, you can check out how all this sounds when they play the Standon Calling festival this weekend. In anticipation of that, Mike Title gave us his highly original take on our Same Six Questions.

Q1 How did you start out making music?
I started making music like anyone else. Music is not the blessing bestowed on people in ridiculous clothes. It’s in your blood, guts, bones, throat, dreams and soul. Dickheads have sabotaged and put barriers between man and music. Anyone is music.

Q2 What inspired your latest album?
Morocco inspired it; mountains, the ocean, African football terraces, smoke, fire, drums, fucking and generally being ALIVE.

Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?
What drives me to write a track is the same thing that drives you to keep breathing, or a shark to follow the scent of blood. Songs write themselves.

Q4 Which artists influence your work?
Funkadelic, Sun Ra, Crass, Rick James and Prince.

Q5 What would you say to someone listening to your music for the first time?
I would say relax, enjoy the ride, commune with us. The Intergalactic Republic of Kongo wish to lower their force fields and engage with your mind.

Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest album, and for the future?
I have no ambitions but to destroy everything I love before I die. To destroy everything. I want to sodomise you with my ideas. Maybe something good will come out of it. - CMU


"Artist of the week"

Artist of the week on Hitquarters, 2011 week 34 - Hitquarters.com


"LIVEMUSIC.FM REVIEW STANDON CALLING"

...'Favourite artists' are in a abundance at Standon. Whatever your subjective stand-point there is something for us all: Rebellious afro-futurism from I.R.O.K., anti-rap alt-folk from A Band Of Buriers, math-rock from Battles, savant warbling from Saul Williams and Howard Marks, cacophonous dustup from Egyptrixx - the list continues. "...

I think it is worth giving a special mention to I.R.O.K. - A new band with varied heritage - this was huge. It is my job to travel the length and breadth of the country watching bands and I haven't stumbled across such a natural, guttural, purposeful band since……… I honestly can't think of one. I was going to say The Wipers but I never saw them. No I think this is the dawn of a new punk monolith. The 'Intergalactic Republic of Kongo' lie somewhere between John Lydon, George Clinton, Black Flag, Fela Kuti, glossolalia and alien invasion - I know that sounds dope - check 'em out below. It is a credit to the festival to have picked up on this band so early in their career.
- livemusic.fm


"Gods and monsters invade Standon calling Festival review"

I.R.O.K. was a revelation with the sweaty lead singer's boundless energy taking him deep into the crowd to the alarm of those charged with protecting him.

“We don't need security,” he bellowed before joyously wrestling with members of the crowd. - www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk


"I.R.O.K - at Macbeth"

photos of gig - Volume magazine


"SYNTH FUCKING, MOROCCAN BEATS, LACONIC TWANG VOX…WIN!"

SYNTH FUCKING, MOROCCAN BEATS, LACONIC TWANG VOX…WIN! - SHOBMX - IRRELEVANTLY RELEVANT SINCE 2010


"I.R.O.K - THE QUEST OF THE AWESOME LEGEND."

I was first introduced to I.R.O.K back in November when I was taken to the screening of their video for ‘OO AA OO’ at The Barbican. The video was cool, a tad strange and looked like effort had gone in to it. The video was filmed partly in Morocco because Mike Title (previously of Dead Kids and founder of I.R.O.K) conceived the idea for the band in Morocco on one of his frequent trips there.

“One day I ended up following a crowd. They led me to a football stadium. I went inside. It was chaos. All standing. Everyone dancing, chanting on megaphones, drums banging everywhere, Moroccan flutes buzzing, fire, riot police. Total chaos and joy and I literally knew that I was going to recreate this energy my own way. I spent a year doing that. I came home wrote with Adam, met Guy, got Jan and Harry in and then we got Wayne to handle bass once we were ready to roll live. The whole thing took one year from scratch. I'm happy with that.” As he says “It made sense to go back to morocco to capture that energy in a video, not only a video but we recorded part of the album there too.”

I liked the song, the video was good and the experience stuck with me.

I was first introduced to Mike Title’s dancing (which, trust me, proved to be an incredible vein of the band) at a metal night he runs called Tribute when he, in the position of superman stage dived and punched me in the eye. Surprisingly this did me a favour; as his fist jutted in to my face, it jogged old memories and took me back to more moshier days, I felt much more the part, post punch. I don’t think my face even registered on his fist as he hurtled, fists flailing through the crowd; but the night registered in my mind and I wasn’t going to be forgetting him any time soon.

Having already had these experiences of a lifetime, when I was asked if I’d like to go and see I.R.O.K’s first gig I said I would – what fool wouldn’t?

The gig was at Scream Lounge in Croydon. A lovely little Utopia. Having taken the slow train to the wrong side of Croydon we were already 40 minutes late by the time we turned up.

The Scream Lounge’s pub-like façade did not betray what vulgar treasures lay within. Red “velvet” played a big part. So did blue neon, plastic gargoyles and large gold painted, tacky mirrors. I was quite confident this was going to be interesting if nothing else. We took a wrong turn and stumbled across a 60 year old four-piece, which I was pretty sure wasn’t I.R.O.K and definitely wasn’t interesting. But when directed to the back room by a man with dreads who looked totally out of place behind the tacky bar, said ….

“Are they indie sort-of tribal techno?”

We nod.

“Yeah, that’s through there…”

This was when things got better than interesting.

As we walked through the big black double doors we entered a small room that was lit like a meatloaf video, with soft blue light and smoke machines. There were about 15 of us there including an old woman who walked in waving keys, demanding to know who was in the band because they had parked her car in – when she was directed to Mike (who’s arms at this point were already flailing at maximum capacity, looking like a young Dustin Hoffman channelling the spirits of a tribal jive god) she took one look and decided the car was not so important. I’d like to say she stuck around for the rest of the gig, but the sucker fled early and probably got the long train home to the wrong side of town.

We did stick around for the rest of the gig because it was fucking incredible from the moment we walked in.

The Scream Lounge had a surprisingly efficient sound system that flattered the entirely live ensemble. Jan on keys, Harry on drums, Guy on percussion and Wayne on bass (played on keys). The self-described “intergalactic republic of Kongo” played something entirely new to me, I wouldn’t know how to describe it other than awesome, in the true sense of the word. But for a more accurate definition of the awesomeness that thudded against my eardrums I shall turn to I.R.O.K who describe their sound as “psychotropic afro-punk.” Every element of the band complimented the next, Mikes wild dancing, endless energy and brilliant lyrics, Guys flawless African percussion, Wayne’s thudding bass, Harry’s melodic keys (when the wires were plugged in) and Jan’s incessant drums.

If you haven’t heard of them yet, it isn’t because you’re not “tuned in”. It’s because there isn’t much to tuned in to at the moment. These cats are broadcasting on a different channel, or not as the case may be. But the lack of cyber bumph is not intentionally subversive, “I'm not reluctant to give interviews. I'll talk shit all day long mate, but MySpace is ugly and shit. I'll set up a tumblr soon. I don't go out of my way to be anti-commercial but I'm not a 19-year-old starlet in lip-gloss that is true. “ It is true, but if Dustin Hoffman can pull off lip-gloss, I’m sure Mike can. Tootsie’s a big look and shouldn’t be so easily dismissed.”

At the end of the gig Mike, whose eagerness to interact with the crowd had not waned, thanked the audience and repeated, “We are I.RO.K, you were here first! You were here first!” And you actually had a genuine feeling that you were there first, that you were one of the first to witness something special, and the band, being smart boys, seemed quite aware of this fact too. Quite bloody rightly.

These guys, in my opinion are already brilliant and I think they’re going to be fucking huge. I’d make a prophet joke now if it didn’t mean I’d get killed, so instead, clutching at straws ..….

Like the kid who saw E.T phone home, I saw something otherworldly that night.

Aha. Ha.

On a serious note, I’d strongly recommend being some of the next to witness this and heading down to The Macbeth tonight for their real launch, because they really are something special.

You got the jist right? I thought it was alright.

By Jade Fitton - livemusic.fm


Discography

Single: "Oo aa oo" on Hit Club records (2010)

Video "All my children":
http://youtu.be/p8pWooIwXqw

Video: "Oo aa oo":
http://youtu.be/El2rrkle-qo

I.R.O.K. in Morocco documentary:
http://noisey.vice.com/es_mx/noisey-show/the-intergalactic-republic-of-kongo-take-on-north-africa

Photos

Bio

I.R.O.K.

I.R.O.K. are THE INTERGALACTIC REPUBLIC OF KONGO.

They make violent and psychotropic afro-punk. Their songs have been recorded in East London and in Southern Morocco where the sound was dreamt up by front-man Mike Title (formerly of Dead Kids) when he found himself on the concrete stands of a North African football match. It is the sound of chaos, ecstasy and of panic.