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Pete Donaldson & John Shields are the monkeys in question.
Pete has been on the circuit in Belfast for over six years now, ending a four year residency at the Brunswick in Feb 2002. His time there saw him bring & play with some of the most respected names in the game. People like Marshall Jefferson, Dj Misjah, the Scratch Perverts, Steve Glencross, Oliver Ho, Freddy Fresh, 808 State, Dj Vadim, Underground Resistance’s Suburban Knight, James Holroyd, Phil Cooper, Justin Berkovi & a host of other names. In his years there, he also performed numerous live sets, 5 hour dj sets, multiple dex, fx & mixer sets with other djs & Belfast’s only live electro booty outfit, The Belfast Booty Company. Pete also made an effort to include local bedroom djs & other guys in Belfast who weren’t getting they chances they deserved. A rule his still implies at his club nights.
John has also played a roll in the scene. Djing for over ten years now, John also ”cut his teeth“ at the Brunswick. After a series of one offs & parties, John & brother Colin together with Gawain started a night in ”Vico’s“. Originally called ”Intravenous“, they night quickly took root, and turned into ”Evolution“. Whilst a serving dj, John played alongside such heroes as Christian Smith, Tim Taylor, Adam Beyer & Andy Smith, the Portishead tour dj, his top gig as it stands. Over the years , John slipped outta Evolution and into a variety of gigs round Belfast, everywhere from Lavery’s to Shine to the Front Page to the Venue. He had also found his way into production through friends in the dj game and had played live with friend Tony at ”Evolution“ a number of times. It was through this mutual interest, and the love of partying, that they finally crossed paths.
They started sticking samples & shit together in Pete’s slavestudios in the early summer of 2001. They then dj’ed together on a number of occasions at ”contents“ & ”Evolution“ in the Brunswick on Saturdays & Fridays, respectively. They also gained a residency at ”The Future Sound Session“ in Lavery’s back bar, which they hold to this day, regularly performing dj & live sets. It is these live sets, however, that have received most attention. Everything from laid back breaks & deep fluid house to ripping loop techno & tearing drum ‘n’ bass. Over the last year the Monkeys have played live at several ”Future Sound Sessions“, ”GROOVE 101“ in Morrison’s, Rhythm Alliance’s First Birthday Bash & DOYNK v Electrotoxic at the Front Page and The digitalT Showcase in the Limelight, they’re most intense gig to date which saw an hour of full-on bangin loop techno that was most certainly influenced by Speedy J’s visit to the same venue. Each gig has been littered with cheeky samples, everyone from Eminem to Michael Jackson getting they’re lovely lyrics thrown over cheap beats & stooped basslines. With John being a house head who loves his soul, and Pete the typical moody techno dj, the output can be quite amusing at times
Although the output from the Monkeys has levelled in the last eight months, this is only due to commitments from both partners on other projects. John had to relocate and then rebuild his ever expanding studio, while Pete had taken on three nights a month at the Front Page, running ”perpetual“ (techno), ”DeBase“(house) & DOYNK (random) club nights & still producing his own material whilst taking part in a part time music course. Needless to say, they are both single. They still found time to throw down some output. The latest project completed was the ”Industrial Down Beat“ album that was initially meant to be a collection of backing trax & loops for a friends industrial band; hence the name. After completing three or four trax, the Monkeys decided they may have something different compared to their usual output. Both being dj’s, almost everything they had written so far was aimed squarely at the dance floor. They continued, and after only nine or ten sessions, they had a twelve track album of dark cinematic soundscape material. An avenue they had never really thought about going down but had ended up at the end of. Anyone to have heard the work has been astounded by its complete detachment from the usual four/four blueprint the Monkeys so rarely stray from in the studio. Live sets can produce anything, and they insist on writing a completely new set for every gig, but to studio produce this is very out of character. It has received praise from Phil Kieran, Evolution headman Gawain & ”perpetual“ resident Bryan Bell. They have also received a remix offer from Belfast’s new Red Label on the grounds of the work, an offer they couldn’t turn down. Here’s hoping
Two Stone Monkeys have no specific plan. They do trax & play gigs. They get payed and post out demos & give away cd’s at gigs. And get binned. A lot.
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