Puppetmastaz
Puppetmastaz is a German hip hop group founded in Berlin with members from Germany, United States and Canada, like Max Turner, Chilly Gonzales,[1] Paul PM (aka Mister Maloke), Mocky and Alex Tiller, who left the band in 2003.[2] Formed in 1996, the group perform their shows with hand puppets and meet music styles of rap, funk and electronica.
Puppetmastaz | |
|---|---|
 Puppetmastaz at Marionnettissimo Festival | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Berlin, Germany |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Years active | 1996—present |
| Labels | Vicious Circle Louisville Records |
| Website | www.puppetmastaz.com Puppetmastaz on Myspace Puppetmastaz-Magazine Puppetry Fair |
The producers on at least 3 albums were N1tro, Patric Catani (aka Candie Hank, Ec8or) and Bomb 20. Bandleader Paul Affeld,[3][4] along with Artist Max Turner,[5] is the only member to have contributed to all 5 albums to date. Former members are also musician and songwriter Adam Traynor and Blake Worrell. Other recent Members: Pilo (Adrian Ilea), Zhi MC (Zhi Yang Trieu) and Luis Nassowitz.[5]
Development
Their first transregional known songs were "Pet Sound" (2003, New Noise Label) and "The Bigger the Better" (2005, Louisville Records). The band members of the Puppetmastaz Crew are always seen as puppets on stage. Whilst music is played by their DJ, the band members rap live by their puppets.
The band's frontman is Mr. Maloke, a mole rapper whose characteristic sign is wearing a glitter topper, played by Paul PM aka Paul Affeld, who is also the heartbeat of that puppet-universe.[6] According "to the legend" he founded the Puppetmastaz in the late 1990s. Step by step the band became bigger by puppets from all over the world. The puppets which later worked with the actual Puppetmastaz acted as first ones on shows in 1996 at Berlin's dance club Ex-Kreuz-Club.
The first shows as a hip hop act were organized in 1999, where also their first music video was made and titled with "Wick-a-Woo". On TV the puppet band were first seen in 2000. Their first maxi EP Humans Get All The Credits was released in 2002 and let grown the band's profile nationwide.
In 2003 were produced the maxi EP Pet Sound and Zoology as the album Creature Funk. It followed a remix vinyl which was published as Prosettis Disco Balls but only as a limited vinyl edition. In October 2005 were released the EP Bigger the Better and the album Creature Shock Radio.[7]
The Puppetmastaz's shows were regional as also trans regional known as "first toy group". Especially in France, where their live shows got 5000 visitors they became well known and got a big and constantly growing fan community.
In 2007 the Puppetmastaz published a cover of John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance" in support of Amnesty International what had warmed even Yoko Ono's heart how the Puppetmastaz said in an interview.[8]
First there was the creature. We were cursing and swearing on the street until something like a rhythm came out of it, some kind of a beat box. And when we stopped talking, the rain pattered on the roof and made this noise, which all of the sudden sound like Hip Hop, until finally the Prosetti Brothers came by and said that they want to produce us.
— Mr. Maloke, Puppetmastaz[9]
Their latest album The Takeover (CD and double vinyl) was released in 2008.
They also started in June 2009 their own satire magazine with its title Puppetry Fair - The Glossy Gossip Gazette.[10]
In 2009, the Puppetmastaz were touring in Germany, Spain, France, Austria, Japan and Belgium on their own shows as on festivals like Pukkelpop in Belgium and Sonnenrot Festival in Eching, Munich.
They toured China in October 2010, the first hip hop puppet crew to do so since the Chinese opening and reform.
All current band members
- Mr. Maloke: band leader, mole puppet
- Tango Troublemaker: producer, rapper, blue bird puppet
- Panic,the Pig: rapper, pig puppet
- Snuggles the Bunny: rapper, rabbit puppet
- Wizard The Lizard: rapper, lizard puppet
- Ducci Prosetti: rapper/Producer, dragon puppet
- HipHopNotist: rapper, gecko puppet
- Frogga: rapper, frog puppet
- Ricardo Prosetti: rapper/Producer, frog puppet
- Flix: rapper, bat puppet
- Turbid the Toad: frog puppet
- Ryno: rapper, rhino puppet
- Croucholina: toad puppet, dancer
- Croucho: toad puppet and brother of Croucholina
- Pit: Rapper, frog puppet
- Dino Prosetti: producer, fish puppet
- E-Wizz: Rapper, humanly puppet
- Midi Mighty Moe: DJ, fly puppet
- Big Eye: alien puppet
- Rita: reggae puppet
- Keil Pittler: demagogue puppet
- Bloke: clown puppet
- Lisa
- Buddha
- Richelieux
- Hammerhead Rapper, Shark puppet
- Dogga Dacoda
- Harold
- BumbleBee
- Squidrick A.K.A. Squidone: Rapper, octopus with hat
- Yobo: rapper and entertainer, twin brother of Star Wars' Yoda
- Peppino
- Orango-Thang[2]
Discography
- Keep Yo Animal! - 2016/2017 (CD / Verycords)
- Revolve and Step Up! - 2012 (CD / Discograph)
- The Break Up - 2009
- The Takeover - 2008 (CD / double Vinyl - Discograph)
- Clones - Live in Berlin - 2007 (CD / DVD (Vicious Circle / Louisville Records)
- Creature Shock Radio - 2006 (CD Vicious Circle / Louisville Records)
- Creature Funk - 2003 (CD [Labels / EMI)
- Zoology - 2003 (EP (Labels / EMI)
- Pet Sound - 2002 (EP [Labels / EMI)
References
- Catálogo BAFICI 2011. Gob Ciudad de Buenos Aires. 2011. p. 340.
- "Discography and History -" (in German). Archived from the original on 2018-06-20. Retrieved 2018-10-11.
- "Bangalore - About us - Goethe-Institut Indien". www.goethe.de. Retrieved 2018-10-21.
- "- Handpuppen-Hip-Hop". Deutschlandfunk (in German). Retrieved 2018-10-21.
- Infos & Credits. "{title}". Official Puppetmastaz Website. Archived from the original on 2016-12-14. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
- Richi, Priyanka. "Hand in glove with laughter". The Hindu. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
- "Discography and History -" (in German). Retrieved 2018-10-21.
- "Puppetmastaz – laut.de – Band". laut.de (in German). Retrieved 2018-10-21.
- "This is the OFFICIAL Puppetmastaz Website 2018". www.puppetmastaz.com.
- "PuppetryFair Online Shop パペットライ フェア通販専門店 - パペットライ フェア". パペットライ フェア.