Artist Spotlight ~ Monkey Intrusion

Artist Spotlight is a segment that we started to introduce our readers to some deserving up and coming artists/bands. They have made an impact on us for all of the right reasons. We think they kick ass, and we hope you do too! Today we’d like to shine the spotlight on Italy rockers Monkey Intrusion!

Monkey Intrusion is an independent rock band based in Trieste, North East of Italy. Their music is a melting of genres influenced by the different backgrounds of band members.

The project started in the summer of 2013 from the ashes of a previous band formed by Marco Plesnicar (bass), Vincenzo Reina (guitars, voice) and Enrico Goti (voice, guitars). They started to develop their own music in a slow process due mainly to the changes at the drumkit until finally Marco Bertoli (drums) joined the group in 2021. His presence provided the stability and sound needed to take the next step…entering a recording studio. The Album was recorded in 2022 at Jork Studios (studiojork.com) Dekani, one of the most relevant in Slovenia. The result is a journey through the emotions, observations and sometimes fears of a dystopic society where the music shifts in genres to underscore what the lyrics portray.

At present they have released 6 singles – “The Brighter Side,” “Fire Dancer,” “Life,” “Police of the Soul,” “Hard Times, Bad Love” “and “Cucuta Weston” – and their debut album Pussycats and Monkeymen.

We sat down with Vincenzo Reina of Monkey Intrusion for a short, but fun Q&A session!

Every superhero or villain has an origin and a band is no different minus the radioactive spiders and secret government experiments. What is the origin of Monkey Intrusion?

Vincenzo Reina/Monkey: Monkey Intrusion were born 13 years ago when I (voice and guitar) and Marco Plesnicar (bass) old schoolmates and passionate progrock musician met Enrico J. Goti, one of the best singer of our hometown Trieste in Italy. We all are three composers so we decided immediately to abandon all the cover stuff and dedicate ourselves completely to our own music. When we met our drummer Marco Bertoli we decided to record our best songs in full album and went to Jork Studios, one of the most prominent in Slovenia, and to be produced and engineered by Jadran Ogrin and Gabriel Ogrin.

Band names can have a meaning or it can be a name pulled out of a hat. What’s the story behind Monkey Intrusion?

Vincenzo Reina/Monkey: I was in Singapore and when I entered my hotel room I saw a warning on the window to keep the balcony door locked all times due to monkey intrusion.

Once back and speaking with the band mates we thought ‘Monkey Intrusion’ would be a great name for us… like monkeys intruding on the minds of our listener to unleash their souls.

What are you currently working on?

Vincenzo Reina/Monkey: We are promoting our album Pussycats and Monkeymen and playing gigs, which is what we like to do more. In parallel we are writing and arranging new songs for the next release.

What was the first CD/album that you bought and what was your most recent CD/album purchase?

Vincenzo Reina/Monkey: Let me think about it…I guess the first was Eye in the Sky by the Alan Parsons Project, it was magic and the last Empathogen of Willow one of the most original music I heard in the last months.

What are your 5 favorite albums?

Vincenzo Reina/Monkey: Very hard to pick up the best ones. Definitely among my favorites Genesis The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Peter Gabriel 3, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, Pink Floyd The Wall, Jimi Hendrix Electric Ladyland…yes that’s it!