AMUNGUS is an experiment. An experiment in music. An experiment in collaboration. An experiment in technology.
AMUNGUS is Rob Takac of the Goo Goo Dolls, one of the most successful American rock bands of today, and Brian Schulmeister, co-founder of Slender Fungus, an eclectic multimedia design company.
AMUNGUS began in 2003, when Rob and Brian realized they had a mutual appreciation for multifarious musical diversions, laptop based music production methods and "the finer things life has to offer". Trading audio files and snippets back and forth through email, something started to take shape - with rarely any memory as to who did what or added which beat or musical passage. Over time, songs emerged. Grooves reminiscent of Basement Jaxx, Chemical Brothers, Prince and LCD Soundsystem were passed digitally back and forth until an original soundscape began to emerge.
AMUNGUS has performed annually at the Music is Art Festival (presented by a Western New York based foundation whose mission is to help promote musical education in their community). They have also performed at various clubs and galleries in the WNY area as well as being recorded for the “Music is Art Live at the Center” television program. AMUNGUS has also collaborated on a number of nationally distributed recordings. Alt rockers Last Conservative and The Juliet Dagger, singer / songwriter Terry Sullivan and hip hop collective, Milkfat have all benefited from the soundshapes and soundscapes that are uniquely AMUNGUS.
AMUNGUS is now ready to release their debut album, "the truth is...," featuring a cast of musicians, singers and emcees from the Amungus studio orbit, including the exciting debut of singers Alex Kelly, Ali Critelli and Nikki Hicks, as well as collaborations with Karl Wallinger (World Party, The Waterboys), Lady Tigra ("Cars That Go Boom"), and folk superstar Ani Difranco. Through the involvement of these additional outside influences, this project has become an exciting and crazed mix of techno, R&B, rock, dance and alternative, hovering in the clouds of a pop genre of its own.
Available now:
On iTunes:
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