Electronic Music, So Simple A Monkey Could Play It, Right?

Electronic music often gets derided as being a bunch of knob-twiddlers and laptop jockeys pressing a bunch of buttons that makes the music for them. A task so easy that monkeys could do it, right? Well the promoters behind Sweden’s Volt Festival are out to disprove that theory… literally.

The country’s leading electronic music festival has put together an advert that shows six species of monkey playing six different synthesizers.

‘Can anyone make music on a synth?’ is the question posed by the clip before putting iconic equipment like the Roland TR909 drum machine, the Yahama keytar and a Casiotone in the hands of lemurs, baboons and even a two-toed sloth. Needless to say, hijinks ensue.

In a ‘behind-the-scenes’ news report (Swedish language only folks) the makers of the ad reveal they achieved the simian-to-synth ratio by lathering the equipment in banana oil to lure the primates to the equipment.

Volt Festival, now in its fourth year, will be held on 9th of June, featuring acts like “experimental-nostalgist” Oneohtrix Point Never and British dance mavericks The Black Dog.

Organisers could not confirm however if any of the animals from their advert would be taking to the stage, rumoured to be performing in an ape-related tribute band to acts like Arctic Monkeys and Gorillaz. Unfortunately, none of the monkeys could be reached for comment.