Monkey Marc

Monkey Marc is a hip hop producer from Melbourne, Australia. His music is influenced by early hip hop, reggae, 80s and 90s Jamaican dancehall and world music. He is also the producer for his political hip hop band Combat Wombat. He has collaborated with British reggae artists included Soom T, Roots Manuva, YT and Speng Bond, as well as Jamaican reggae artists including Iba Mahr, Dre Island, Sizzla, Capleton, Fantan Mojah, Lutan Fyah and Turbulence. Originally from Cardiff, Wales, he immigrated to Australia with his family as a child. After growing up in Sydney, he worked in the mining industry as a geologist for several years. He then became heavily involved with the Australian punk activist scene, and moved to Lake Eyre for several years as part of the blockade of the BHP uranium mine at Roxby Downs. Together with Izzy Brown, another member of Combat Wombat, he ran a solar and wind-powered sound system, Labrats Solar Powered Sound System, that was used to power parties and events at environmental and social justice protests around Australia. Monkey Marc has also worked as a community youth worker in remote indigenous communities in the central desert and around Australia for 15 years, including award-winning project with Barkly Shire Council, Barkly Desert Culture. He has mentored and toured a number of young indigenous bands on tours of outback Australia and local festivals. Monkey Marc works out of a solar-powered shipping container studio that he built in Melbourne, Australia. He also runs a solar-powered sound system, DIY HiFi, and a vinyl-focused record label, Digi Killaz. His discography includes a solo album, As The Market Crashed, a follow-up EP of instrumental hip hop/dub, Monkey Marc vs The Planet Smashers, a collaborative album with Soom T, Bullets Over Babylon, and several albums with Combat Wombat.