Chimp Rock

Chimp rock is a term coined in the early 1990s by members of the Boston-based band Kudgel, and "popularly" applied to (or co-opted by) various bands (e.g., Sebadoh, Swirlies) at a time when lo-fi recording was gaining credibility in the independent music industry.

The word "Chimp" implies a primitive or unschooled approach. The mid to late 1990s were a time when deliberately childlike approaches to music were cultivated in many parts of the world. The British "Shambling" scene and Twee pop were perhaps precursors. Chimp rock rejected the deliberately cute aspects of these styles and developed a more chaotic, unkempt attitude. Chimp rock as a self-conscious style flourished in the Boston area, where childlike sounds, lo-fi recording techniques, the use of toy instruments, and even child musicians were popular. Recording artists such as Hasil Adkins, the Shaggs, and Daniel Johnston were championed as some of Chimp Rock's chief progenitors, although these pioneers were certainly not aware of the term.

A prominent band associated with Chimp Rock is Fat Day.

The Japanese recording artists Yximalloo and Dum Dum TV have a chimp-like sound which probably evolved independently based on similar social forces.

The "death" of chimp rock was proclaimed in 1994 on the Kudgel track "Chimp Is Dead (Guess Who Killed It?)", released on their 10" record Sea Monkee, and subsequent compilation Chimp is Dead (2000). The song features numerous Swirlies samples over a squalling "chimp rock" instrumental, a seemingly clear gesture towards the guilty party. However, the liner notes feature an alternate name for the song—"Chimp Is Dead (Mark E. Killed It)"—perhaps identifying band leader Mark Erdody as the murderer.

Nonetheless, a label called Chimp Records issued a series of singles after the supposed death. An LP compilation, Sonic Chimp Vol.1, was issued in 1997. In fact Chimp Rock was alive and well in the late 1990s, and its demise as a coherent artistic movement was probably due to the change in social mores brought about by the September 11, 2001 attacks.

As of the mid-2000s, a retrospective appreciation for Chimp rock is developing in the city that spawned it.