Drumming Monkey Records

Drumming Monkey Records was a German independent record label based in Düsseldorf, active from 2007 to 2020. It was founded by Stephen George Ritchie, better known by his stage name Vom Ritchie, the drummer of the long-running German punk band Die Toten Hosen. The label focused on various forms of rock music, with a particular emphasis on punk rock, and released 33 productions in total, including singles and compilations. The label's first release was the 2007 album 'Perfect Crime' by Wet Dog, one of the many bands in which Ritchie himself played. Over the following years, Drumming Monkey Records issued records by a circle of befriended musicians and bands, including Casino Blackout, The Backyard Band, Cryssis, T. V. Smith, the Düsseldorf-based indie-rock band The Buggs, Pascal Briggs, the duo Meg'n Jez (featuring Ritchie's son Jez Ritchie), and B Bang Cider (featuring Mary Ritchie). The catalogue was numbered sequentially from DRUM 01 to DRUM 33. In a 2009 interview with the Rheinische Post, two years after founding the label, Ritchie described it as his 'greatest hobby'. The label was run by Ritchie as managing partner, together with his wife Mary Ritchie and Roman Thiel. The final release was the 2019 album 'Fragment' by Casino Blackout. Citing a lack of time and changed conditions in the music industry, the partners decided to wind up the company amicably, and in spring 2020 an application for liquidation was filed at the Amtsgericht Düsseldorf. Since then, the label's back catalogue has been managed by co-founder and partner Roman Thiel on his new label Hinterhof Produktionen. Several former Drumming Monkey bands, including Casino Blackout, The Backyard Band and Cryssis (Vom Ritchie's side project), are signed to Hinterhof Produktionen.

Drumming Monkey Records was founded in 2007 by Stephen George Ritchie, known professionally as Vom Ritchie, the drummer of the German punk band Die Toten Hosen. The label was based in Düsseldorf and focused on various variants of rock music, with a main emphasis on punk rock. Besides Ritchie as managing partner, his wife Mary Ritchie and Roman Thiel were also involved in the company. The first album released on the label was 'Perfect Crime' by Wet Dog in 2007, one of the numerous bands in which Ritchie himself was a musician. Over the following years, the label released records by a circle of befriended musicians and bands, including Casino Blackout, The Backyard Band, Cryssis, T. V. Smith, the Düsseldorf-based indie-rock band The Buggs, Pascal Briggs, the duo Meg'n Jez (which includes Ritchie's son Jez Ritchie), and B Bang Cider (in which Mary Ritchie plays). In an interview with the Rheinische Post two years after founding the label, Ritchie described it as his 'greatest hobby'. Between 2007 and 2020, the label released 33 productions, including singles and compilations, numbered sequentially from DRUM 01 to DRUM 33. The final release was the 2019 album 'Fragment' by Casino Blackout. Citing a lack of time and changed conditions in the music industry, the partners Mary Ritchie, Stephen George Ritchie and Roman Thiel decided to end the company's activities amicably. In spring 2020, an application for liquidation of the company was filed at the Amtsgericht Düsseldorf. Since then, the label's back catalogue has been managed by co-founder and partner Roman Thiel on his new label Hinterhof Produktionen. Several former Drumming Monkey bands, including Casino Blackout, The Backyard Band and Cryssis (Vom Ritchie's side project), are signed to Hinterhof Produktionen.

• 2020

  Application for liquidation filed at the Amtsgericht Düsseldorf.

• 2019

  Final release: Casino Blackout – Fragment (DRUM 33).

• 2009

  Ritchie describes the label as his 'greatest hobby' in an interview with the Rheinische Post.

• 2007

  Label founded by Stephen George Ritchie (Vom Ritchie) in Düsseldorf.

• 2007

  First release: Wet Dog – Perfect Crime (DRUM 02).

Independent punk-rock label run as a personal passion project by a member of Die Toten Hosen, releasing music by befriended bands.

Product categories. Vinyl records · CDs · Singles · Compilation albums

1. 1Drumming Monkey Records – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
2. 2Drumming Monkey Records – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Official websitedrummingmonkey-shop.de