FRONTMAN OF MONKEY SHOCK BAND SERGIO KINOMAN: Musicians Must Take Responsibility For What We Perform And What We Put Out Into The world

Sergio Kinoman — singer-songwriter and frontman of the project Monkey Shock Band, who believes that musicians must take responsibility for what they perform and share with the world.

Monkey Shock Band was founded in 2016 by two friends, Sergio and Maksym Yakymenko. In 2020, Monkey Shock Band released their rock record XXII, which became the soundtrack to the film Illusion — a project that found success at festivals across Europe, Asia, and the USA. Since 2022, the band has switched to the Ukrainian language, starting with the single Echo, which tells an abstract story of a soldier returning home. Sergio shared with Drive Music Media the beginnings of his journey, the creation of Monkey Shock Band, and his mission as a musician.

Interviewer: How and when did your musical journey begin? What were your first steps in music?

Sergio: If I keep it really short: it all started around 2009/2010 while I was preparing for my final school exams. I was into sports back then, and one day some guys from a band called Zloe Zlo came to our gym. They looked exactly like those rappers you’d see in hip-hop videos online. I asked them: where, how, when? And they told me about a recording studio (before that, I had only seen such studios on TV or in movies). I went there to check it out — and that was it. It’s been 15 years now that I’ve been making music. That studio, those vibes, that energy really pulled me in. Since then, I’ve performed solo, put together a band, and helped others too.

Interviewer: Tell us about your Monkey Shock Band. How did the project form and why that name?

Sergio: The Monkey Shock Band project was formed at the end of 2016. Two university friends wanted to do something different from everyone else. Maksym Yakymenko had always been into heavy metal/rock but also had trip-hop like Massive Attack and Portishead in his playlist. At the same time, I was listening to a lot of hip-hop in different languages, though sometimes Linkin Park, Rob Zombie and others made it onto my playlist too. We were given a regular car garage to practice in, like “here, just don’t burn it down.” Four walls, drums, a mic, speakers from a home theater, and two very different friends who dreamed of creating something groovy and fresh. The name is exactly that kind of “Whaaaat?” emotion — something that hits you all the way. I personally love it when I hear and feel that reaction from people — the same as when a monkey arrives in shock.

Interviewer: Tell us about your participation in Mix Show. What is the hardest part of being in TV projects for musicians? What stood out for you from that episode?

Sergio: Originally, we thought our episode would air back in January 2025, since we had released our Shady Monkey EP in December 2024. But with the situation in our country, everything kept getting delayed. In the end, we only managed to record the live session with two new songs (but in a different sound) in May 2025. The hardest part is getting everyone together and preparing all the technical aspects in advance. Back in 2015, it was nerve-wracking to rap for the first time on TV — but now nothing feels scary anymore. The main challenge is always technical: making sure the sound is comfortable for everyone involved.

Interviewer: What is your music creation process like? How do you work as a team?

Sergio: For me, the process of making music is like a mantra, a state of mind and soul. It’s about carefully channeling emotions into rhythm and lyrics. Almost like hypnosis. Feeling the beat, writing the words, placing them into the flow of the melody and rhythm in the right way — so that it’s engaging and evokes emotions. Because if a song, a movie, or even a video game doesn’t spark emotions, then it won’t change anyone’s mood or state of mind.

Interviewer: Name a song that holds the most special meaning for you. Why that one, and what message did you hide in it?

Sergio: For me, there are two. “Echo”— written throughout 2022. Through abstract imagery, it tells the story of a man/boy returning home from a dark path, to the place where he is loved and awaited. It wasn’t just made by eight musicians — it also had the lucky spark of chemistry between all the events around it. We really love playing it live in different versions. But “Ne lyublyu” (ed. — “Don’t Love”) is the most honest song I’ve ever written in my 31 years. It’s my reflection on the breakup with my wife during the war in 2022. Just pure honesty — and it hit people deeply. Judging by the streams and radio plays, it still resonates. Honestly, it was so real that now I’m not sure — will I ever fall in love again enough to write the opposite kind of song?

Interviewer: Tell us about your debut album.

Sergio: Our debut release Shady Monkey came out on TAVR Media. It’s an experiment — an experiment with dance beats created by our friend Illia KW3ST. The singles “Duren” (ed. — “Fool”) and “Tête-à-tête” we performed live on Mix Show on the D1 channel! Even though the release doesn’t have millions of plays, we were blown away by how quickly “Duren,” “Tête-à-tête,” and “Pid Zamkom” (ed. — “Locked Up”) made it onto radio — both traditional and online stations! When Radiohub sent us the report, we were stunned to see 35,000 streams from listeners in Ukraine and across Europe. And “Ne lyublyu” has long passed 130,000 streams on the same platform.

Interviewer: What projects are you working on right now?

Sergio: We’re planning an English-language project in a completely different genre, plus around 6–7 drafts and demos for the next release from Monkey Shock Band. Step by step this year, we’ll be sharing updates about everything.

Interviewer: How difficult is it to keep making music under the conditions of russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine? What challenges do you face as musicians?

Sergio: For me, the biggest challenge is doing it all without a producer or investor. Earn money from a regular job and invest it into music yourself. Maybe someone reading this interview will want to support our releases? And then again — it’s about the mood of the songs. On one hand, people want fun tracks, but on the other, sometimes it feels “not the right time.”

Interviewer: What mission do you have as a Ukrainian musician? Why this one?

Sergio: The main mission is to give dopamine, emotions, and their reflection. As musicians, we’re responsible for what we perform and share with the world. Of course, songs that touch on basic human needs — money, sex, feelings, the desire for happiness — those always hit. If your song “vibrates” with people, that’s the real joy.

Interviewer: With what word or phrase do you associate your musical journey? Why this one?

Sergio: Work hard, play hard. Or, as my friend Max used to say: “Don’t sell the bear’s skin before you’ve killed it.”

Pictures were provided by Sergio Kinoman