Who the hell are Los Minstrels Del Diablo?
Los Minstrels del Diablo (LMDD) was formed to present a type of show we found severely lacking in the Detroit scene, that of live performance combining audio rhythmic sculpture with machine-gun paced video presentations. After having experienced audio/visual shows from the likes of Skinny Puppy/Emergency Broadcast Network/Severed Heads/The Orb (and the like), we knew we had to create something local to Detroit to represent this feverish form of entertainment.
To this day, we are the only Detroit based group that performs live electronic music presented with live-triggered video imagery.
Our musical style is a blend of electronic and industrial. The visual presentation is not just a backdrop to the music, as the audio is tightly integrated with the video, and both are controlled live, triggered by hand via keypad and/or electronic drum stick/pad combination. This is made possible by an 'instrument' called VJamm, which is an audio-video live performance program. As a painter/illustrator (Coe) and an animator (McCombs,) performing our music with video is much like painting and sculpting with sights and sounds. We use news clips, public domain footage, and original video to express our take on current events, as well as create fun yet disturbing visuals to complement our electronic sound. Each visual image we present is triggered live along with it's audio component.
The band name is sometimes misleading, as it's purpose is to be both fun and 'evil' sounding. The name "The Minstrels of the Devil" originated from Theatre Bizarre, which is a massive Halloween event that we started to DJ at in 2000, and which was the laboratory in which we grew beyond DJing and began to create our own original music. The name was made for its 'Halloween' feel, and it stayed on with us. As for the name being in Spanish, well... it sounded better in Spanish! The horror ethos is also apparent in our choice to perform in costume as skeletons in suits, and in the themes of our songs, which touch on sci-fi, fantasy, and classic pop culture horror motifs as well as the real life horrors of atomic warfare and the surveillance state.
'LMDD' shows are intense to witness, and while the work is dark, there is often humor as well. We do a song called 'Theatre Bizarre Screams', which features a lot of our friends, well, screaming. This get the crowds laughing, while still dancing along between all the other insanity we throw their way!