MIRF THE BING!

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March 18, 2009 • written by Krysta Hakkila

In August 2008, Bend and Summit high schoolers Aidan Contreras, Alek Louke, Justice Bender, and Dave Hansmann formed a band. Their band Mirf the Bing added Spencer Wirtz as their trumpet player over a year later in November, 2009. Mirf The Bing, which is basically “like Acuna Matata,” states Louke, is a mellow, reggae/dub/ska style of music. In a recent interview with the group, all the band members agreed that some of their most important influences are Slightly Stoopid, Pepper, The Expendables, Tribal Seeds, Sublime, and the Marley’s. When you listen to MTB’s music, you can hear a little bit of each, with Slightly Stoopid’s guitar and trumpet styles, and Pepper and The Expendables vocal styles. The young, but talented, artists write their own music. They take whatever is going on in their lives at the moment and turn it into a musical masterpiece. Though they are still a young band, they have played eight shows. Their biggest performance was opening for the B-Foundation, another reggae band from Arcadia, California. Practicing and working in the studio whenever they have free time, MTB just finished their first EP, which featured their song, “G Whiner”.

After studying MTB’s style thoroughly, it seemed to me they have branched off into a genre all their own. I asked them what they thought about this, and this was their response: “Our style is a little unique, so the possibility is there. We hope to influence as many upcoming artists as we can,” states Contreras, the keyboard player and vocalist. With several of the members graduating from high school this year, Mirf the Bing’s future is uncertain. For now, they hope to keep making music and enjoy the ride.

You can hear a song by following the link below:

G Whiner

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