Photographer Johan Bonilla (aka MUHSTEE) stopped by our December 15th AdHoc presents Algiers show. Written on the verge of a breakup, Algiers' new album 'SHOOK,' is a celebration of community, collaboration, and place. The cult band pulls from a sprawling lineage of rap and punk, building their sound out of the cross-pollination of urban and counter-culture styles. Johan documented their album release show at National Sawdust, featuring the Atlanta post-punks and a non-stop onslaught of heavy-hitting special guests.

‍

Johan Bonilla: I was captivated by how a band with such a different sound than I’m used to could excite me just as much as being in a mosh pit. The bassist of Algiers had dance moves that made me feel right at home. It felt like organized chaos, reminiscent of the mosh pits I'm so used to being in. Algiers hails from Atlanta, a city I was lucky enough to visit in 2021 when I shot for Shaky Knees Festival. Having the privilege of seeing a completely different sound than I associate with the city was amazing and I was blown away by the sheer amount of instruments on stage at once and how all these sounds meld together so elegantly. King Vision Ultra led the second half of the night, with collaborations with other musicians such as Dreamcrusher, Fatboi Sharif, Amani, Desde, and many others. KVU and Dreamcrusher also have a collab group called Centennial Gardens, which has a heavy noise influenced sound. As I looked through the crowd during their performance I saw a mix of expressions on everyone's faces ranging from staring in awe and visibly uncomfortable.