ABDUL LATEEF AND THE DISTRACTION MACHINE
Past production
-
Step dancers wearing armor composed of bike tires, bike frames and found objects dash onto the stage in battle-dance formation, launching into an infectious polyrhythm. They encourage the audience to clap along. A high-pitched cry pierces the air as drums beat out a syncopated pulse, stringed instruments chime in while tone-drums and pipes provide a melodic backdrop. An MC steps to the fore and controls the crowd. Welcome to the world of Abdul Lateef and The Distraction Machine, grandmasters of performance and rhythm.
Abdul Lateef and The Distraction Machine is a transmedia story set on Montreal seven years after a zombie apocalypse. In a small city with very few guns and its bridges blown, bullets ran out. Survivors turned to the most readily-available resource to create weapons: bikes. They eventually turned the tide against the undead while establishing a new culture. As much of the city was destroyed fighting the undead, machinery, tools and even new types of instruments were built using bikes. Enter The Distractors: masters of sound and rhythm. They control entire hordes of the undead, distracting them so that comrades could escape them or attack them from behind. Distractors are also masters of entertainment, recounting tales of the war against the undead through dance, music, and vocals.
In September 2018 the sold-out premiere was presented by POP Montreal at the MAI (Montréal, Arts Interculturels). A cross between Tao: 17 Samurai and Stomp, the live performance is part of a larger story told through the Z’Isle comic book series, a music composition puzzle video game (available on Steam in 2023), and Music For The Apocalypse which features musical explorations from the gameplay. -
Director
Lateef Martin
Art Director
Isabelle Duguay
Musicians
Lateef Martin, Nadine Altounji, Chimwemwe Miller, Eric Cohen, James Challenger
Vocalists
Aiza Ntibarikure, Nadia Balde, Lateef Martin
Dancers
Leah McFly Waackeisha, Jennifer Casamir, Kayin Queeley Kate Asterlund
Costume Design
Lateef Martin, Isabelle Duguay & Kiri Skuce
Make-up
Jennifer Casamir & Isabelle Duguay
Producer
Miscellaneum Studios
Co-producer
Envision Management
Abdul Lateef’s Distraction Machine is a live musical theatre performance exploring the mythology and history of Z’Isle. Lateef Martin is a multi-disciplinary artist and founder of Miscellaneum Studios with a background in illustration, dance and music production and beatboxing. Throughout the years, he has created various bike-based 'cyclepunk' works around a zombie apocalypse-plagued universe called Z’Isle. He along with a top production team of art direction and costume design created a show like no other.
Press
“Abdul Lateef and the Distraction Machine is a musical offshoot of Lateef’s celebrated Z’Isle comic book series — a lurid depiction of the zombie apocalypse, Montreal style. Expect a true performance, incorporating step dance, singing, beatboxing and music played on upcycled objects and bicycles.”
– Lorraine Carpenter, Cult MTL