Mephiskapheles

Mephiskapheles is a ska band based in New York. Their name is a portmanteau of "ska" and "Mephistopheles", of Goethe's Faust. As their name suggests, their lyrics are often playfully satanic in nature.

The band began when New York hardcore band The Shaved Pigs split up, and guitarist Brendan Tween and roommate Mikal Reich decided to start a ska band. After recruiting several friends, including keyboardist Brian "Underpants" Martin, the band was formed under the name Skatterbrains. It was changed to Mephiskapheles once the band realized that another band had already taken the name.

On January 3, 1991, the band made its first public appearance, at a bar in Valley Stream, Long Island. After a small lineup shuffle that saw Andre A. Worrell (as The Nubian Nightmare) emerge as lead singer and frontman, the band recorded its demo tape titled The DEMOn. Mid-1991, trombonist Greg Robinson joined alto saxophonist Alexander McCabe and trumpeter Osho Endo in the horn section, completing the lineup known informally as The Satanic Horns. The band continued to play live, winning the Brooklyn Lager Band Search in the World Beat category, in 1992, and building a devoted fan base throughout the Northeast.