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‘‘Throughout it‘s history, ska seemed to rise up in certain locales â€" either Jamaica or Britain. And wherever it did rise up, it was intensely popular. So most people are only aware of these briet periods of popularity,"‘ Murray says. "But 1 think But attitudes like that won‘t stop Toâ€" rontoâ€"based ska band King Apparatus, says the bands lead singer Chris Murray. From his experience, there‘s a very strong ska following. And he sees the genre as being much more than alternative or cultish. Picture it, The seasoned record comâ€" pany mogul spins his/her swivel chair away from the 17thâ€"storey panoramic view and querries the proposal set in front of him/her. ‘‘Ska. Whattaya mean, Ska? That jumpy Jamaican stuff was marketable in the 80s. Now it‘s just a cult thing â€" and there ain‘t no money in that. Ska. Humf." King Apparatus proves ska is alive and well Well, actually, a lot of people say that â€" especially those with the power to sign on the ol‘ contractual dotted line. Who says ska was just a passing phase of the late 7Os/early 80s â€" that it saw its climax in (mostlyâ€"British) dance clubs more than a decade ago? By Deborah Crandall WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY , SEPTEMBER 11, 1991 â€" PAGE B1 Since the band formed in 1989 in London, Ont., while most members were attending Western University, it has been building its own solid base and steady following. And when the cream rises, King Apparaâ€" tus will not likely be among those left behind in the skimmed milk. ‘‘These bands are being forced, through more intense competition, to pay their dues a lot more, really perform well and produce good material,‘‘ Murray says. "It will only be through a matter of natural selection that the cream of the crop will rise. Some of the bands will receive commercial success. But | don‘t think that will neccessitate them changing their style to what might be seen as mainstream."‘ â€" rather than shooting for overâ€"night success. The situation now, Murray says, is one in which ska bands are building solid bases for themselves â€" working from the grassâ€" roots level, playing clubs, releasing indeâ€" pendent recording, and gaining popularity what‘s happening now is that there are ska bands springing up all over the globe â€" some from as far away as Japan and Australia, with a large contingent in Europe and North America." It‘s not tough to understand why people have such a good time at a King Apparatus show, or any other ska show, for that ‘‘When we first came to Toronto (from London}, I‘d say we were pretty much unknown. But right away, we were able to get a small, loyal, following of ska fans, Murray says. ‘After the (CFNY compilation CD) release, the listener response, and all the other criteria that (the station) has for their charts, found our song at the numâ€" berâ€"one position. That meant we were getting a lot of airplay and within the CFNY listening area, there was an immediate large jump in the attendence of our shows It seems that people who came out to the shows had a great time, and would come back and bring more people ‘ The band has released an independent cassette, Loud Party, on indie label Raw Energy Recores. And its single, Made for TV is also featured on CFNY‘s compilation CD, while the coinciding video has reâ€" ceived play on MuchMusic‘s Indie Street King Apparatus (Brian Christopher on drums, Mitch Girio on bass, Paul Ruston and Sam Tallo on guitars, and Murray on vocals) is now based in Toronto and has been saturating the club scene there between tour dates Such an approach may make the band more marketable (record deal negotiations are underway, even as we speak). but it s in no way a compromise to flow with the stream, the mainstream that is !t s just evolution. Catch King Apparatus at The Twist in Waterioo, Sept. 19. Tickets are $5 at the door . Our type of ska is different from what I‘ve heard from other ska bands â€" Murray says. Our lineâ€"up is based on quitars â€" we have drums. bass two guitars and vocals â€" whereas many ska bands rely on horn sections for their melodic aspects So what results from that is really. for us a iot more of a rock and roll feel It s a harder style of ska than a lot of bands play Although the tunes themseives are perâ€" haps more pop tunes than a lot of bands play. A lot of bands write for the style specifically, but the songs we play can easily translate into different styles But King Apparatus is approaching music innovatively â€" giving it vers elements, and taking it further than ci matter. The music â€" an older. more hyper Cousin to reggae â€" is infectious in its fast paced rhythm. Even the most steadtas‘ chairâ€"bound nonâ€"dance enthusiast car ‘ help but hit the dance floor versatic