MUGWUMP

mugwump jc pic-12

mugwump_trax_new_logoBorrowing his name from a character from William Burroughs’ famed novel “Naked Lunch”, Belgian dj & producer Mugwump is an elusive presence with a solid tastemaker reputation preceded by in- famous DJ residencies at mythic Belgian clubs Food & Fuse and a long-standing recording relation with Cologne’s Kompakt records, ongoing DJ support from the late Andrew Weatherall as well as a large catalogue of electronic ‘disco-techno’ records, released on leading labels R&S, Gigolo, Cocoon, Endless Flight, Eskimo, Permanent Vacation or International Feel. He recently remixed Tuff City Kids, La Jungle, Marcel Vogel, Ruf Dug, Soldout, Rotten City and Eyes Of Others
He now runs the Leftorium clubnight in Brussels and his Subfield label with indie power-house !K7.

“PNEUMA” (SF020)
Following albums “Unspell” (a mixture of slo-mo disco, new-beat, psychedelic pop and balearic) and “Drape” (a postpunk turn as a live band setting), Mugwump is back with new album “Pneuma” and a first anthem « Breakout » which revives the worldwide 80’s jazz-funk-pop hit from UK band Swing Out Sister (formed by members from A Certain Ration and Magazine).
The track flips the initial escapist lyrics for a bonkers post-lockdown disco-technoid anthem which celebrates life, involvement and civic activism
DJ feedbacks have higlighted reminiscence of Chemical Brothers productions and come with props from no less than DJ Harvey, Heidi Lawden, Ashley Beedle, Danny Tenaglia, Joris Voorn, Slam, Maceo Plex, Justin Robertson, Ivan Smagghe, Sean Johnston (ALFOS), Michael Mayer, Manfredas, Chloé, Kristian (Amé), Horse Meat Disco, Marcus Worgull, Mehmet Aslan Headman, Hifi Sean, Leo Elstob, Justin Strauss, Nathan Gregory Wilkins (NTS) and Tim ‘Love’ Lee.

« Heidi absolutely loves it and shared with me immediately. Nice one! » DJ Harvey
« Genius stomping re-work of the SOS favourite – lyrics suddenly perfect for our current world! Will support wherever I can » Quinton Scott (Strut recordings)
« Awesomeness » Michael Mayer
“Fabulous” Justin Robertson
« Love it » Ashley Beedle
« HIT! » Ivan Smagghe
« Fantastic! Huge hit » Sean Johnston (ALFOS)
« Fucking genius » (Tim Love Lee)
« A massive breathe of fresh air » Hi-Fi Sean (Defected)

« Pneuma » as an album, returns to Mugwump’s club aesthetics from weird house to bleepy techno and dub-disco to electro through a solid 10 tracks selection mixed with songs and featuring Mugwump’s sardonic & conscious lyrics, one more odd cover from influential rock band Television’s Tom Verlaine and a 11 minutes collab’ with Berlin chamber music duo CEEYS wrapping up the collection.
Lyrics sketches were made before the pandemic, influenced by the migrant crisis, LGTBQ+ purges and the rise of identity politics.
We are in times of change and potentiality, in a momentum… a pneuma : VOICE.

PREVIOUS “DRAPE” feedbacks
“Drape” was Mugwump’s second album which fused a more discreet electronic canvas with an occasionally heavy indie rock feel and outstanding lyrics, all topped off with a French-Belgian-tinged vocal and lyrical topicality. Post-Punk, Indie Pop, Psych & Electronic collide while Geoffroy Mugwump delivered conscious lyrics over nine songs ‘’soundtracking our torments in the Age of Laissez-Faire and Aestheticisation’’.

“Nobody should be surprised that Mugwump’s done a guitar-led album nor he’s done it well…like a Gallic Mark E Smith or James Murphy, he’ll draw the even-more skeptical listener in… This album is gothic (in a Joy Division or Echo & The Bunnymen sense…), weird and full of an abstract style of storytelling that takes you into a sleazy, psychedelic otherworld, without ever truly explaining it. Proper.”
Joe Muggs MIXMAG

“Doom-y synths, Wire-y guitars, Johnny-Marr-ish rockabilly, low-key majesty…. a certaine Cure-like grandeur. ”
UNCUT

“Verwacht het onverwachte… opnieuw weet Mugwump te verrassen en te overtuigen….‘Drape’ is een lange rit, maar eentje die nergens verveelt. Meer zelfs: de plaat wordt beter bij elke afspeelbeurt en voelt als een koortsdroom die slechts mondjesmaat zijn geheimen prijsgeeft. Sterk. Erg sterk.”
DAMUSIC

“als hätte Ghostpoet neuerdings eine Mathrock-Band hinter sich stehen”
NEOLYD

“Al klagend en predicerend weet deze duistere Nick Cave (nog duisterder, jawel) ons mee te sleuren in ‘de soundtrack voor onze kwellingen in een tijd van laissez-faire en esthetisering’.”
INDIESTYLE – CUTTING EDGE

“Een gewaagde plaat die de wetten van conformiteit, liedstructuur en toegankelijkheid negeert en een groep die volop voor evolueren kiest”…
INDIESTYLE – RELEASE RADAR

“Met single ‘No trepidation’, een mix tussen onrustige postpunk en eigenzinnige indie, lichtten de heren al een tipje van de sluier op”
INDIE STYLE – CONCERT TIPS

” Geoffroy franchit un nouveau palier, où l’électronique est reléguée en second plan. Entre postpunk nerveux, rock lourd et noise, “Drape” s’affirme comme un album de rock à la Soulwax première période. Les guitares sont épaisses, le batteur cogne et le chanté-parlé de Geoffroy amène une nonchalance bienvenue.”
TSUGI

“le feeling particulier de la musique parfaitement maîtrisée donne la sensation d’un post-punk d’aujourd’hui, ayant intégré tout ce qui s’est fait depuis, un post tout ça, quelque part… Après des écoutes répétées de Drape, le mot qui vient à l’esprit est : alchimie. Du très bon boulot.”
SILENCE IS SEXY

” De producer is een groep geworden, de DJ een zanger. In plaats van zich veilig weg te stoppen achter zijn computer ging Geoffroy ‘Mugwump’ Dewandeler voluit voor de metamorfose”
BRUZZ

“The Belgian producer and disc jockey is back with a bang….interesting new direction for a producer whom has never been one to take half measures ”
RANSOM NOTE

“Mugwump se renouvelle de bien belle manière et débarque là où on ne l’attendait (presque) pas”
METRO

“Les influences musicales s’avèrent totalement assuméées entre The Cure, The Stranglers, Echo & The Bunnymen, Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Chameleons, The Sound, du krautrock, du garage, Thee Oh Sees et The War On Drugs pour les synthés, on aime le soin apporté à l’esthétique. Tout bon !”
LE SOIR

“Geoffroy s’est intégré dans un groupe pour mieux se concentrer sur le chant et les claviers. Initiative heureuse qui lui laisse tout le loisir de faire le lien entre la New Wave de son adolescence et le rock indie contemporain…Soigné, un véritable travail de mélomane…”
LA LIBRE BELGIQUE

MUGWUMP NTS Radio show

> BILBO RECORDS MEI AANRADERS

> CAROLINE MUSIC record of the week

„I like this record a lot“ – Klaus Fiehe/ WDR 1 Live
„hot shit!“ – Mel Castillo/ M 94.5

CURT
excellent album feature

Faze Magazine
album review

„No Trepidation“ single airplay

Radio Dreyeckland
Radio Horeb
Radio Stuttgart
Radio Feierwerk

„Drape“ album airplay confirmed:
FluxFM (+ interview in Berlin)
M 94.5 radio
BR Zündfunk
Klaus Fiehe/ Wer 1 Live
ByteFM
NDR Nachtclub
Radio Dreyeckland
Radio Horeb
Radio Stuttgart
Radio Feierwerk
NDR Info
NDR Blue radio
917xfm
Oldenburg Eins

“DRAPE” live SHOWS
Beursschouwburg / Stoemp Festival BRUSSELS
The Social (+Justin Robertson) LONDON Olympic (+ La Mverte) PARIS
Central BRUSSELS
Kinky Star GENT
SWTC Festival / De Singel ANTWERP
Urban Spree BERLIN
DOUR Festival
La Station, w. Mourn (ES), Camera (DE) PARIS
ADE talk @ De Brakke Grond,(Panel) AMSTERDAM
Musiques Volantes Festival w. Taxi Kebab, Meridian Brothers NANCY
Den Atelier w. The Voidz LUXEMBURG
Facs/Mugwump/Secte @ Nuits Plasma / Magasin 4 BRUSSELS
Mugwump/Whispering Sons @ Autumn Falls festival / Democrazy GENT


discogs


 

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