Mugstar is a Liverpool based band formed in the early 00’s playing mostly instrumental psych/kraut/space rock with a rather hard and punky edge. I really liked their first full-length released in 2007 and in addition to this album the band also has in particular many singles out. They were involved for example in Trensmat’s Hawkwind tribute project sharing a 7” with Mudhoney. At least for now only available on CD, …Sun, Broken… is their latest release at the moment and rocks really tightly and hard.
The first track ”Technical Knowledge As a Weapon” begins with a ascending and downward synthesizer sound and the hypnotic, rather heavy and aggressive rocking starts off after about one minute. A keyboard pattern also joins in and this is like early Circle and Loop combines added with a dose of experimental punk and pure amphetamine. The tight going continues also on the next track called “Ouroboros”. There is quite a guitar riot towards the end! The experimental and peaceful ”Labrador Hatchet” is a short ambient piece and after that comes maybe the album’s best track ”Today Is the Wrong Shape” that I played while spinning discs at Roadburn. This is a fast, wild and repetitive kraut rock blast that includes plenty of psychedelic ingredients and Hawkwind influences. There is also a bit of monotonic vocals in the end. Hot stuff! ”She Ran Away with My Medication” is again a more laid-back, experimental and rather hallucinogenic number and lastly we get the album’s longest (at 13:55) track ”Furklausundbo” that is at first very quiet and serene. Soon the very hypnotic and motoric rhythm begins and there are also some keyboards. In the end we hear the same kind of synth sound the album started with (I wonder if they are using Moog Opus 3 on this album since it sounds so familiar?). Another killer track for sure. Mugstar is one of the rising stars in the maps of modern psychedelic rock and this band is absolutely worth getting familiar with if you like punky space and kraut rock.
Mugstar is a Liverpool based band formed in the early 00’s playing mostly instrumental psych/kraut/space rock with a rather hard and punky edge. I really liked their first full-length released in 2007 and in addition to this album the band also has in particular many singles out. They were involved for example in Trensmat’s Hawkwind tribute project sharing a 7” with Mudhoney. At least for now only available on CD, …Sun, Broken… is their latest release at the moment and rocks really tightly and hard.
