Headphone Highlights

Mugison

Lifelike, Accidental, Iceland

In 2001 Mugison met his first laptop – a used Mac, most likely stolen or over borrowed from a poor philosophy student in Iceland. Inside the laptop he discovered a hard drive filled with songs and the ability to burn songs on to CD-Rs. Using his acquired ability to burn CDs he came up with a quick money making scheme, sold 70 copies to his grandmother and bought a ticket to London. It was here that Mugison met a man by the name of Joshua who had been living in the streets since he was nine and supported himself by DJing. They discussed Mugison's little business and decided that instead of burning the same music onto CDs like Mugison had been doing, they would record their own. Over the next few years, Mugison recorded some tracks. Those tracks came together to make the album 'Lonely Mountain'. By that time Mugison met Matthew Herbert who loved his album and offered to release it on his label, Accidental Records. To Mugison's despair, Matthew also loved the packaging of the demo - a handmade paper case stitched together with a needle and thread. So, Mugison spent the following year stitching 13.000 copies of Lonely Mountain together. On the bright side, Mugison finally had enough money to return home to the Icelandic countryside. He met a girl named Rúna and they settled in the small town of Sudavik where he built a studio in the garage. 'Mugimama' was released in 2005 and earned Mugison five awards at the Icelandic Music Awards, including album of the year! Accidental Records also released this album in Europe, which led to touring Europe and North America. Mugison hit the road, armed with his guitar and laptop, playing any gig that would put him up for the night and would buy him a few rounds after the show. He also got to support some of his favorite artists, among them Matthew Herbert, Super Furry Animals, Ghostigital, and Fantomas. When Mugison got back from touring his wife Rúna had given birth to two Mugiboys, Dyri and Eldar. Soon thereafter, she bought a house next to her mother in Sudavik. As the story goes, the guy who owned the laptop showed up on his doorstep and wanted his laptop back. With no laptop, Mugison decided to get a band of flesh and bones to provide the rhythm, licks, chords, and hooks. Mugison says that all the musicians came to him in a dream, each had a special gift and together they made the perfect unit - one on one on one on one on one makes the perfect circle of fifths. Mugison then spent the next three years locked in his studio. His goal: to make a rock 'n' roll album like you've never heard before, spanning every note on the emotional scale while at the same time being the most honest rock 'n' roll album you'll ever hear. Mugison will take you on a ride, spill his guts in front of everybody, rip his heart out and serve it on a plate to make you angry, happy, sad, horny… all at the same time.