Mugstar


Mugstar are an English rock band, influenced by kraut/psych/space/noise rock such as Oneida, Sonic Youth, Neu! and Hawkwind. Since 2003 they have issued several full-length albums, a split release with Mudhoney and a live album performing on stage together with Damo Suzuki. Mugstar recorded one of the last-ever Peel Sessions with the late John Peel on 5 May 2004.
Record labels: Rock Action, Important Records, Cardinal Fuzz, Agitated, Evil Hoodoo, Rocket Recordings, Trensmat, God Unknown, Chunklet Industries, Hands In The Dark / All Time Low, Lancashire & Somerset, critical MASS...

History

Mugstar formed in Liverpool, England. Their first single, "Spotlight Over Memphis", drew attention from John Peel, who played the 7" on his radio show. It was after the next 7", "Flavin' HotRod", that Peel offered the band a Peel Session. A split 7" with Hunting Lodge followed. A mini-album on Kabukikore Records, "Dark Matter", came next, closely followed by a session for BBC Radio One's Huw Stephens. In January 2006 the band released "My Baby Skull Has Not Yet Flowered".
The band's self-titled debut album was released on CD at the end of 2006 on Sea Records, and on Critical MASS Records as a limited run of heavy weight vinyl in 2007. Mugstar then started a productive relationship with Ireland-based Trensmat Records with a run of limited 7" singles. One of these releases was a split 7" with Seattle's Mudhoney, with both bands doing covers of Hawkwind songs. During this time Red Panda and Mugstar featured on a one-sided 10" single, each performing half of "Tam Lin", a song made famous by Fairport Convention.
Mugstar signed to Important Records, who then released "...Sun, Broken..." CD in March 2010 and their third album, "Lime", was released also on CD in November 2010. For Record Store Day 2011 Mugstar contributed a cover of "I Got the Six" by ZZ Top for "I'm So Agitated", a 12" also featuring Carlton Melton, The Heads and Kool Aid, on Agitated Records. The "Lime" album got its vinyl release through Agitated Records in September 2011. These were followed by a split album on Rocket Recordings with New York's Oneida - called "Collisions 2" - and a 40 minute remix of "Serra" by Loop's Robert Hampson.
"Ad Marginem" - Original Film Soundtrack. Vinyl album with DVD, was released in September 2012. The film / album launch was celebrated with Mugstar performing the soundtrack live to film screenings, at Liverpool's Bluecoat and Rough Trade East in London.
The release of the band's fifth album, Axis, followed in late 2012.
In April 2013, they performed a radio session for Marc Riley on his BBC 6 Music evening show.
For Record Store Day 2013 Mugstar released Centralia their sixth album on the Cardinal Fuzz label.
Mugstar released Start from Zero a live album - recorded with Damo Suzuki in Liverpool, summer 2012 - on Important Records in January 2015.
February 2016 saw Mugstar performing a second radio session for Marc Riley on his BBC 6 Music evening show.
The double album: Magnetic Seasons was released in 2016 on Rock Action Records.
The singles and rarities compilation album: Collapsar - Skull Scorchers & Neuron Phasers was released in December 2017 on double heavy vinyl format by Evil Hoodoo Records.

Discography

Previous members: