Illustration by Emmanuel AD.
Née: A mysterious five piece hybrid group.
Raíces: Mexico City.
Sounds like: A mixture of electronic and rock elements, creating kinetic and moody soundscapes.
You should listen to Muuk because…in a few years, they could give Trent Reznor a run for his money doing soundtrack work.
There’s nothing new about combining synths and samples with traditional rock instrumentation, Muuk’s method of doing it makes for highly atmospheric music that evokes specific feelings, without losing their will to rock.
Formed in early 2013, the band features L on guitar, E on bass, L.F. on synths, A on drums, and J.C. on samples/beats (they all go by their surnames’ initials). What we do know for sure is that the band features members who play in bands such as Kill Aniston, Annapura, Plasma Zero, and others. Muuk played at the underground Grises Festival earlier this year and have been doing the rounds on the city’s DIY circuit ever since forming. Earlier this month, the band self-released their eponymous full-length debut.
The instrumental unit mixes elements of late-nineties trip-hop and last decade’s post rock with an occasional industrial edge, and a deep sense of groove. Sometimes the music has a hard edge while other times it covers the listener with it’s layered sound, making it perfect fodder to give images a certain mood. Their cinematic vision even gets a self-referential nod in their last track which is named “De Niro.”
The band is sure to go further in their explorations and connection with more audiences. They have a sound that is retro enough that it can seem familiar to the listeners, yet it’s played in a fresh manner so it sounds exciting and organic in its various sentiments, no matter how you are feeling at the moment.
Listen to their debut right here.