I’ve known Mogan for a short while now and as an artist, he is a true visionary. Pushing through the monotony, that I often find can plague artists in this sub-genre of lo-fi electronica, and coming out of the other side with a fully realised, interesting and provocative sound that teeters perfectly on the cusp between leaving too soon and over-indulgence. Each song is masterful, powerful and has something important to say. Ahead of the release of his upcoming EP Gutter, which releases on the 24th of April, I sat down to catch up with him.
Hi, how are you today?
I’ve just eaten, so I’m good thanks.
Tell me about your new song, Hireth, and your upcoming EP.
Hireth is all about thinking cynically and not finding any joy where you ordinarily would or supposedly should. When feigning happiness starts to eat away at you. It’s kind of a reminder that it’s ok to have bad days and perhaps it’s everyone else around you that should change their attitude. The EP is called Gutter and is out on the 24th April on Sinc-x records and I’m hugely excited to share it!
What was the first song you ever wrote?
Ridiculously I can remember writing a song when I was about 7 called “I hate you” which was about this friend of mine who I loved/hated… But under the guise of Mogan the first fully formed song I wrote was called “Monitor” and was all about dreaded daddy issues.
What was it like?
It’s super low-fi. Really slow sludgy, crunchy percussion and quite intimate vocals. It’s actually on my soundcloud if you want to listen. It’s definitely more timid than what I’m making nowadays.
What’s your local music scene like?
I’m sure like a lot of people right now I am really missing the live music scene. I’m just yearning to get back to The Moon and Le Pub for a pint and a dance and to really feel the vibrations of the music! The Cardiff scene is really strong so I’m sure that bands and artists are cooking up some great things during lockdown.
How would you describe your music in five words?
Noisy melodic brash electro-pop
Which artists do you admire?
My holy trinity would be Bjork, Peaches and Missy Elliott.
What would be your dream collaboration?
I’d love to work with Olof Dreijer. His production is always so fine-tuned to hit every nerve ending in the body. It’s flawless. I also always wanted to do a song with Lil Kim and Grace Jones. All our surnames are Jones so it’d be called “keeping up with the Jones’s” and it’d be a weird, noisy, electro-rap SLAP.
What’s the best band you have played with so far?
I’ve played with Panic Shack a couple of times in Cardiff and I always love their live shows. So much energy and humour – they’re brilliant.
Who/What are you listening to right now?
I’m supposed to be heading to Japan this year and I’ve recently got into Zombie-Chang. It’s just so fun and upbeat, I love it. Aya Gloomy is also worth checking out – really cool, weird melodic stuff.
Thanks for your time
Thank you!
