Mukala

Item: Fiction
Author: Stacey Lee Feldman

Fiction

(1998)

Reviewed by Stacey Lee Feldman

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Label Essential RecordsThe LighthouseUnsorted 1999

alternative rock funk rock modern rock synth pop

The definition of "modern" is always undergoing revision. Well, here's another way to call music modern - it's called Mukala (pronounced MUCK-a-la). Dan Mukala and company bring their debut, Fiction, into the ranks of the musically modern by toying with some of the concepts other groups have been playing with, like programming and sampling and backbeats, all acting as underpinnings to their rock-n-roll. It's fuzzy, freaky, and has this laid-back kind of cool that makes it, in short, pretty good. And sometimes, it's really good.

To an extent, what Mukala is doing has been done, and recently - by Plumb, Reality Check, and even Silage on their new album. It's heavy on the programming with an underlying current of hip-hop or funk rhythms (even direct samples), along with guitar, bass, and drums on top. But that's where any similarity to other artists ends. Mukala's guitars are down and dirty, distorted for a very fuzzy, dark feel, with occasional effects for flavor. The bass grooves along retro rhythms, sometimes following and sometimes breaking from the lines led by the programming. Dan Mukala is vocalist and keyboardist, but the melodies don't lean on keys to lead them; rather, most of the album is driven by the guitars and whatever is going on down underneath. Mukala's vocals are full of this cool, aloof attitude, floating gently along or getting right down to borderline rap. He does a bit more speaking than singing, and often those vocals are fuzzed down, as if he's singing through a megaphone. For this style of music, it works very well. The overall tone is dark and moody, but not overbearing or heavy, plus it's tempered occasionally - for example, by the piano line in the chorus of "Atrocity" or the bouncy pop hooks of "Skip To The End." The programming and breakbeats add a lot, from the peculiar fuzz, as if to imitate a record (you remember records, don't you?), to the driving funk rhythms of "Original Sin." There's a little organ or farfisa here, some trumpets there, and wonderful strings on "High." The best description I can give Mukala is to take Dear Ephesus, Joy Electric, and Silage and throw them in a blender. It's got mood, electricity, funk, and introspection all rolled up into one.

Besides being vocalist and producer, Dan Mukala is also principal songwriter, and he, like many, expresses belief and conviction from a ground-level perspective. "Stranger Than Fiction" ponders the weird things of story and fact, and then declares that God possibly being able to love "one like me" is the strangest of all. "Skip To The End" reminds those wondering about the end times that it's already written down, so we can know "the way the world's gonna go." There's a peculiar worship/prayer song in "Jesus Shirt," and a few rants about society today. One track I found lyrically intriguing was "Atrocity," which is vague enough in its target to be interpreted as being directed toward a number of people. It seemed to me to be rebuking a "player," a guy who's got a different girl every week. The outstanding track is "High," another worship-type song:

When I believe the lie That You would never want me, I see myself through tainted eyes And trapped inside the walls of my disguise, Looking for a new beginning.

It's always good for a band to have a strong debut; it often means they might actually have a bright career ahead. Mukala is prepared to go the distance, with a solid sound and plenty of insight that brings out the creativity that they'll need to survive. The songwriting is strong, the music is likable, and the mood is mature and smooth. Fans of Reality Check looking for something deeper will enjoy Mukala's Fiction, as should fans of Plumb, Silage, and even The Goo Goo Dolls.