Zongamin
Susumu Mukai | |
|---|---|
| Born | Susumu Mukai circa 1974 Osaka, Japan |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, producer |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Known for | Performing as Zongamin, member of Vanishing Twin |
Susumu Mukai (born circa 1974 in Osaka, Japan), professionally recognized as Zongamin, is a musician and producer of Japanese origin currently based in the United Kingdom.
Biography
At the age of eleven, Mukai moved to East Anglia and enrolled at Summerhill School, where he started learning bass guitar along with various other instruments. He pursued further education at the Royal College of Art and subsequently secured a contract with Flesh Records, a label managed by Mike Silver.
The moniker Zongamin was coined by Mukai as an invented term representing an imaginary band he envisioned.
Established in 2000, the live ensemble performing as Zongamin has featured artists including Nathalie Fowler, Mao Yamada, Leon Harris, Leo Taylor, Will Sweeney, and Robert Green.
His eponymous first album was launched in 2003 through XL Recordings and garnered favorable critical reception. Critics noted its abundance of inventive elements and whimsical character, awarding it three stars from Allmusic and a 7.3 out of 10 score from Pitchfork Media. Additionally, Gigwise.com described it as "a lo-tech electro-fuzz monster."
Mukai’s remixing portfolio encompasses work for musicians such as Air, Playgroup, Graffiti, John Cale, Mickey Moonlight, Headman, Sandro Perri, Alexis Taylor, and Seelenluft.
Since 2015, he has been active as part of Vanishing Twin and is currently involved in projects including Becker & Mukai, Off World, Stalactite, and School Of Hypnosis.
Musical style
His sound fuses elements from left-field disco, funk, hip-hop, house music, garage rock, and spaghetti Western film scores. It has been characterized as "post punk with quirky funk influences interlaced with hypnotic dance rhythms." According to Gigwise.com, his debut record delivers "a chaotic blend of spaghetti western frenzy, sharp rhythmic intensity, and eclectic funk."
Albums
- Zongamin (Vinyl LP; XL Recordings; 2003)
- Flesh Tapes (Audio CD; Flesh Records; 2004)
- Zongamin (Audio CD; Flesh Records; 2007)
- O! (Vinyl EP; Multi Culti; 2018)
Singles
- "Serious Trouble" (2000), Flesh
- "Tunnel Music" (2001), Flesh
- "Spiral" (2002), XL
- "Serious Trouble" (2003), XL
- "Hotel 17" (2004), Kitsuné
- "Bongo Song" (2005), Ed Banger