I
Petr Muk (& Oceán / Shalom)

About:

4 February 1965 – 24 May 2010

Petr Muk was born in Česki Krumlov in the South of the country and graduated from the School of Civil Engineering in the Czech Budejovica. From the age of fifteen years he played and sang with various punk and underground groups. In 1986 he joined the local talent hunt Rocková liga with his band Oceán. Performing against established bands like Helium , RH + and Artemis, the young group won first prize. The band would return to the talent show in the next 3 years and toured (also abroad with a show in South Africa). They recorded some demo's but never got around in releasing them due to heavy conflict within the band, By 1988 Muk seemed to have solved that problem and the band released a first single called "Ráchel/Dávná zem". It was a controversial song allegedly about drug abuse. Radio banned the song at first but started playing it again in 1989. This gave basis for a second single called "Čas/Se". The typical synth sound of the band was picked up by Erasure's Vince Clark who flew the band in to Engeland as the support act for their 89/90 tour. This was the break point for the band who, back home, recorded their debut album immediatelly and released on the Slovak pop label Opus. Still tensions were present in the band. A second gathering with Erasure and Frank Tovey (Fad gadget) in Hamburg resulted in the second album by Oceán. But Muk was already ready for another change.

The trio Kucera, Muk and Hons took ideas for material that was never for Oceán and started the creation of a temporary project, until the rest of the band will bring your material. In 1992 the project was named Shalom. For the vocals John Benet , John Feriová and Jana Badurová were invited . There was enough material for a second album again with the vocalists of the first project, along with Linda Fink and Michaela Klimková.

Since 1997 Muk started to release music under his own name and working in musicals (Rusalka, Joan of Arc , Galileo). In 2004 he released the mini-album Oh L'Amour with Czech versions of Erasure songs, in a tribute to his friends. In 2007 one of his idols composer Karel Svoboda dies and Muk gives an intense version of 'Stín katedrál' at his funeral. In this period Muk performances become les synthesizer based and more acoustic, In 2010 he released a new single called 'Píseň Nebe' advancing a new album. The album was released on the 21st of may 2010. Three days later, Petr Muk tragically died by choking in his own vomit. A mixture of alcohol and the drugs he took for his mental illness ( BAP ) became fatal. He was buried in a cemetery in his birthplace.

In 2011 the remaining Oceán members suddenly regrouped, Initially for a anniversary show celebrating the 20th anniversary. Allegedly Muk already had planned a 20th anniversary tour with the reformed Oceán and Jitka Charvátová (who had a debut solo album ‘Feed my lion’ last year) as back-up female singer. Jitka now took the lead role and due to the sudden succes the band toured and recorded an album.

On the web:

- Petr's tribute site: http://www.petrmuk.cz/

If you like this, you probably like... / european counterparts:

- Bonanza Banzai (Hungary)

What do we think:

DB: It seems that by the fall of the Iron Curtain former Eastern Europe caught up with synthpop in a rapid way. In Hungary Bonanza Banzai (with Akos) took to the more dark and epic sound of Depeche Mode. Petr Muk chose the more poppy sound of Erasure and Vince Clark as his starting point. He stayed loyal to that lighter synthpop sound up untill his untimely death. During his career his musical-experience trickled through in a more and more trained voice. Oceán keeps his legacy alive by performing and touring.

Albums:

Oceán:

♪♪♪♪ - Davna zem - 1990

♪♪♪ - Pyramida snu - 1991

- 2 1/2 1992

♪♪1/2 - Roxy - 2011

Shalom:

♪♪♪ – Shalom -1992

– Brány vzkazů - 1994

Petr Muk (solo):

♪♪♪ - Petr Muk - 1997

♪♪♪♪ - Jizvy Lásky - 2000

♪♪♪ - Dotyky Snu - 2002

♪♪ - Oh L'Amour - tribute EP to Erasure - 2004

- Osud Ve Dlaních - 2005

- Muzikál A Film - 2009

- V bludišti dnů - 2010

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♪♪♪♪♪ = outstanding album, an absolute must-have
♪♪♪♪ = great album, highly recomended
♪♪♪ = nice album
♪♪ = be careful, requires listening before buying
♪ = best to be avoided