Biography
Not many artists can claim to have had their start in the anarchic arena of Punk. One who can is Andre Tegeler, more commonly known to the electronic world at large as Moguai.
Mogaui’s journey started back in the 80s in his home town of Marl. An advocate of the punk-riot-music explosion that was sweeping Western Europe, he was already making considerable waves when the rumbling tremors of 90’s electro and techno began to reverberate. Galvanised by the experimental sounds emerging from nearby Dusseldorf, Moguai’s appreciation of luminaries such as Kraftwerk only served to feed his desire to play and produce music.
The rave scene of the Ruhr became Moguai’s first point of call. DJing at various parties before broadening his horizons further afield during the era of vast warehouse gatherings and large sound systems, he also delivered up the seminal 1994 EP Best Before End.
If the 90s was to be Moguai’s ‘coming of age’ period, then the early ‘naughties’ signalled a new era for the man from Marl. 2002’s huge ‘U Know Y’ departed the Moguai of old and set about laying a new path for the German producer. In more ways than one, he set about shaping an outlet for his own work in the form of Punx Records, founded in the same year.
Not one to churn out pointless and sub standard releases, Moguai adopted a ‘less is more’ approach, minimal output receiving maximum acclaim through the sheer quality of his work. In the same period he began to develop an impressive remix discography, working with the likes of X-Press 2, Roman Flugel and his first major cross-over success, Fischerspooner’s Emerge.
As 2005 beckoned, Moguai’s ascendency was in full flow, yet an unintentional diversion would prove to boost his profile within the music industry to even higher echelons. Working closely with pop royalty Xenomania, U Know Y was adopted by the famed production team and converted into UK act Sugababes’ number one smash In The Middle. Clearly inspired by the German’s talents, Xenomania return for more of the same, this time reworking the 2003 best seller Get:On into Girls Aloud’s 2006 Something Kinda Ooh, hitting the #3 spot in the UK Singles Chart.
With chart success adding to his ever-growing music CV plus his own show on Germany’s biggest wireless station 1Live, Moguai’s profile was expanded beyond his home territory and global DJ bookings became a common occurrence. But the production was beginning to flow at an epic rate from the Punx-studio and in 2009 his tech-trance sounds drew the attention of one Deadmau5. ZYVOX was snapped up by the Canadian’s label and unleashed upon the public, catapulting Moguai to an even larger audience. This was swiftly followed up by Lyve, again on Mau5trap and The Trip, on fellow German and house heavyweight Tocadisco’s Toca45 imprint.
They say the best things in life are always worth waiting for. As a new decade dawns over the horizon, from the centre of Europe those tremors are rumbling again. Moguai is coming.
