Muph & Plutonic

Written on the 30th of July 2008 by Ch 99

Dan (aka Muph) from Muph & Plutonic is fixing floorboards. “Today I am being a handyman for my girlfriend,” he says. It seems he is a man of many talents. Vivienne Hill dragged him away from his maintenance work to chat about life, their new album, drugs and alcohol, and his fear of public speaking.

Muph first fell in love with the wonderful world of hip-hop when he borrowed his brother’s Run DMC tape back in 1992. “I kind of borrowed his tape and never gave it back. After that I was just one of those people who weren’t just listening to music, but I actually wanted to create something as well,” says Muph. And creating is what he has done, with Muph & Plutonic just releasing their third album ‘…And Then Tomorrow Came’. It’s a little dynamite of a record with 13 fresh tracks from the vibrant duo.

The duo worked closer than ever before on this record, with each person dabbling in the other’s business. “Usually Plutonic handles all the production and I do all the lyrics, but with this new record we have had more input into each other’s area of expertise. So it was more of a unified project as opposed to the last record we did,” Muph explains.

The album covers some very personal issues, including a song about drug and alcohol addiction. Muph says he always tries to be careful about what he chooses to include in the lyrics. “I’m quite conscious of that in some ways. If there are certain things that I do want to reveal, but not in such an open way, then I will make it a little more cryptic. But Plutonic in some ways can act as a barometer,” Muph explains.

Certain lyrics have provided listeners with a tool for overcoming addictions. “I’ve received emails from people that are affected by our music. It’s probably the most rewarding part of it all. It affects me back just as much as it has affected them. That is probably one of the biggest forms of flattery with what we do.”

The Sydney-based duo are now taking their show on the road with dates all across the country. It’s set to be a howler with DJ Bones and various guests artists rolling into each town with them. Muph wants all punters to expect the unexpected. “There are no routines or anything,” he says.

“That’s what I like about our show; although we have our set list and everything’s prepared, we tend to be a bit more spontaneous with the setup we have.” Muph is a natural performer when rapping on stage, but as surprising as it is, he absolutely hates public speaking. “It’s one thing that people don’t understand,” he says. “It’s a totally different thing getting up and performing your own songs that you know like the back of your hand. You are the absolute centre of attention; it’s just you and there is nothing else. I find it quite confronting and nerve racking.”

‘…And Then Tomorrow Came’ is out now through Obese Records.

The Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay on Thursday August 14, Uber, Brisbane on Friday August 15 and the Sands Tavern, Maroochydore on Saturday August 16. Muph & Plutonic also play the Sounds of Spring festival at the RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane on Saturday October 11.