Ivan Müdd – Power Pop

From: Vestfold, Norway
Genre: Power pop

With the recent re-emergence of television cult classic the X-Files and a renewed Hollywood interest in the big alien disclosure, it seems quite fitting to be introducing a band who are certainly no strangers to extraterrestrial forces. Brainchild of songwriter Ivan Mudd, this Norweigan 3-piece of the same name formed in 2009 with a very specific vision; to create a trilogy of albums, documenting the mind of a certain Mr. Wake, who is abducted by beings from outerspace and experimented on at Zeta Reticuli, before being returned and monitored on his newly awakened path back to the heavens.

Culminating in April 2015’s The Supreme Plateau, the finale of this powerful pop adventure to the cosmos is slightly more laid back compared to its predecessors, where although the band’s pop sensibilities aren’t compromised (Got To Go is right down the Wheatus path), songs such as K are more ballad-heavy, which despite being few and far between on the previous records are the perfect way to round off the trilogy; layered with harmonic vocals that’d have Steven Batelle (Intentions of an Asteroid, Lost Alone) banging down the spaceship door with excitement; if only he knew…

Ivan Müdd do not exactly have the ferocious following they should. Having only played outside of their home country on a few occasions (as invitees to Liverpool’s International Pop Overthrow festival, three years running), the trio can only really be found rocking out closer to home as they humbly leave the world of super stardom and stadium space pop to the likes of Gerard Way and Billy Corgan.

Britpop soars through both albums Spaceminister (2013) and Greetings Earthlings (2011), careful to not leave behind any stragglers who may not have been quite on board at the time, with Astronaut sounding a lot like Silver Sun or fellow Nordics, Fungus and I Hate You even reminiscent of Marilyn Manson‘s poppier efforts of the time. Fans of The Lightning Seeds and (coincidently) Space will also be familiar with the resonance of Ivan Müdd; check out the light-hearted Wakeup Call and Pain Is All You Get to enjoy for yourself.

At least one thing is for sure; if John Peel was still around, he would be spinning these guys on national radio with a big grin on his face. It is reassuring to know that despite Britpop’s demise in the early 2000’s, the soul of the genre is still sowing its seeds, ready for the second coming. Yes, the likes of Weezer do continue to fly its somewhat flaccid flag, but it is Ivan Müdd who are the underground gems and real the keyholders to a true revival. If their current level of public awareness is anything to go by however, such a revival may take a little while…. Maybe when the aliens appear…

Check out Ivan Müdd at the following links:
Ivan Müdd on Spotify
Ivan Müdd Facebook page
Ivan Müdd YouTube page
Ivan Müdd Official Website

And if you are too lazy for that, watch the video for Wake Up Call, taken from their Supreme Plateau album, below: