Mugi the Cat

Mugi the Cat (むぎ(猫)) is a Japanese feline singer-songwriter. His main instrument is the Xylophone. Born in Tokyo, he now lives in Uruma City, Okinawa, Japan.

Mugi the Cat
むぎ（猫）
Mugi the Cat
Background information
Born1997/2014
Tokyo, Japan
GenresJ-Pop
Instrument(s)xylophone, drums, piano
Years active2014 -present
LabelsSpeedstar Records
Websitewww.mugithecat.com

History

Pre-music

Mugi the Cat was created by Yusaku, in memory of his real cat that lived from 1997 to 2009. As a reference, Mugi carries the sub-title "The Cat which came back from Heaven."
In 2014, he made his first appearance in his current form.

Initially, he had no plans to become a musician. He only wanted to go for walks and say hello to several people.[1] But soon, he became popular on Twitter and was invited to events related to cats. Soon after, he started performing music, singing, talking, and dancing to entertain his fans.

Being a musician

Mugi's music career started with performances at events and festivals, including those with an international audience. In 2017, he was the first cat to ever play at the Fuji Rock Festival.[2] Other festival appearances include Rising Sun Rock Festival,[3] Wild Bunch Festival, and Matsumoto Ringo Festival.[4]

2017 October: joined SPEEDSTAR MUSIC[5]
2019 March: major debut album on SPEEDSTAR RECORDS, "君に会いに"[6][7]
2019 March: launch of official fan club "Hachiware-Tengoku"[8]
2019 June/July: first nationwide tour in Japan.[9] More nationwide tours in 2021 (13 cities) and 2023 (5 cities).
2019 April: started hosting the radio show "blanks", weekly on FM Okinawa[10]

Music

Creating music

Mugi writes and records his music at home, including playing the piano, the xylophone, and the drums. The guitar parts are played by his friend Satoshi (新垣智), who can also frequently be seen in the short films used during the live shows. Mugi's music includes many different genres, like Pop, Rock, Hip-Hop, etc. Most songs are about a cat's view of the world. All songs are suitable for children, but not made for children. The lyrics are simple at first glance but meaningful when looking deeper and include many wordplays.[11] Mugi is an advocate for kindness and peace, which is also reflected in his songs.[12]


Live performances

During the live performances, Mugi sings and plays the Xylophone, sometimes also an Eisa drum. The rest of the music comes from the sound system. He uses a lot of homemade accessories to underline his songs and is also dancing to most of the songs.[13] Homemade short films are played when there are breaks in lengthy concerts. He often goes on business trips from Okinawa to other prefectures, to play live concerts or attend events. After his concerts Mugi often greets fans, takes photos, and signs autographs.

Appearance on national TV
TV appearances
Song titleTV stationProgram nameSong used asDate
君に会いにFuji TVジャンクSPORTSEnding theme[14]April 2019
ねっこほってNHK Eテレねこねこ日本史Ending theme[15]Since November 13, 2019
るすばん天国Fuji TVLove MusicLive performance & greeting[16]May 11, 2020
12 different songsKids StationうたのじかんライブLive performance broadcast[17]From June 6, 2020, 1 song per week
窓辺の猫TBSプレバト!!Ending theme[18][19]August and September 2020

Coverage in print media
Nation-wide magazines and newspapers
Magazine titlePublisherEditionPage no.
ねこNeko Publishing Co., Ltd.No. 110, spring 2019[20]16-21
Rockin'On JapanRockin'on Holdings Inc.5/2019[21]270-271
ねこぱんち (Neko Panchi)ShonengahoshaNo.158[22]152-160 (Manga)
An AnMagazine House Ltd.No. 2179[23]139
ねこNeko Publishing Co., Ltd.No. 113, winter 2020[24]61-64
Asahi ShimbunAsahi ShimbunJan. 23rd 2020[25] ?
Music UP'sJapan Music NetworkVol. 190[26]14-15
MOEHakusenshaVol. Nov.2020[27]48
POTATOONE PublishingVol. Jun.2023[28]128


Regional magazines and newspapers
Magazine titleRegionEditionCoverage
おきなわ倶楽部 (Okinawa Club)OkinawaJan. 2018[29]Cover photo & interview
箆柄暦 (piratsuka, Okinawa event guide)OkinawaMarch 2019[30]Cover story
オキナワグラフ(The Okinawa Graph)OkinawaNo.690 (Sep.2019)[31]Cover photo

Discography

Albums

『天国かもしれない』 （2017）
『君に会いに』 （2019, limited edition CD+DVD: VIZL-1547、regular edition CD: VICL-65132）
『Song of Life』 (2023, special edition: VOSF-11930, regular edition: VICL-65818)

EPs

『ねっこほって e.p.』（2019、Limited edition CD+DVD+plush-keyholder: VIZL-1666、Regular edition CD: VICL-65266）
『窓辺の猫 e.p.』（2020、Limited edition special packaging: VICL-65414、Regular edition CD: VICL-65415）

Guest appearance

Schroeder-Headz 『ゲスト・スイート』（2019、VICL-65267）「Surface」

References
  1. "【Interview】 むぎ(猫)ちゃんにねほりはほり聞きました！". Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  2. "【Interview】 むぎ(猫)インタビュー". Fujirock Express. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  3. "Rising Sun Rock Festival 2018, timetable". Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  4. "RINGO MUSIC FEST 2023 - りんご音楽祭オフィシャルサイト". りんご音楽祭オフィシャルサイト - (in Japanese). 2023-07-03. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  5. "Speedstar music official website". Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  6. "【Interview】むぎ(猫)、歌えて踊れて楽器も演奏できる「天国帰りのネコ」が待望の1stアルバム『君に会いに』リリース". BARKS. ジャパンミュージックネットワーク. 2019-03-29. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  7. "Speedstar Records official website". Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  8. "Mugi the Cat official fanclub". Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  9. "むぎ(猫)、メジャー1stアルバムを引っ提げた初の全国ツアーを開催中！". Retrieved 2020-12-15.
  10. "FM Okinawa blank". Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  11. "むぎ(猫)音楽の楽しさを伝える"猫"のミュージシャンに迫る". MusicVoice. 2019-12-02. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  12. "むぎ(猫)が語る、メジャーデビューと音楽活動への思い 「やさしい気持ちにさせたい」". Real Sound. 2019-03-18. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  13. "他界した猫が生き返って歌い踊る "天国帰りの猫"の音楽家「むぎ（猫）」は、異色なのに優しい". ITmedia Inc. 2017-08-11. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  14. "むぎ(猫)初ワンマン公演決定!". Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  15. "「ねこねこ日本史」新ＥＤテーマは【むぎ(猫)】さん！". Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  16. "「We love music". Retrieved 2020-12-15.
  17. "うたのじかんライブ". Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  18. "むぎ(猫)、新EP収録曲「窓辺の猫 feat. つじあやの」がTBS･MBS系全国ネット『プレバト!!』8・9月度エンディングテーマに決定". Spice. 2020-07-30. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  19. "むぎ（猫）×つじあやのコラボ曲「窓辺の猫」が『プレバト!!』EDテーマに". Billboard Japan. 2020-08-03. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  20. "ねこ110号 2019年5月号". 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  21. "2019 5月号". 2019-02-25. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
  22. "天国から帰ってきた猫ミュージシャン漫画化". 2019-10-15. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
  23. "Vol.2179". 2019-12-03. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  24. "ねこ113号 2020年2月号". 2020-01-11. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  25. "むぎ（猫）、２度目のニャン生で命を歌う". 2020-01-23. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  26. "Vol.190". 2020-08-20. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  27. "MOE2020年11月号". 2020-10-02. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  28. "POTATO2023年6月号". 2023-06-01. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  29. "麺食いてぇ！". 2018-01-01. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
  30. "箆柄暦『三月の沖縄』2019 むぎ(猫)". 2019-02-25. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
  31. "ワンはヤーニンジュ ―沖縄の動物愛護は今―". 2019-09-01. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
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