The Mooch story is an unusual one. We have never met the man himself, nor are we likely to: but we have managed to piece together a rough (and I mean rough) picture...a brief and unusual glimpse of a man who wants no-one to really know.
Mooch was born, some 30 years ago. He spent the first 15 years of his life with his parents (who were both performance artists) and 10 brothers, of whom Mooch is the eldest. His love of music formed early, supporting his parents performance art with his own unusual brand of live percussion: using anything he could get his hands on, from tin cans to medicine bottles: anything would go. At 15, Mooch had began to show an interest in more than just percussion: he would play the big church organ on Sundays for the religious types, would jam with local folk band 'Raggles' on his hand-made Oboe and he would sneak into town at Christmas and sing unusual versions of Christmas carols over pre-made break-beats.
And, at the age of 17, he vanished from his home town. His parents say he was made an offer: to join a group of travelling party people who would use his unusual abilities to entertain off-kilter hippies all over Europe. On the 13th March, 1992, a masked man arrived at their home, telling Mooch's family that he was going to make the young lad a 'star'. There was no contract, no promise of cash and no guarantee of when, if ever, he would return home.
And that is (almost) where the story, as far as we here at Jack To Phono are concerned, ends. Some 13 years later (at the end of 2004), we took a delivery, handed to us in person by a silent stranger, of a CD with 2 tracks made by 'Mooch'. Why they came to us we don't know, but we sure are grateful
The 2 tracks, 'My Spider Walks Again ' (a cinematic track, painting the amazing story of Mooch's re-born German spider) and 'Sidestep', a flute-led funk workout, apparently inspired by his younger days dancing solo in the streets of Wickham.
So we know not what the future holds for Mooch. In fact, we do not even know how to get hold of him. All we know is that right now we have to get his music out to the people. Then, and only then might we lure him out of hiding, and maybe on to bigger and better things?'.'