Petr Muk: “His soul was tormented, but his music had the power to heal”

Petr Muk (born on Feb 4, 1965) was a Czech pop singer and composer who grew up in communist Czechoslovakia but was influenced by Western bands like the English synth-pop duo Erasure, The Cure and Depeche Mode. At the time, recordings of Western music were secretly smuggled into the country by people lucky enough to be allowed to go abroad.

Muk started making music at the age of fifteen, performing with various underground punk bands. In 1985 he founded and led the Czech synth-pop group Oceán, and when it broke up, eight years later, he established the group Shalom. Both these ensembles were heavily influenced by the English synth-pop duo Erasure. In 2004, Muk released a tribute EP to his idols.

In 1997, Muk released his first solo album and started performing as a solo artist, often in musicals  such as Joan of Arc, Golem, and Galileo.

Petr Muk - Láska, ta nebezpečná věc

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Although he had a big fan base and a successful career, Petr Muk was a deeply tormented man. He was diagnosed with a bipolar disorder and suffered severe bouts of depression. In 2010, at the age of 45, Petr Muk was found dead in his home in Prague. An autopsy revealed a large amount of  medical drugs and alcohol in his blood.

In the years that followed colleagues in the show business kept his memory alive with a number of concerts and issued several LPs posthumously –including a Best of. “His soul was tormented, but his music had the power to heal,” Czech Radio wrote about him after his death.

"I listen to your records with undisguised admiration. There is so much sadness in your voice, and yet it is so warm and virbrant, full of hope and light," Czech singer Bara Basikova said about her departed colleague.

Oceán - Ráchel (klip 1988)

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Studio albums:

• Petr Muk (1997)
• Jizvy Lásky (2000)
• Dotyky Snu (2002)
• Osud Ve Dlaních (2005)
• Muzikál a Film (2009)
• V bludišti dnů (2010)

EPs:

• Loď ke hvězdám (1997)
• Ona se brání/Zrcadlo (2000)
• Oh L'Amour (2004) – tribute to Erasure

Compilations:

• Slunce / To Nejlepší (2007)
• Outro (2011) – posthumous release
• Od A do Z (2011) – posthumous release
• Předtím...A Potom (2017) – posthumous release
• Sny zůstanou - Best of  (released in 2020)

Awards:

• Český slavík – Silver (2002), (2003)
• Český slavík – Bronze (2004)
• TýTý television viewers' awards (2001), (2004)
• Anděl Awards, several nominations