Mike Hagen and the Lo-Fi Legend of Fungobat
Little is known, or at least what we could conjure up for this piece, about the Mason, Ohio-based singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and sonic staple in the lo-fi bedroom scene of the 1980s and 1990s, Mike Hagen, known professionally as Fungobat. But legends like this make the internet look like a fool, while history goes unfazed by our grasp on all things information. Hailing from the greater Cincinnati, Ohio area, you wonder if he knew anything about the late Daniel Johnston, most likely, who was nearly 18 hours away from him. Their underground universalism in sound crafting, reaching out to shake hands, but we know he reveled in the vastness of Todd Rundgren/The Nazz, who inspired the name of his project with the line, “tighten-up fungobat,” as well as Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Al Green, Big Star/Alex Chilton, and Steely Dan, but what motivated the private pioneer to capture such a prolific body of work on his 4-track reel-to-reel? Ohio never ceases to amaze, whether it’s private press psych, garage rock, the ethereal elements of freak folk, or the iconic intelligence of Dayton-based legends, Guided By Voices, the Buckeye State is historically translucent as we continue to unpack its radiant past. Having recorded hundreds of songs in what we can only imagine was a short period in the 1980s and into the 1990s, Hagen’s output is truly incredible, and undeniably unique, as it would later inspire legends such as Lou Barlow/Sebadoh, and Upland, California’s highly influential imprint Shrimper, from the trailblazing mind of Dennis Callaci who brought you Goosewind, the early days of The Mountain Goats, Henry Barnes’ Amps For Christ, and several others over the last three decades.
Working alongside local musicians such as Mike Sager, Mark Sharp, Reed Bogart, Tom Jansing, and Mike Sharfe, all of whom were also in the short-lived band See Rock City, Hagen’s digitally diverse discography is radically rich, to say the least, while simultaneously highlighting numerous genres, and fractions of music within the confines of pop. Featuring two archival comps, “The Ballad of Fungobat,” “Greatest Hits, Vol. 1,” and more studio-based albums such as “Zero to Sixty,” “Come Drink Me,” and “Keilbassa Nova,” Fungobat takes fictional flight into the true nature of DIY, by quickly honing in on his cosmically charged craft, and bringing it to the limit. The musician advanced to the epicness of 1970s rock n’ roll, where he began making sounds that would blissfully blend pop, R&B, calming chords, and a youthful connection to the seance of rhythm and beat that is entirely his own. Breathing new life into the catalog through the Columbus, OH-based micro-indie label Old3C Records, operated by Hagen’s friend and longtime collaborator Paul Nini, who also released early, cassette-only, Fungobat albums like “Chartbusters on Venus” and “The Great Indoors,” the musician has seen his work stretch across the melodic matrix, and hopefully into the ears of listeners worldwide. The deciphered discography reveals a young man destined to get his music out at any cost, while documenting wonderful numbers such as “Sound on Sound,” “Desperate,” “Gotta Be Careful,” “Yasmin", and “Pardon The Morning,” to name a few. Hagen truly captures the exciting essence of what it means to be a recording artist, and with this power comes a great responsibility to capture as much as you can, when you can.
