En Garde

puzzle muteson is the alter ego of an enigmatic songwriter from the isle of wight, rendering his music in a tremulous tenor over a finely spun web of fingerpicked guitar. born in london, isle of dogs, the southern english island provided unexpected shelter for the shuddering transformation into one-man band puzzle muteson. his grade-school music teacher was first to recognise his unrivalled vibrato, and a little while later a parade of chance and coincidence led him to inhabit puzzle muteson, and start shaping a body of songs. puzzle has since toured ireland and the uk, opening up for the likes of the fruit bats, death vessel and sub pop darling daniel martin. after obsessively listening to puzzle muteson's own raw tapes, producer - arranger duo valgeir sigurosson and nico muhly nurtured the songs that now inhabit his debut recording 'en garde', released via valgeir's bedroom community label. the record shimmers with the signature value of puzzle's collaborators who have previously worked with the likes of bonnie 'prince' billy, antony (and the johnsons), sam amidon and many others.