Dan Reed Network frontman Dan Reed and Kiss guitarist Tommy Thayer have formed Shogun Mojo, and have a self-titled album out on 6th November through Frontiers Music Srl. Ahead of that, and just released, is the band’s debut single, ‘Under The Gun’.
Thayer commented on the record: “I’ve always loved doing projects like this because they give me a chance to step outside of my usual world and just create, play guitar and have fun making music. Dan and I go back a long way, and it’s been great getting to know Bengt and Ikiz over the past year and discovering the chemistry we have together. Shogun Mojo really came from that shared energy, getting in a room, playing, writing and seeing where it took us. There’s a great spirit and camaraderie in this band that comes through in the music, and I’m excited for people to finally hear what we’ve created together.”
“This debut album is a reflection of all the rock records both Tommy, Bengt, Ikiz and I grew up listening to!” added Dan Reed, noting rhythm section Bengt Jonasson and Robert Ikiz, before continuing: “Even Brion James from my band Dan Reed Network has a co-write on the album called ‘Funk Party’! What we captured in the studio is playing live together like bands did in the 70s, and the outcome is a record that’s a groovy, rowdy funk rock celebration of life. At least that was the goal.
“In a world of AI music, we took it back to the roots of having fun writing in a room together and recording in a room together. We hope you feel what we attempted to capture. We are often told ‘People don’t want to hear guitar solos anymore’… so Tommy has a guitar solo in every song!”
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining forces with Frontiers Music for the release of the new Shogun Mojo album,” said Thayer of the signing. “Collaborating with my dear friend Dan Reed on this project has been an inspiring and rewarding experience from start to finish. We set out to create something that was both powerful and unique, a dynamic blend of rock & roll, funk, and fusion, and I truly believe we’ve achieved that. I’m extremely proud of this record and can’t wait for all our fans to hear it. Frontiers has been a fantastic partner, and I’m looking forward to sharing this exciting new chapter with music lovers around the world.”
Reed added: “Joining forces with Tommy Thayer on guitar, Bengt Jonasson on bass and Robert Ikiz on drums to make the debut album for Shogun Mojo has been a most inspiring journey so far! Bengt, Ikiz and I have been playing rock trio shows together for over 15 years, and when Tommy and I started spending more time together composing songs, it became apparent there was something brewing we just might have to release to the world. Writing this album together reminded me why I fell in love with writing songs as a teenager, for the simple fun of it!
“As the world gets more chaotic and politically divided, we have tried to make a collection of songs that celebrate rock and roll, celebrate life, an escape from the noise, a record with a funky backbone with all live performances, harkening back to the 70s, arguably the greatest era of rock! We knew that partnering with Frontiers Records would be the perfect marriage to get the album out to the world of true music lovers, and soon the public will be the judge if we hit that mark.”
Mario de Riso, A&R and Business Affairs VP at Frontiers, added: “Bringing together the songwriting brilliance of Dan Reed and the unmistakable guitar work of Tommy Thayer, Shogun Mojo is the perfect meeting of two exceptional musical minds. Timeless songwriting, world-class musicianship and undeniable chemistry make this one of the most exciting new additions to the Frontiers roster.”
Tommy Thayer was raised in Oregon and shaped by the raw energy of 1970s hard rock, bands like Kiss, with whom he’s now best known for playing lead guitar since 2002. He honed his craft in the Portland club scene before first achieving international success with Black ‘N Blue.
As frontman of the acclaimed Dan Reed Network, vocalist Dan Reed brought a dynamic blend of rock, soul, and storytelling to the band. His career has spanned multi-platinum success, world tours supporting The Rolling Stones and Bon Jovi, and a creative evolution into filmmaking and visual art after relocating to Prague, where he now balances music with family life and cinematic projects.
Completing Shogun Mojo‘s lineup is Sweden-based drummer and producer Robert Mehmet Ikiz, who contributes a genre-blending approach shaped by performances in more than 60 countries, fusing jazz sensibilities with electronic textures to create a distinctive rhythmic backbone.
On bass, Stockholm’s Bengt Jonasson delivers melodic, groove-driven lines forged through decades of playing across rock, reggae, jazz fusion, and Scandinavian folk traditions. A longtime collaborator of Reed and Ikiz, Jonasson‘s expressive playing and compositional instincts give the band its emotional depth and cohesion.
Together, these four seasoned artists form Shogun Mojo, a band where classic rock pedigree, international influences, and fearless creativity converge into a powerful and modern sonic identity.
Co-produced and engineered by Joe Satriani protégé Geoff Tyson, and mixed by world-renowned producer and artist Rob Daiker, Shogun Mojo‘s debut album has been described as “a rocking, funk-fuelled celebration of life in an ever-growing dystopian world”.
Talking about debut single ‘Under The Gun’, Reed said: “In the first single ‘Under the Gun’… Tommy kills it, and Bengt and Ikiz lay down a killer funk groove. As for the lyrics, they point at the current trends on earth of more division, more anger, and more fear. I’m simply saying we should be careful of the amount of negativity we populate our lives with, because we just might make it come true. If we bring on dystopia then we better be prepared for the ride.”
Shogun Mojo‘s debut album is available to pre-order now. The tracks featured are ‘Fight For The Light’, ‘Under The Gun’, ‘Gonna Raise Hell’, ‘Fire With Fire’, ‘Dog Eat Dog’, ‘Turn It Up’, ‘Nothing To See Here’, ‘In The Air Tonight’, ‘Star Rider’ and ‘Funk Party’.
