With immersive 360-degree performances in the center of the crowd, MXGPU, the collaboration between Moullinex and GPU Panic, have already sold out venues like MAAT in Lisbon and Casa da Música in Porto. Continuing their 2025 tour, they featured dates in Portugal, Singapore, Mexico, and London, marking their U.S. debut with concerts in Brooklyn and Los Angeles.
Everywhere they go, presenting new tracks from their recently released album ‘Sudden Light’, they are “always well-received,” says Guilherme Tomé Ribeiro in a conversation with Notícias ao Minuto.
“Besides the music itself, people are highly impacted by the live show. Performing in the middle of the crowd, playing on the dance floor, with a laser above us, facing each other, and having people see what we are doing… From what we gather, people enjoy the music and experience an impactful show they are not accustomed to seeing. It’s amusing,” highlights Guilherme Tomé Ribeiro, also known as GPU Panic.
“The reaction of people is consistent. Whether in Portugal, Singapore, or Mexico, the surprise and reactions are very similar, making us very happy,” he adds.
What we do together is not just Moullinex or just GPU Panic; it’s something different
How did this collaborative project begin? In fact, the artists have been collaborating since 2017, starting with Luís Clara Gomes’s album ‘Hypersex’, known by his stage name Moullinex.
“We began collaborating perhaps a year earlier. I was already a fan of Salto [Guilherme, Luís, Filipe, and Gil’s band]; Guilherme also knew my work”, recalls Moullinex, receiving compliments from his colleague and friend, who also claims to be a “big fan” of his.
“I admired Guilherme’s work with Salto and his guitar skills,” he notes, saying it filled a needed gap.
“I don’t particularly like doing auditions. I prefer to study potential collaborators beforehand, to see if there’s a match. We confirmed that artistic affinity through mutual friends, which led us to work together first on the track ‘Painting By Numbers'”, he narrates.
They continued with further collaborations. “He composed and sang four tracks on my next album, ‘Requiem for Empathy’, becoming practically the live vocalist for Moullinex,” continued Luís Clara Gomes, speaking about GPU Panic.
“It made perfect sense,” he explains, resulting in the creation of a combined name, MXGPU, “a fusion of both projects” – Moullinex and GPU Panic.
What distinguishes them as a duo from their solo art? “What we do together is not just Moullinex or just GPU Panic; it’s something different. I have absolute confidence in Guilherme’s voice, and what we write together is true when sung by him,” emphasizes Moullinex.
“There’s always an anchor in his voice, allowing us to explore more minimalist instrumentals, something I never do, yet his voice grounds the project in reality and identity,” he adds.
Despite living in a non-album era, we still respect those like us seeking a story with a beginning, middle, and end
In ‘Sudden Light’, released on September 26, there were “dozens of songs left out,” with some that “may see the light of day and others not,” Moullinex confides.
“We had to create nearly a hundred songs to realize that eleven of them made sense together as an album, telling a story and having a narrative… Even though we don’t live in an album era, we still respect those who seek a long story with a beginning, middle, and end.”
Some tracks were performed live even before being included in the album, explains GPU Panic.
“Some have been played since the MAAT concert, our first as MXGPU, and some haven’t been played live yet, marking a new path in performing these tracks live.”
It’s also interesting to see how the songs transform between live performances, the album, listeners’ experiences, and the live versions. And vice versa: many who attended our early MAAT shows find surprises when hearing the album due to some differences. It’s interesting how these two environments coexist harmoniously.”
Today, there are hardly any limitations in music creation, thanks to accessible tools fostering creativity anywhere. Reflecting on any peculiar or inspiring elements during this album’s creation, Moullinex recalls that many themes arose in Bangkok.
Yet, he doesn’t overlook the “summer residency” in Alentejo, which, although did not directly influence the album, was crucial in understanding their creative dynamic.
There has never truly been a stage for everyone, even in past decades when a handful of projects had essential record contracts
GPU Panic also mentions that their creative process isn’t subject to major filters. “We enjoy simply grabbing a computer and starting to compose an idea.”
“It can start as a brief 20 to 30-second piece sent to each other, sparking new ideas and sometimes resulting in surprising creations. We cherish working without major constraints, creating without filters, and crafting before defining with coherence.”
“We prefer to explore many ideas before clearly understanding what we want to say. This album emerged from such open creativity,” he continues.
The accessibility to music creation tools can pose added challenges due to the abundant offerings. Is this positive, and will there always be space for everyone?
“There’s no longer a stage for everyone, which was always the case, even decades ago when few projects had essential recording contracts. Only a small percentage of creators, musicians, and artists can professionalize.”
More creators results in more potential for beautiful things, but also the potential for unattractive ones.
“As we approach an era of more automation and immediate content consumption, this collective discussion will be vital. However, I see this ‘overflow’ positively.”
It forces us to be sharper curators of content we consume, and more creators result in more potential for beautiful things to emerge. But cynically, it also increases the potential for unattractive and uninteresting things,” argues Moullinex.
Now, GPU Panic states, MXGPU will continue “traveling around”. “We have a strong desire to perform live, which is an undoubtedly important aspect for us. We are always open and willing to take our music to places we haven’t visited yet. That’s also a goal.”
