KIKAGAKU MOYO
- SHARE NEW TRACK "SILVER OWL"
- MAY TOUR & LIVERPOOL PSYCHFEST SHOW
- ALBUM HOUSE IN THE TALL GRASS OUT MAY 13
ON GURUGURU BRAIN
Today Tokyo’s Kikagaku Moyo share a second cut from their forthcoming album House in The Tall Grass, which is set for release on May 13th via Guruguru Brain. They have also been confirmed to play Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia this September in addition to their previously announced May UK shows.
New single ‘Silver Owl’ is a 10-minute journey into the mind-expanding world of Kikagaku Moyo, starting with laid back, summery meandering and building into a crescendo of light and colour.
“The inspiration for this song came from my experience in dreams - like lucid dreams where I can create another me, and be totally free from everything and flying around the sky” explains the band’s drummer Go Kurosawa. “I think most people can relate the feeling where you are half asleep and half awake. Your brain is really heavy, and feel like something is pulling back your head, but your eyes stay the same position. We talked about our favorite dreams in the studio and tried to express each type that we have experienced. The last part of the song is our expression of a totally free and lucid dream.”
Listen to ‘Silver Owl’: https://soundcloud.com/gurugurubrain/kikagaku-moyo-silver-owl-1/
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Following their split 7” with Moon Duo late last year, Kikagaku Moyo announced details of their new album last month atmospheric & elemental first single “Kogarashi” (the Autumn wind).
Kikagaku Moyo’s sound encompasses a broad spectrum of influence & elements of classical Indian music, Krautrock, traditional folk, and 70s Rock. Most importantly their music is about freedom of the mind and body, and building a bridge between the supernatural and the present. Improvisation is a key element to their sound.
Like a long journey House In The Tall Grass unfolds through many layers. Existing fans of Kikagaku Moyo will be comforted by the soft vocals harmonies and warm sitar, but what sets this release apart is the refinement of the band’s song-writing and their delicate execution. Side A begins with a pair of travelling songs where the interplay between the vocals, guitar, and sitar lift and suspend the listener on an unexpected journey. The patient listener is rewarded with tracks such as “Trad” and “Silver Owl” which demonstrate the masterful balance the band has between soft and loud; chaos and order, or being both cold and tender at the same time.
“We wanted to make a record which would bring scenic images to the listeners” explains drummer, Go Kurosawa. “The idea came to my mind when I took a trip to the north of Japan. It was very cold outside, but the place I stayed was warm. I was amazed by how quiet it was outside with the snow absorbing all sound. It felt like I was covering my ears with my hands or I was under the sea. We wanted this to be a conceptual album, not a compilation of discrete tracks. I had been listening to two film soundtracks, one written by Bruce Langhorne for a western movie called The Hired Hand, the other, Ry Cooder's soundtrack for Paris, Texas. I was deeply inspired by these records, and both created the kind of intense scenic images I was interested in.”
Kikagaku Moyo (translated as “geometric patterns”) started in the summer of 2012 busking on the streets of Tokyo. Though the band started as a free music collective, it quickly evolved into a tight group of multi-instrumentalists.
Their first, Self-Titled, record was released digitally and discovered by Cosmic Eye/Sound Effect Records in Greece, who put out their first 12” LP. The band’s popularity spread extensively through the blogging community. Their first tour took place in Australia sharing dates with the Aussie band Dreamtime. By April 2014 Kikagaku Moyo had recorded their second LP “Forest of Lost Children” which was released in May 2014 by Beyond Beyond is Beyond records. Additionally, they released “Mammatus Clouds” on cassette via Sky Lantern Records, showcasing the band’s experimental side. The band toured the US at the same time, sharing bills with Moon Duo, Eternal Tapestry, White Manna, Life Coach, and the Myrrors. They played at Austin Psych Fest and LA Psych Fest to high acclaim.
Their Self-Titled record and Mammatus Clouds were re-released on 12” vinyl later in 2014 by Captcha records in the US and Cardinal Fuzz Records in the UK. Both pressings sold out in a matter of days. In support of these releases, the band toured the UK in October of 2014.
In 2015, Kikagaku Moyo toured for 35 days across Europe selling out shows in Berlin, London, Paris, Porto, Lisbon, Barcelona and Geneva. They appeared at Eindhoven Psych Lab and Duna Jam. The band has earned their reputation as fierce and captivating performers. 2015 also saw the release of several split 7” records, the first with Kinski on God Unknown Records and a self-released split with Moon Duo.
House in the Tall Grass is available to pre-order HERE.
Kikagaku Moyo are:
Vocal/Guitar: Tomo Katsurada
Guitar: Daoud Popal
Sitar: Ryu Kurosawa
Bass: Kotsuguy
Drum/Vocal: Go Kurosawa
House in the Tall Grass tracklist:
01. Green Sugar
02. Kogarashi
03. Old Snow, White Sun
04. Melted Crystal
05. Dune
06. Silver Owl
07. Fata Morgana
08. Trad
09. Cardigan Song
Kikagaku Moyo live dates:
May
25 Bristol, UK Cube
26 London, UK, London Fields Brewery
27 Manchester, UK, Star and Garter
28 Glasgow, Scotland, Nice’n'Sleazys
29 Leeds, UK, Karma Fest
30 Brighton UK, Bleach
September
23-24 Liverpool UK, Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia (Guruguru Brain stage)
House in the Tall Grass artwork:
Links:
House in the Tall Grass pre-order link
Kikagaku Moyo on Facebook
Guruguru Brain web site
Guruguru Brain on FacebookFor more information please contact kate@stereosanctity.co.uk / t. +44 7812 607 230.
