Kikagaku Moyo
28th February 2020
Neck Of The Woods, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Ali Nicholls. Photography by Richard Myburgh.
Cosmic entity Kikagaku Moyo collided forces with the other-worldly Earthtongue at Neck of the Woods last night for an evening of astral projection and soulful euphoria.
Hailing from Tokyo, Kikagaku Moyo have been generating sound waves the world over since the release of their first LP Cosmic Eye/Sound Effect in 2013. Gaining popularity across Europe and America, the band brought the contemporary, kaleidoscopic sounds of psychedelia in east Asia to attention of the West. Once the crack in the fabric of orientalism ruptured, the psychedelic sounds from across Asia came pouring forth and with them, Guruguru Brain – a record label started by Go Kurosawa (drums/vocals) and Tomo Katsurada (guitar/vocals) with the specific intention of empowering the psych scene in Asia. Since its establishment Kikagaku Moyo have released three further LPs, each receiving more critical acclaim than the last.
Finally, Kikagaku Moyo have made the voyage to our shores to adorn us with the garlands of some of the best progressive psych rock being produced.
The show is opened by our very own Earthtongue. Emerging from deep within the forest of Põneke, Gussie Larkin [Mermaidens] and Ezra Simons send us into a state of deep-planetary exploration through their sound. Their name befits their act to a tee – this is the sound of a gritty world churning through the indiscriminate cycle of growth and decay. Metal influences give the psychedelic flourishes a guttural origin. Polyrhythms disrupt the usual meditative worship of the crowd, holding our attention with uneasy proximity. Think Jefferson Airplane incubated in the fermenting dirt and emerging with an apocalyptic vengeance against human exceptionalism. They’re a hard act to follow, even by those at the top of their shared field internationally.
Fortunately Kikagaku Moyo are up to the challenge.
The set opens with a meditative, classically psychedelic number. Standing in a semi-circle surrounding the drummer, the two guitarists, bassist, and sitar player conjure a swirling pool of atmospheric distorted sounds. One by one, eyes closed in transcendence, the musicians peel away from the formation and begin to move toward the body of the opening track. With a collective heave the set begins, and we begin our exploration of the shared psyche of the band. I’m immediately lulled into the heady rhythm of the track which gets its pulsing momentum from the groove bass line. The musicians aren’t looking to one another for cues. Instead they are all embodying the beat with subtle movements and appear to be breathing in the music as much as they are listening. It has a powerful effect, and there’s an element of hypnosis to the experience of seeing them live. We are in a trance, and they are our guides.
From the heart-beat rhythm of the mellow opening track we drift through a transition featuring ambient sounds that feel like manifestations of an ancient forest. Wood blocks, claves, vibraslaps, bird whistles, chimes, and cymbals form a canvas upon which the main instruments gesture their sounds. Despite employing instruments and sound techniques from around the world, Kikagaku Moyo have strong influences from Japanese atmospheric music that are especially radiant during the interludes between songs.
Indian ragas heighten the momentum of the set and the more quintessential tropes of early global psychedelia give us something familiar to hang onto. The vibe is joyous and funky, with the bass leading the groove for the audience. And then, as though boiling up from deep within the music, distortion begins to take hold. Suddenly the bass and drums are chasing the rhythm and the guitars come forward, both Katsurada and Popal making the most of their plethora of peddles to transform the gentle sunrise of the song into a scorching breakdown.
By midway through the set it’s clear that Kikakagu Moyo’s aim is not to showcase their discography, but to carefully compose a journey. Their craft is not in being spectacular performers (although this is undeniable) but rather in their ability to turn Neck of the Woods into a launching pad into the most cosmic and curious corners of our minds. ‘Cardigan Song’ sees Kurosawa and Popal swapping instruments for a wholesome spoonful of comforting acoustic breather. The track is lovingly received by the now completely entranced crowd, until we’re back for one last round of ecstatic hard-core psych-rock before the closing of the main set. But this audience has a taste of another world, and they’re hungry for more. As soon as the band begins to migrate to the back of the stage, the rapturous demand for an encore takes the room. Kikagaku Moyo take the stage again for three more tracks, generously thanking the audience for their time and relentless enthusiasm. And they’re dishing it out in spades, with the final track of the night closing with the halls of Neck of the Woods shaking with celebration from the crowd.
Whether giving pause to the audience with a soaring sitar solo, slapping out a funk beat, illuminating the crown with incandescent atmospheric interludes, or thrashing a heavy psych-rock breakdown, every aspect of Kikagaku Moyo’s performance is astonishingly tight. Mastering a wide range of states of being, by the end of the set I feel as though I’ve danced through the very fabric of time, swam through other dimensions, and come back to earth after a revelation on the transformative potential of sound. As far as psychedelic experiences go, that’s not bad for a set that lasted just over an hour.
This is a band that simply cannot be missed. Catch them tonight at San Fran in Wellington for a journey into the center of the cosmos that may just change your life. Kikagaku Moyo forever!
Were you there at Neck Of The Woods for this magnificent Japanese psychedelic rock band? Or have you seen Kikagaku Moyo perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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