Kickass Kikagaku

Swiss Adam and I are currently engaged in a sort of  'duelling banjos' exercise but substituting Japanese psych bands for banjos, the main purpose of which seems to be to help George refine his list of favourite Japanese bands.

Last time out Adam went big on every respect, treating us all to a 15 minute slab of the mighty Bo Ningen. At the time it felt like a knockout blow but I managed to stagger to my feet on a count of eight. Having taken some time to unscramble my brain I am fit to fight my corner.

After some thought I narrowed my options down to two bands, both of which have been featured here before (although not recently) and both beginning with K. The other one might appear next if we continue with this thing, but for now I've gone for Kikagaku Moyo.

Originally from Tokyo but latterly based in Amsterdam, Kikagaku Moyo released five albums and assorted odds and sods over the course of a decade before going their separate ways in 2022. Three of the members - Go Kurosawa, Tomo Katsurada and Popal Daoud Akira - have since gone on to release solo albums.

Today's selections come from "Masana Temples" (2018) and their self-titled album from 2017. In an attempt to compete with Adam on both quantity and quality I have added an 18-minute long collaboration with Ryley Walker from 2021. All these and much more can be found on their Bandcamp page. 

The blurb for their final album "Kumoyo Island" says that "while their decade-long career can be summarized as a series of kaleidoscopic explorations through lands and dimensions far and near, there’s a strong intention in each of their works to take the listener to a particular place, however real or abstract they may be". Have a listen, let me know where you end up. 

"Majupose" - Kikagaku Moyo

"Zo No Senaka" - Kikagaku Moyo

"Shrinks The Day" - Ryley Walker & Kikagaku Moyo