Kikagaku Moyo – live at Berlin Desertfest – May 4, 2019 –
If you’ve ever wondered what the state of Psychedelia is in the world, head over to Tokyo where you will find it is alive and well and thriving.
Kikagaku Moyo has been around since 2012 and have gotten a pretty sizable fanbase throughout the world, as is evidenced by this appearance at the 2019 Desertfest in Berlin.
To get a better idea of who the band is, where they got started and how they evolved, I wandered over to their band site (Kikgaku Moyo.com) and let them tell it:
“Kikagaku Moyo have come a long way –both literally and metaphorically– since their humble beginnings busking on the streets of Tokyo back in 2012. A tight-knit group of five friends who bonded over the desire to play freely, and explore music associated with space and psychedelica, their initial ambitions were modest semi-regular slots in the cramped clubs of the city’s insular music scene. Yet the band’s progressive, folk-influenced take on psychedelica marked them out from their peers and re-started Japan’s psych rock scene; it also brought them international acclaim.
With a settled line up – Go Kurosawa (drums, vox), Tomo Katsurada (guitar, vox), Kotsuguy (bass), Daoud Popal (guitar), Ryu Kurosawa (sitar), – and a signature sound that blended classical Indian music, Krautrock, traditional folk, 70s rock, and acid-tinged psych, the band sold out shows across Europe and founded their own label, Guruguru Brain, to showcase not just their own work, but the under-represented music scene in East Asia. To date, the label has released music from over ten different artists alongside their own albums, and in 2017 Kurosawa and Katsurada relocating permanently to Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The move placed both Kikagaku Moyo and Guruguru Brain at the heart of Europe and eased the logistical challenges of long tours for bands on their label and release schedules while catering to Western audiences.
Since then, their popularity has continued to grow, and Kikagaku Moyo are now one of the most acclaimed bands in the alternative psych scene. Having toured the world several times over, they’ve also graced prominent slots at renowned festivals such as Bonnaroo Music Festival (US), End Of The Road Festival, Green Man Festival (both UK), and Concrete & Glass (China),and have been commissioned by world-famous fashion brands such as Gucci and Issey Miyake. Recent album Masana Temples received stellar reviews from the likes of Mojo and Uncut, and the band were also invited to appear on acclaimed radio station KEXP, performing for one of their famed live sessions.”
If you aren’t already familiar with them, check them out – go to their site – they have four albums out – you would do well to get all of them. Keep your eyes peeled for an appearance once this Pandemic slows down. But experience them, by all means. Dive in and feed your mind. And whatever you do – keep it open (your mind, that is). And give this concert a listen.
