Biography
Kikagaku Moyo, whose name translates from Japanese as "geometric patterns," emerged as a Tokyo-based psychedelic rock ensemble whose music fuses Krautrock, Indian ragas, and acid folk. In rapid succession the group delivered several albums, among them the breakthrough House in the Tall Grass in 2016 and the precisely formed Masana Temples in 2018. These recordings juxtaposed dense, forceful improvisations against quieter, reflective passages while echoing the approach of Japanese psych outfits such as Acid Mothers Temple and Ghost, as well as earlier acts including Far East Family Band and Flower Travellin' Band.
The band was established in summer 2012 by drummer/vocalist Go Kurosawa and guitarist/vocalist Tomo Katsurada. Completing the lineup were bassist Kotsuguy, guitarist Daoud Popal, sitarist Ryu Kurosawa, and guest vocalist/theremin player Angie Gotopo. Their self-titled debut was tracked in 2013; after an initial digital self-release it received vinyl treatment from Greece's Cosmic Eye later that year and an American pressing from Captcha Records in 2014. Two additional albums—Mammatus Clouds and Forest of Lost Children—appeared in 2014, positioning the group as favorites on the international psychedelic circuit. They played Austin Psych Fest and L.A. Psych Fest while completing well-received tours of America, the U.K., and Europe. In 2015 the band issued split 7-inch singles with Moon Duo and with Kinski alongside Acid Mothers Temple leader Makoto Kawabata.
House in the Tall Grass, the group's fourth album, surfaced in 2016 on their own Guruguru Brain label. The Stone Garden EP followed in 2017. Soon afterward the collective dissolved its communal Tokyo household, with several members relocating as far as Amsterdam. Recording the next album took them further from established habits when they traveled to Lisbon to collaborate with producer Bruno Pernadas, the noted Portuguese jazz guitarist. The resulting adjustments produced a modest evolution in sound and yielded 2018's Masana Temples, their most streamlined and concentrated statement to date.
The band was established in summer 2012 by drummer/vocalist Go Kurosawa and guitarist/vocalist Tomo Katsurada. Completing the lineup were bassist Kotsuguy, guitarist Daoud Popal, sitarist Ryu Kurosawa, and guest vocalist/theremin player Angie Gotopo. Their self-titled debut was tracked in 2013; after an initial digital self-release it received vinyl treatment from Greece's Cosmic Eye later that year and an American pressing from Captcha Records in 2014. Two additional albums—Mammatus Clouds and Forest of Lost Children—appeared in 2014, positioning the group as favorites on the international psychedelic circuit. They played Austin Psych Fest and L.A. Psych Fest while completing well-received tours of America, the U.K., and Europe. In 2015 the band issued split 7-inch singles with Moon Duo and with Kinski alongside Acid Mothers Temple leader Makoto Kawabata.
House in the Tall Grass, the group's fourth album, surfaced in 2016 on their own Guruguru Brain label. The Stone Garden EP followed in 2017. Soon afterward the collective dissolved its communal Tokyo household, with several members relocating as far as Amsterdam. Recording the next album took them further from established habits when they traveled to Lisbon to collaborate with producer Bruno Pernadas, the noted Portuguese jazz guitarist. The resulting adjustments produced a modest evolution in sound and yielded 2018's Masana Temples, their most streamlined and concentrated statement to date.
Albums
Singles
