After releasing two intoxicating singles, “Gypsy Davey” and “Mushi No Uta” earlier this year, Kikagaku Moyo steps back into the spotlight with a surprise drop of “Ouchi Time,” a song dedicated to “time spent in the house.”
The track is delivered as apart of a singles series from Brooklyn label Mexican Summer, titled “The Looking Glass Project” which focuses on the human condition as reflected through remote connection during this time of uncertainty. Kikagaku Moyo joins other artists that have contributed such as Andrew VanWyngarden (MGMT), Connan Mockasin, and Ariel Pink.
The Japanese psychedelic rock group continues its mission of building a bridge between the supernatural and the present incorporating sounds from our planet and seemingly others.” It was a good challenge for us to do everything remotely. We had to learn how to let our mind escape to inner-galaxy and secretly made strong connections with outer space,” says Go Kurosawa, who wrote and produced the track.
“Ouchi Time” begins with windchimes easing listeners into a track — a calm before the storm if you will. As the chimes open a portal to another dimension, we hear the patented sitar courtesy of Ryu Kurosawa and subtle guitars which accompany it. The track begins bubbling with strange sounds including a vibraslap of sorts and a whining, whirring selection of strings as the introduction builds steadily until Kotsu Guy’s thumping bassline emerges.
As the hectic collection of sounds creates a busy soundscape, the light vocals contrast a fuzzy guitar adding a layer of calmness to an otherwise crowded track. If Kikagaku Moyo excels at one thing, it is the blending of sounds to create premium dynamics. As the stylish guitars speak their final piece, the song is faded out to a spoken word narration in Japanese as a harsh, metallic unleashing of strings echoes behind the female voice.
“Ouchi Time” fits wonderfully in the catalog of songs from the five-piece, multi-instrumentalist outfit that spans from meditation music to all-out headbanging rock and roll. As apart of “The Looking Glass Project,” if this song is purchased on Bandcamp, all proceeds go either to Kikagaku Moyo or the charity of their choice.
Now approaching two years since dropping the fantastic Masana Temples, their last full-length release, listeners should keep their eyes and ears peeled for what Kikagaku Moyo might surprise us with next.
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