The name of the band is Kikagaku Moyo, or for those who do not know Japanese, like me, Geometric Patterns. Luckily, judging by this, their third album, “House In A Tall Grass”, there is nothing that indicates that these guys abide by any strict geometric rules. They do make some wonderful psychedelic patterns though.
At this time of the year everybody publishes their “best of” lists, and since I was completely unfamiliar with the band and somebody mentioned their “House” (in a very tall grass it seems, indeed), I had to check it out. The description of a combination of “Krautrock, Indian ragas and acid folk”, all music to my ears, were only an additional incentive.
Usually, these lofty descriptions have some kind of a mis-fit. Not this time around. The description of their music is one of the more precise ones I have encountered recently. The moment the introductory “Green Sugar” starts swirling around the speakers, you know that have the legends like Can somewhere in the back of their brains, and it has not only to do with the longtime Can singer Damo Suzuki. You do hear traces of some contemporary names like their countrymen Ghost or Damon & Naomi (but then, the Ghost guitarist Michio Kurihara played with Damon & Naomi).
Some reviewers have complained that their shorter songs on the album are underdeveloped, but I beg to differ - every song seems to run its logical course, short or long, and it is hard to pick favourites, although, along with the opener, I would be hard pressed to pick “Silver Owl” and “the closer “Cardigan Soul”.
I haven’t heard their previous albums, but those who have say that there they have a more boisterous sound, reminiscent of another modern Japanese psychedelic practitioners, Acid Mothers Temple. Can’t wait to hear those, but even if they continue in this, more subdued vein is fine by me, because this an excellent album.
