Kikagaku Moyo – 7th Level Music

Tomo Katsurada takes us to a “Zen Bungalow” with his first single from his upcoming solo project – “Dream of the Egg.”

Tomo Katsurada is a Japanese artist currently based in Amsterdam, best known as the founder and lead singer of the acclaimed psychedelic band Kikagaku Moyo. Having recently launched Future Days concept store and workshop in Amsterdam, today he announces the first Future Days release and first chapter in his journey as a solo artist.

‘Dream of The Egg’ is set for release on November 15th and sees Katsurada collaborate with Japanese visual artist Shoko Otake, marking the beginning of an ambitious project—a long-held dream of creating soundtracks for picture books. This record is the first in a series of five, each dedicated to a unique picture book, where Tomo aims to push the boundaries of physical media by merging music with visual storytelling.

Inspired by the Japanese 1920s children’s book “Yume No Tamago (Dream of the Egg)”, it reveals a deeply personal journey, reflecting Tomo’s dreams and the numerous rebirths experienced in 2024—a year marked by profound new beginnings in every facet of his life.

The creation of this EP was driven by a passion for raw and immediate expression. Every song was crafted and recorded with only the materials available to him at the time, embracing an organic and handmade atmosphere. By eschewing rhythm clicks and standard instrumental tunings, a spontaneous sound emerged, capturing the essence of both uncertainty and immediacy. Adding to this distinctive sonic landscape, guest musician Jonny Nash (UK) contributed ethereal guitar sounds on the first and final tracks, enriching the record’s dream-like quality.

Today he shares a first track from the release, “Zen Bungalow” a cover of Gabriel Yared‘s “Bungalow Zen” from the soundtrack  of the film “Betty Blue 37°2 Le Matin”. This particular track is his partner’s favourite song to listen to every morning and left a profound impression on him. One day, he heard a song in his dream that  combined both of these tracks and loved how they blended together. This experience inspired him to  create a new arrangement, “Zen Bungalow,” which has become a central piece of the ‘Dream of the Egg’ release.

Listen to “Zen Bungalow” here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrnEKgw23Kw

Throughout the record’s 20 minute narrative a variety of instruments come into play, drifting between notes and embracing  the beauty of imperfection. By incorporating free-form sounds in a highly technological age, the record aims to reconnect listeners with the tangible, human-made quality of sound.

Future Days Shop:
‘Dream of the Egg’ is the first musical release from Future Days Shop, a concept store and workshop  space founded in 2024 by textile artist Eloïse Ptito and musician Tomo Katsurada. Located in  Amsterdam, Future Days Shop is dedicated to clothing, art, and music, with a mission to unite people  through the power of color, craft, and sound. The store curates unique items that embody a sense of  future-forward creativity.

The Picture Book:
Complementing the music is a beautifully-designed picture book illustrated by the acclaimed Japanese artist Shoko Otake. Printed by Amsterdam’s esteemed bookstore Terry Bleu, this 20-page book will  feature captivating visual artwork and storytelling that enhances the musical experience.

• 500 copies
• A 20-page picture book illustrated by Shoko Otake
• 2 x 7-inch vinyl records
• A manual-play flexidisc

Keep your mind open.

[I dream of you subscribing.]

[Thanks to Kate at Stereo Sanctity.]

Levitation France 2022 recap – Day Two

When in Angers, you should check out the Apocalypse Tapestry at Chateau d’Angers. It’s one of the most doom metal things ever made.

Day Two (June 04th) of Levitation France was our busiest day of the festival. There was a small worry of rain and thunderstorms hitting the festival all three days, but it stayed away on Friday and had hit the area on Saturday afternoon. The skies looked clear for Saturday evening, and, thankfully, that turned out to be the case. We walked in for about the last third of a set by You Said Strange, who were highly popular judging by the number of their band shirts I saw at the festival that day.

You Said Strange getting strange on the Reverberation Stage.

Up next were Death Valley Girls. I hadn’t seen them live since the Psycho Music Festival last year, and they’d written a couple new songs since then (with a new album due in 2023!). They came out, battling the sun beaming directly into their eyes, and put on a heavy, spooky set to counter the light pouring over them.

Death Valley Girls battling the sun and casting spells.

I finally got to introduce myself to them afterwards, which was a delight. We’d only “known” each other through mutually followed Twitter feeds until that time. They’re currently on a three-week European tour and will have a big U.S. / Canada tour this summer (as well as a return to Psycho Music Festival). Don’t miss them.

Some blogger / radio DJ with Death Valley Girls

We then zipped across the lot to see Gustaf. I’d been itching to see them, as I heard their live shows were as fun and weird as their album, Audio Drag for Ego Slobs, and I had heard right. They were just as quirky and sharp as I’d hoped.

I’m not sure if Gustaf or the crowd were bouncing more during their set.

We took a food break (Thanks, BBQ food truck!) and then returned to the Reverberation Stage to see the legendary Kim Gordon come out and rock a mini-skirt better than most women half her age and rock a guitar and stage better than most anyone in the game. It was great to see someone exude so much sensual, raw power.

Australian rockers Pond were up next and put on a fun, energetic set. Their musicianship was tested and on full display when one synthesizer broke only a few songs into their set. They had to adapt their set list on the fly and play songs they hadn’t intended, and did it without missing a beat.

Pond, changing like chameleons from song to song.

Japanese psych-rock legends Kikagaku Moyo were next. In case you weren’t aware, they are on their final tour for a long time – possibly forever – so don’t miss them if they’re near your town. They sound great as always and dazzled the crowd for their whole set.

The festival closed with Canadian electro-industrial duo Pelada, who, if I heard right, were booked a bit at the last minute. They got the entire crowd dancing, with singer Chris Vargas owning the stage (and crowd) from the first moment she appeared. Tobias Rochman‘s beats were a wild switch from the trippy psych-rock and post-punk of the day. Watching douchebag guys being intimidated by Ms. Vargas was one of the highlights of the day.

Pelada dropping beats and spitting fire.

It was a fun day all-around, and the next day would bring psychedelic Shinto music, a band that plays like their hair is on fire, some psych-rock legends, four men on a mission, and a bus ride that will be talked about at the festival for years to come.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe while you’re here.]

Levitation Austin 2019 recap – Day One

It was our fifth year attending Levitation Austin since 2013. The festival had been moved to the autumn from the spring this year, so I was interested to see if the change on the calendar would affect the size of the crowds at some of the venues.

The four-day festival started for us at Barracuda – the club where we would end up spending most of the next four nights. Nearly all the bands we wanted to see were playing there over the course of the festival, and the first show there was sold out. First up were Hoover iii from Los Angeles, who played a good set of psychedelia mixed with some shoegaze elements.

Next were a band I was really keen on seeing – Minami Deutsch. A Japanese band that makes krautrock? I’m there. They put on my favorite set of the night. We later met lead singer / guitarist, Kyotaro Miula, outside Barracuda at a food truck where we all complained about the unseasonably cold weather (for Austin, at least) and I convinced him to try the chicken shawarma wrap.

Another California band, Jjuujjuu, was next. I hadn’t seen them since a trip to Arizona years ago when they were part of the Desert Daze tour. They still sound great with their heavy psychedelic tunes.

Coming all the way from Melbourne, Australia were Stonefield, who were good to hear after I arrived too late to catch them in Chicago with ORB and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard a few months ago.

Austin’s own Holy Wave soon followed, and they put on a good set of stoner psych to a happy hometown crowd.

The night ended with Kikagaku Moyo, the second Japanese band of the night. I stayed for the first half of their set and then had to call it quits due to being exhausted from a long day of travel and the cold weather at the outdoor stage that was almost to the point of chilling me to the bone. Regardless, what I heard was good. Anything involving sitar shredding is fine by me.

It was a cold, but good start to the festival. The next day would bring confetti, Hell’s house band, more sitar shredding, and warnings against falling asleep.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe.]

Earthless announces March 2018 North American tour dates.

Clear up your calendar for March 2018, because stoner metal giants Earthless will be touring North America. They’re also bringing legendary psychedelic band Kikagaku Moyo and psych-rockers Jjuujjuu with them. This is a great triple bill, so don’t miss it. I’m sure tickets will sell fast once they’re available. I plan to see them at their Chicago stop in late March 2018 at the Empty Bottle. I saw them there last year and it was a great show.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you leave.]