Kikagaku Moyo is a five-piece psychedelic, jam-rock, blues group hailing from Tokyo, Japan. Forest of Lost Children, their latest release, dropped in the spring of 2014. They were also on the bill for last year’s Austin Psych Fest lineup, a music festival started by The Black Angels in 2008. Nothing says psychedelic like a Japanese band name that translates to “geometric patterns.” Forest of Lost Children contains six tracks plus a “secret” track number seven entitled “Smoke in Trees.”
This record has its moments of punchy, rhythmic jam-rock that echo a band like Umphrey’s McGee with tracks like “Hem” but also channels more groovy, world sounds reminiscent of Thievery Corporation with the use of a sitar on the tracks “Streets of Galoutta” and “Smoke in Trees.” Kikagaku Moyo is seemingly perfect for a festival setting and allegedly wow crowds with their live performances. They’re undoubtedly a strange mix of genres channeling styles anywhere from psychedelic folk to blues jam-rock. Kikagaku Moyo embarked on a one-month European tour at the end of May.
Recommended If You Like: Lotus, Umphrey’s McGee, Thievery Corporation, The String Cheese Incident
Recommended Tracks: 4 (Streets Of Galoutta), 5 (Hem), 7 (Smoke and Trees), 2 (Kodama)
Do Not Play: None
Written by Harrison Hipp 06/22/15