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Strangely enough, the words seem to conjure an image of the protagonist floating among the clouds, looking down upon Tokyo Bay. For “Meu Mar”, an Erasmos Carlos cover, the original Portuguese lyrics were translated into English, then to Japanese. “Monaka”, its name taken from a type of Japanese wafer sweets, takes melodic inspiration from traditional minyofolk styles, while “Yayoi Iyayoi” is a rare instance of the band singing in their native tongue, its evocative lyrics utilizing archaic words taken from old poetry and nature books found in one of the many second-hand bookstores of Tokyo. In the 1.5 months spent in Tokyo, everything started to come together. With unrestricted time in the studio, they began to build upon the demos and song fragments they’d amassed since their last tour. With their adopted homebase of Amsterdam under lockdown and their touring activities halted due to the pandemic, the band felt a renewed sense of freedom being back in shitamachi, or the old downtown area of their hometown. Reconvening at Tsubame Studios in Asakusabashi, Tokyo, where their earliest material had been recorded, the five members of Kikagaku Moyo found new inspiration in a familiar and comfortable environment. In that sense, the title and cover art for the band’s fifth and final album draws you into a magical mass of land surrounded by water-but the couch suggests that ‘Kumoyo Island’may not be a fleeting stop, but rather a place of respite, where one could pause and take it all in. RYLEY WALKER KIKAGAKU MOYO BANDCAMP SERIESWhile their decade-long career can be summarized as a series of kaleidoscopic explorations through lands and dimensions far and near, there’s a strong intention in each of their works to take the listener to a particular place, however real or abstract they may be. In many ways ‘Kumoyo Island’ represents the culmination of a journey for Kikagaku Moyo. (Oh and hey, I just saw that a Grubbs / Walker live show just went up on NYC Taper.“The fifth studio album & last euphoric mind-trip to Kikagaku Moyo's imagined island.īest-suited for counting stars, looking at the ocean, and dancing in one’s daydream.” Let’s hope this one is just the beginning of a beautiful friendship. A guitar record like you’ve never heard before. Over the course of seven exploratory tracks, the duo find plentiful common ground, while nudging one another into unexpected (and often quite beautiful) zones. ![]() ![]() That curiosity is carried over to A Tap On The Shoulder, Walker’s inspired team-up with the venerable David Grubbs (Gastr del Sol, Bastro, Squirrel Bait, etc.). You can almost hear the players thinking, “What comes next?” Sometimes angular and edgy, sometimes as smooth as a river-polished stone, Post Wook is a record filled top-to-bottom with sweet interplay, unusual grooves, and a collective sense of curiosity. Ryley Walker served up one of 2021’s best LPs with the magnificent Course In Fable - a must-have! But don’t skip the two somewhat lower-profile collaborations that followed in its wake.įirst, there’s a wondrous improv-based trio record with longtime cohorts Andrew Scott Young on bass and Ryan Jewell on drums. ryley walker bitchin bajasĪndrew Scott Young / Ryan Jewell / Ryley Walker - Post Wook / David Grubbs & Ryley Walker - A Tap On The Shoulder Thank a taper! (Oh and you’re also going to want to check out Ryley’s recent co-headliners Bitchin Bajas via fabulous SBD matrice from Omaha and Ferndale). RYLEY WALKER KIKAGAKU MOYO BANDCAMP ARCHIVEThe archive runneth over: there’s a great SBD matrix with drummer Chris Corsano in Atlanta … rippling jams with drummer Ryan Jewell in Seattle … a killer tape with guitarist Bill Mackay and drummer Quin Kirchner in Ferndale … An embarrassment of bootleg riches. So yeah, go see him - a jaunt with Tonstartssbandht kicks off next week - and check out some of the great recordings from the past few months. His opening set for Drive-by Truckers in Fort Collins boasted epic workouts alongside some crisp, economical playing and hilarious banter. I’ve been seeing him in various configurations for several years now, and he just seems to get better with every passing year. Praise be! Of course, tapes are only as good as the jams contained therein - and fortunately, Ryley has plenty of jams. RYLEY WALKER KIKAGAKU MOYO BANDCAMP FULLKids just getting into it and wanna learn your craft especially welcome!!!!!!! We need a new generation of bootleggers!” - Ryley WalkerĪ sentiment we can all get behind, right? Ryley Walker is back on the road in 2022 and the taper nation is out in full force. ![]()
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