Kikagaku Moyo and Angel Bat David at the Empty Bottle in Chicago on November 20, 2021

After Kikagaku Moyo finished their headlining set on the second night of a two night residency at the Empty Bottle in Chicago back in November 2021, they had a surprise for the audience: a 30-minute jam session with opener Angel Bat David.

The combination of Japanese psychedelic rock and Chicago free jazz was a delight, exploring riffs and textures without overextending themselves or degenerating into aimless noodling. Angel kept them moving throughout with her ecstatic chanting and clarinet playing.

Recording information:

KIKAGAKU MOYO
ANGEL BAT DAWID
2021-11-20
Chicago, IL
The Empty Bottle

Go Kurosawa: drums
Tomo Katsurada: guitar
Kotsu Guy: bass
Daoud Popal: guitar
Ryu Kurosawa: sitar
Angel Bat Dawid: voice and clarinet

Xristian Espinoza: sax

Setlist:
01 Chicago jam (30:32)

Total tine = 30:32

This is a matrix recording
Source 1: Beyerdynamic MC 930 stereo pair (ORTF)
Source 2: mono soundboard feed from Eric Lemke
Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre 6 at 24/48
Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

Recorded with explicit artist permission by Richard Hayes

Tremendous thanks to sound engineer Eric Lemke for going far out of his way to be of assistance in capturing this live recording, and to the band for allowing live recording of their performances.

https://kikagakumoyo.com
https://kikagakumoyoggb.bandcamp.com

downloads:

16bit, 44.kHz FLAC files (186 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that

320 kbps mp3 files (88 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

Kikagaku Moyo at the Empty Bottle in Chicago on November 19, 2021

Here is the first of two nights which Japanese psych legends Kikagaku Moyo performed at the Empty Bottle in Chicago at the tail end of their Fall 2021 US tour.

I was very fortunate to be able to have sound engineer Eric Lemke go out of his way to assist me (he even offered unsuccesfully to help bring my equipment inside the venue when he saw me waiting in line to get in). His live sound was some of the best I have ever heard anywhere at any performance. The only thing his mono soundboard feed needed was a little stereo information from my Beyerdynamic microphones which were on top of a 8-foot stand next to the mixing board in the back.

Purchase their final album here.

Recording information:

Kikagaku Moyo

2021-11-19
Chicago, IL at the Empty Bottle

Go Kurosawa: drums
Tomo Katsurada: guitar
Kotsu Guy: bass
Daoud Popal: guitar
Ryu Kurosawa: sitar

Live sound mix by Eric Lemke

Setlist:
01 Green Sugar
02 Kogarashi
03 Monaka
04 Smoke and Mirrors
05 Kodama
06 Entrance
07 Dripping Sun
08 Streets Of Calcutta
09 Entrance
10 Silver Owl
11 encore break
12 Nazo Nazo - Gatherings

This is a matrix recording
Source 1: mono soundboard feed
Source 2: Beyerdynamic MC 930 stereo pair (ORTF)
Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre 6 at 24/48
Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

downloads:

16bit, 44.kHz FLAC files (505 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that

320 kbps mp3 files (408 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

Kikagaku Moyo at the Majestic Theater in Madison, WI on May 23, 2022

Kikagaku Moyo were a Japanese psychedelic band which was active between 2012-2022. They were known for a high degree of technical prowess using sometimes unusual instruments (such as sitar and recorder). 

For a band that started out performing in record stores in its initial US tour (including an acoustic set at Acme Records in 2016), it almost felt surreal that they were selling out large theaters and generating a buzz among music fans by the time of their farewell tour in 2022.

At this concert in Madison's Majestic Theater, the band performed for an enthusiastic crowd for almost two hours. It's sad to contemplate an end to the band's musical output, but I have to admire their determination to end the band at its peak of popularity.

Purchase their last album here.

Recording information:

  

KIKAGAKU MOYO

2022-05-23

Madison, WI at the Majestic Theater

Go Kurosawa: vocals, percussion, guitar, flute

Tomo Katsurad: vocals, guitar, percussion

Kotsu Guy: bass

Daoud Popal: guitar

Ryu Kurosawa: sitar, keyboards

Setlist:

01 Green Sugar (22:27)

02 Dancing Blue (8:21)

03 Zo no Senaka (6:50)

04 Smoke and Mirrors (9:50)

05 Entrance (3:39)

06 Dripping Sun (8:31)

07 Orange Peel (6:45)

08 Yayoi, lyayoi (7:52)

09 Kodama (5:20)

10 Streets of Calcutta - Gatherings (17:30)

11 Monaka (9:37)

Total time = 106:43

Sources: mono SBD + Beyerdynamic MC930 pair in NOS

Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii

Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

Tremendous thanks to Eric Lemke who provided super high quality FOH sound and access to the mixer feed

Recorded by Richard Hayes with explicit artist permission.

downloads:

 

16bit, 44.kHz FLAC files (546 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that

320 kbps mp3 files (316 MB)

highest quality possible lossy mp3 files