Sonic Flowers has grown out of Church of Misry around 2000. They released their self titled album in 2003 via Leaf Hound Records. The band went on hiatus somewhere in 2007 while making stuff for their second album. Now the band has returned with a vocalist and new line up. They signed to Heavy psych sounds and released their second album ‘Rides Again’ on January 29, 2021. Get yourself ready for some absolutely gorgeous heavy psych.
If you are into Japanese psychthan I got a ridiculously long list for you called ‘The Cosmic Side of Japan’ and Sonic Flower is now on it too ofcourse. Enjoy.
I have this ridiculously long list of Japanese psychedelic rock and noiserock, or rather Japanoise that is called ‘THE COSMIC SIDE OF JAPAN‘ and I think if you like it it can absorb your whole week with crazy Japanoise music. It has been a while since I added something to the list so here is a band I recently descovered called Green Milk From The Planet Orange wich are three dudes fromTokyou who make epic progressive psychedelic/space rock. The album ‘Third’ by these Japanese rokcers was released in 2019. Tune in now and check out the whole list.
The Noise Birds are made of 水晶の舟 Suishou No Fune (Japan, Pirako & Kageo) and Numinous Eye (USA, Mason Jones & Mike Shoun). These two bands have made a recording session together in 2007. This session was released by Essence Music label from Brazil named “Black Flowers Of The Forest In The Cosmos”. Now The Noise Birds are back with new music. Their new album “The Dark Sea Hides A Bright Light” is released on Riot Season on March 20. On the album are three tracks, all of them very long and that is good because this is music that you have to immersive yourself in, the tracks build slowly and they build a gorgeous atmosphere of trippy guitar music.
I have added The Noise Birds to my growing list about new and old Japanese psych and noise list called “The Cosmic Side of Japan”.
I have been following the Californian band Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin for a while now. The have been making excellent desert garage and psychedelia since their existence. They released a 7″ singel in 2017 with the excellent cover of Neil Diamond on it. A debut album “Cabin Fever” in 2018 and their latest “Mud Room #13” last year. It is quite clear Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin will keep on producing awesome psych because they are already back with a new album called “Misty Woman”. On this album you can hear fuzzy psychedelia, catchy melodies, raging solos, some Black Sabbath influences here and there. Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin are masters at creating a trippy atmosphere with their heavy psych. “Misty Woman” is again a great piece of music with “Kennel and the Dog” as my favourite track. Tune in now.
On the bandcamp page of the band Perhaps I found out they are from Boston but I highly doubt this, their music is so psychedelic and otherworldly I strongly believe they come from some planet where everything is trippy and only big ass mushrooms grow. The band has released some pretty incredible stuff in the past. “Hexagon”, “V”, and their lastest “Excerpts” where each time a real pleasure to listen to. So now they are back, and they are back on Riot Season Records with their upcoming album “7.0”. We can have a taste of the first track “Don’t Call it Anything”.
While you listen to the preview of the track you can check out who is in this band. They are with quite a lot and there are some really cool names in there.
Jim Haney
Sean McDermott
David Khoshtinat
Ricky Petraglia
Tom Weeks
Ben Talmi
Makoto Kawabata (Acid Mothers Temple)
Lucas Brode
Isaiah Mitchell (Earthless)
Olivia Kieffer
Tyler Skoglund
Changchang (Hibushibire)
This is full blown fast paced cosmic rock made for you. Listen now.
The Noise Birds are made of 水晶の舟 Suishou No Fune (Japan, Pirako & Kageo) and Numinous Eye (USA, Mason Jones & Mike Shoun). These two bands have made a recording session together in 2007. This session was released by Essence Music label from Brazil named “Black Flowers Of The Forest In The Cosmos”. Now The Noise Birds are back with new music. Their upcoming album “The Dark Sea Hides A Bright Light” will be released on Riot Season on March 20. Their music is highly trippy and psychedelic. The first track “A Dance Loved By A Lost Friend” is out and ready for a listen and it is a beautiful piece of cosmic music.
I have added The Noise Birds to my growing list about new and old Japanese psych and noise list called “The Cosmic Side of Japan”.
‘CHEF’ was the latest album by the Stockholm based cosmic musicians. Kungens Män really put down a magnificent piece of work with ‘CHEF’ and it is going to end in my end of the year list as well.
So what I did not expect was another Kungens Män record in 2019. So it makes me really happy to share with you the first track ‘Hårt Som Ben’ from the upcoming album with that same name. This will be released November 29 on Riot Season Records.
The new track is what you can expect from the band. Again a cosmic track with a highly hypnotic atmosphere. Listen now.
Dec 1: Glasgow, Nice N’ Sleazy w/ Snakes Don’t Belong in Alaska
Dec 2: Newcastle, The Cluny 2 w/ Snakes Don’t Belong in Alaska
Dec 4: Manchester, The Peer Hat w/ XUP, Forest Mourning
Dec 5: Bristol, The Crofter’s Rights w/ Stereocilia & Evil Owl
Dec 6: Chelmsford, The Hot Box
Acid Mothers Temple is a Japanese psychedelic/space/noise rock band who has produced and immense amount of music since their start in 1995.
To start I want to say I am a big fan of the band but it is not that I know all of their music or all of their history. I am not a good researcher nor can i write very good but I am dedicated to the music i like. So sorry in advance for mistakes and stuff like that, I just want to share a bit of and overview of what the band has accomplished and shine a light on their brilliance. I will start with the releases AMT (and their offshoots) did. I won’t focus on live albums (I know some absolutely great stuff is in there but i got to skim some stuff or this will never end). So, this is for fun and to share their cosmic music.
If you are a fan of Japanese heavy psych and noise I have another lengthy post filled with new and obscure old music called ‘The Cosmic side of Japan’.
In a second post i wil focus on side projects and guest preformances of Kawabata Makoto.
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O.
The band has had a lot of different line-ups over the years but has been led by Kawakabato Makoto from the beginning. AMT had loads of guest musicians wich is hard to keep track of. It is Kawabata that started Acid Mothers Temple with Suhara Keizo, Higashi Hiroshi, Cotton Casino, Koizumi Hajime and Mano Kazuhiko. From 1996 to 1997 they released three casettes (3 of them on their own AMT label and one on LA Musica Records).
Going under the name Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. they released their first self titled EP on P.S.F. records.
While the band evolved and grew their started forming different offshoots of the band but I want to get into that later because the different side projects and offshoots are not only great, they are many too. At this point drummer Ichiraku Yoshimitsu and guitarist Higashi Hiroshi were added to the band. Another demo called ‘Freak Out’ was released.
The second and third LP were released while the band toured a lot more and was again released on their own label. ‘Pataphysical Freak Out MU!!’ and ‘Wild Gals A-Go-Go’ where released in 1999 with a new bassist called Tsuyama Atsushi (The Cosmic Joker).
‘Pataphysical Freakout Mu’ is a gorgeous record where AMT focuses on trippy sounds and psychedelic rock and is less noise than other work.
‘Wild Gals A Go-Go’ is a strange work, a fake conceptual soundtrack album featuring Sachiko Kawabata , Tsuyama Atsushi , Koizumi Hjime , Kawabata Makoto, Yoshida Masayuki , Suhara Keizo, Ayano Performer , Father Moo ,Yoko Synthesizer,, Higashi Hiroshi, Kaneko Tetsuya Vocals ,Cotton Casino.
In 2000 they released third album ‘Troubadours from Another Heavenly World’ (on P.S.F.) and ‘La Nòvia’ (Bam Balam Records).
Between releasing live albums AMT released their double LP ‘Absolutely Freak Out (Zap Your Mind!)’ and their fourth album ‘New Geocentric World of Acid Mothers Temple’
Still in 2001 we see drummer Ichiraku Yoshimitsu join the band and with that double drum line-up they would release and alternate version of Terry Riley’s ‘In C’.
If you think that band would slow down you are very wrong, because 2002 is a very productive year for AMT with the release of ’41st Century Splendid Man’, ‘Electic Heavyland’, ‘Univers Zen ou de zéro à zéro’ and ‘St. Captain Freak Out & the Magic Bamboo Request’ and two EPS and five live albums. While on a massive world tour they where joined by filmmaker Audrey Ginestet who filmed the 2002 USA tour and released this a ‘Dakonan’.
Acid Mothers Temple SWR & Acid Mothers Gong
In that same year AMT had their own yearly Japanese festival (Acid Mothers Fest). This started a new flow and a new band name. They changed to Acid Mothers Temple mode HHH but now known as Acid Mothers Temple SWR (Yoshida Tatsuya of Ruins) .
2003 started with the fusion of french psychers Gong (Acid Mothers Gong). The split between AMT and Kinski was released.
2004 is the year that vocalist Cotton Casino left the band. But live their was no talk of quitting, Acid Mothers Gong did a tour and released and album and Melting Paraiso did two tours and released 6 albums.
Acid Mothers Afrirampo
In the meantime another collaboration took stand between Acid Mothers Temple and Afriramp called Acid Mothers Afrirampo.
while another collaboration between Acid Mothers Temple and Afrirampo, Acid Mothers Afrirampo, released an album as well called ‘We Are Acid Mothers Afrirampo’.
Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno
In 2005 we get the tenth anniversary of Acid Mothers Temple wich, ofcourse, gets us a new band called Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno with the member Kawabata, Higashi Hiroshi, Tabata Mitsuru, Okano Futoshi, and Shimura Koji. Whith AMT SWR still on tour The Cosmic Inferno released several albums.
In 2006 female vocalist Nao entered the timeline in AMT & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. and in that period releasing two albums ‘Have You Seen the Other Side of the Sky?’ and ‘Myth of the Love Electrique’
Acid Mothers Temple & the Incredible Strange Band is another ofshoot that happened in 2006 with Tsuyama Akiko, Suhara Keizo, Aiko, Tsuyama Atsushi, and Kawabata Makoto.
Also in 2006 Kiragawa Hao joined The Cosmic inferno as a vocalist but list after touring the united states in 2007. While this was happening Kawabata and Tsuyama started and other offshoot with Mani Neumeier of Guru Guru so that soon we got Acid Mothers Guru Guru.
In 2007 vocalist Kitagawa Hao started in AMT & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O and who would have guessed, they released another bunch of albums! ‘Crystal Rainbow Pyramid Under the Stars’ , ‘Nam Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo’.
‘Ominous from the Cosmic Inferno’ by AMT and the Cosmic Inferno say the light of day in 2007.
In 2007 AMT & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. released ‘Acid Motherly Love’ on Riot Season Records. At this moment only the core of the band plays in this album. The band on ‘Acid Motherly Love’ is made of Tsuyama Atsushi, Higashi Hiroshi, Shimura Koji and Kawabata Makoto. Their was also a re-release from ’41st Century Splendid Man’ on Essence Records.
The year closed with a release called ‘The Early Acid Mothers Temple Recordings 1995–1997’.
2008 started with again the core member of AMT & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. releasing ‘Recurring Dream and Apocalypse of Darkness’. In that same period U.F.O. released about 2 more albums.
In that year we get one of the more popular albums by AMT and the Cosmic Inferno called ‘Pink Lady Lemonade ~ You’re From Outer Space’.
2009 brought four more albums called ‘Interstellar Guru and Zero’, ‘Lord of the Underground: Vishnu and the Magic Elixir’, ‘Are We Experimental?’ and ‘Dark Side of the Black Moon: What Planet Are We On?’.
In 2010 Cotton Casino joined the band for the first time since 2004 to release the album ‘In 0 to ∞’.
2011 brought a new one from The Cosmic Inferno ‘For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Goofy Funk’ and two albums from Melting Paraiso U.F.O. called ‘Pink Lady Lemonade ( You’re From Inner Space)’ and ‘The Ripper at the Heaven’s Gates of Dark’.
Another offshoot in 2011 is Acid Maso Temple wich is Kawabata, Aiko and Keizo Suhara and Yamazaki Maso. Together they releases a split album with Kill Kill Kill called ‘The Electric Kool-aide Results’
Are you guys still with me? because we are in 2012 when AMT and the Paraiso U.F.O. released ‘Son of a Bitches Brew’ and a take on one of the albums from AMT & The Cosmic Inferno’s albums called ‘IAO Chant from the Melting Paraiso Underground Freak Out’
in 2013 AMT & the Melting Paraiso UFO gifted us with the album ‘In Search For the Lost Divine Arc’ and a fantastic offshoot called Acid Mothers Temple & Space Paranoid wich formed because the booking agent wanted AMT to play some Black Sabbath tunes, so we get ‘Black Magic Santori’ and The Cosmic Inferno released ‘Doobie Wonderland’ in that year.
Now we take a bit of a leap. From 2014 to 2018 it is mostly Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. that is releasing music. But it is not like they are calming down, in 2014 we get ‘Astrorgasm from Inner Space’, in 2015 they release ‘Benzaiten’. In 2016 ‘Wake to a New Dawn of Another Astro Era’ and ‘Pink Lady Lemonade (You’re So Sweet)’. 2017 again two releases called ‘Those Who Came Never Before‘ and ‘Wandering The Outer Space.
2018 Brought Seven!!! releases with ‘Either The Fragmented Body or the Reconstituted Soul’, ‘Electric Dream Ecstacy’, ‘Hallelujah Mystic Garden part 1’, ‘Paralyzed Brain’, ‘Sacred and Inviolable Phase Shift’, ‘Trails to the Cosmic Vibrations’ and ‘Reverse of Rebirth in Universe’.
2019 brings us ‘Hallelujah Mystic Garden Part Two’ , a partial reissue and record day store release ‘Invisible Eyes And Phantom Cathedral’ , a live album, a reissue of the Kinski/AMT split and a live casette reissue from ‘Who Does The Space Troubadour Sing For?’
Now another 2019 re-release on vinyl with a special vinyl mix by kawabata hits the shelves. Again on Riot Season Records comes the epic rerelease of ‘Minstrel In The Galaxy’.
In 2020 the band, with another newish line-up release ‘Chosen Star Child’s Confessionwith the added presence of Geoff Leigh (ex Henry Cow).
We get two more splits too, on with Yoo Doo Right and one with The Paul Kidney Experience.
This is, for the moment, the end of Part 1. I will try to keep this post updated with new releases. In the near future their will be a new post about the Kawabato Makoto’s solo work and side projects.
It is really good for me that there is music like Elkhorn, so that I, once in a while, listen to something soothing, something cosmic. If it isn’t for bands like this i would destroy my ears with noiserock and other loud stuff. So Elkhorn is duo and they play psychedelic tinged guitar, both acoustic and electric. They released 2 LPs at once called ‘Sun Cycle/Elk Jam’. On ‘Sun Cycle/Elk Jam’ guitarist Willie Lane and percussionist Ryan Jewell are helping in creating this cosmic trip.
The 4th full length Californian band Dire Wolves is called ‘Grow Towards The Light’. New on the vocals is Georgia Carbone together with Jeffrey who plays guitar and moog, Brian Lucas on bass, Sheila Bosco (from Faun Fables) on drums and piano, Arjun Mendiratta (Village of Spaces) on violin, and Taralie Peterson (Spires that in the Sunset Rise) on saxophone.
It is a bit difficult to put the music of Dire Wolves in a box, but what it is for certain is cosmic. The music sounds like it comes straight from the soul and has a very trippy vibe. Throughout the album you can hear each musical instrument go wild like it has a life of its own.
Tune in for some gorgeous cosmic vibes.
Released June 28 on Beyond Beyond is Beyond Records.
Okay, this band ends up in every list i write and for good reason. Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin is a Californian psychedelic rock band with some absolutely great releases. Pretty incredible is they recorded the albums all by themselves.
Now at the end of August they will go to Austin to record their new album with Grammy Award-winning producer/engineer/songwriter Adrian Quesada at his studio in Austin.
As all of you know this stuff costs shitloads of moneys so that is where you people come in handy. FUND THE NEW ALBUM OF AUNT CYNTHIA’S CABIN.
Read the the Kickstarter campain now and help them out a bit!
The 4th full length by Oaklan, CA band Dire Wolves is going to be called ‘Grow Towards The Light’ and will be released June 28. New on the vocals is Georgia Carbone together with Jeffrey who plays guitar and moog, Brian Lucas on bass, Sheila Bosco (from Faun Fables) on drums and piano, Arjun Mendiratta (Village of Spaces) on violin, and Taralie Peterson (Spires that in the Sunset Rise) on saxophone.
The first three tracks are shared and called ‘I Control The Weather’,’Spacetime Rider’ and ‘Discordant Angels’ are magnificent pieces of cosmic music. Tune in and pre-order the album now. Out June 28 on Beyond Beyond is Beyond Records.
The Japanese band Hibushibire released their debut ‘Freak Out Orgasm!’ in 2017 and it was in instant succes, the heavy psych sound was refreshing and filled with energy. So now the band released their second album on Riot Season Records called ‘Turn On, Tune In, Freak Out!’.
The 4 tracks are filled with heavy psych riffs, solos and great vocals. For me it is Hibushibire that nails the heavy psych sound perfectly and build a bridge between the older music and still sounds refreshing. This is the best Heavy psych band at the moment. The album is produces by Makoto Kawabata (Acid Mothers Temple, Mainliner) wich is a perfect fit.
2019 is getting better and better, especially when i heard the new new track by the Japanese heavy psychers Hibushibire. Their first album was released on Riot Season Records and was called Freak Out Orgasm! and was an excellent peace of heavy psych.
Now they shared a second track from their upcoming album ‘Turn On, Tune In. Freak Out!’ wich will also be released on Riot Season records. We can expect it around May 10.
The track we can check out is called ‘Blow!Blow!Blow!’ and starts of as heavy psych but after three minutes the track shifts to cosmic psychedelic rock full of trippy guitar work only to fasten up again to sonic destruction.
This is a band that oozes originality and heaviness, check them out now and find them on ‘The Cosmic Side of Japan’.
The Stockholm band keeps amazing with their music. Time and time again they release cosmic music influenced by psych, noise and drone.
This time Kungens Män release their new album “CHEF” for the first time on Riot Season Records. Their previous album “Fuzz på svenska” ended up in my best of 2018 list. “Fuzz på svenska” had more Jazz influences while “CHEF” ends up on the rock/drone spectrum.
Kungens Män is most effective in bringing atmosphere, in creating a cosmic feeling to their music.
This gorgeous album will be on my 2019 list again. Enjoy, and for more psych go to Fuzzy Sun’s psych list.
The California band Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin got my attention with a cover of Neil Diamond. The track “Solitary Man” was released on a 7″ in February 2018. Soon after they released their first album “Cabin Fever” in August.
The band has this hazy desert psych sound with hypnotic vocals and otherwordly guitar work.
The new album brings us a band that has perfected their sound and brings their very own style. “Mood Room #13” is a gorgeous album and with this new release their future will be bright.
The previous album by the Swedish psychedelic rockers “Fuzz på svenska” ended on my 2018 best of list. I have to admit that instrumental music quickly bores me, becomes tedious and does not get played a lot here.
But Küngens Män is one of the exceptions, the band creates and atmosphere that evokes calmness and a feeling of conectedness even though the music can get pretty chaotic and noisy.
Now the news that their will be a new album out on Riot Season Records is magnificent, wich already promises a good 2019. The new album by the four piece is called “CHEF” and will be released February 8.
Listen to the first released track called “Öppen för stängda dörrar”.
“Creation Hymn” is the new album by Primitive Air. The trio creates truly beautifull cosmic guitar music. The album will be out on the great Beyond Beyond is Beyond on October 20.
Check out the first two tracks before the release here.
‘Brean Down’ is another new released track by Beak>, this one from their upcoming album ‘>>>’ out on Invada Records and Temporary Residence on September 21.
I am a huge fan of the hypnotic droning tunes of Beak> and i am sure this will be one of my favorite albums of 2018. Their previous released track Allé Sauvage has been playing day in day out.
Fuzzy Sun 