Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O.
http://www.acidmothers.com
styles: experimental rock, neo-psychedelic rock, alternative rock
others: Boredoms, Floating Flower, Tsurbami,  Nishinihon, Melt Banana

Have You Seen the Other Side of the Sky?
Ace Fu, 2006
rating: 2.5/5
reviewer: p funk

We often forget that Acid Mothers Temple head honcho Kawabata Makoto considers himself as influenced by electronic music as he is by rock music. Guitars – the kind that unleash hot rod solos that hammer home walloping sludge riffs – have always been the revolving-door outfit's main draw; all the Stockhausen- and Kluster-derived synthesizer trails seem like filler, esoteric flotsam tacked on to accentuate the guitar licks' triumph and to facilitate transitions when the group's in full-on '70s rock pastiche mode.

Electronics perform both functions on this record, which makes a convincing case against my theory that the best AMT albums are the ones that see the widest release. Like Gong's Angel's Egg, Have You Seen the Other Side of the Sky? packs a handful of song-like snippets into a morass of absurd vocalizations, third-hand free jazz blurts, traditional folk, and psychedelic effluvia. AMT have excelled at these sorts of postmodern collages in the past, and they continue to do so in concert, but this recording lacks the humor and element of surprise that have previously allowed the band to get away with Zappa-ish pranks. Still, the reinterpretation of "Dark Stars in the Dazzling Sky" – a song that appears on one of the band's rarer CDs – is a commanding post-Sabbath stomp, and I get the feeling that the whole record would go over better if the production weren't so garbled as to compress all of the sounds into a big vat of gurgling cosmic stew. No worries, though – Makoto's likely to release three better albums in the next month.

1. Attack from Planet Hattifatteners
2. Buy the Moon of Jupiter
3. Asimo's Naked Breakfast: Rice and Shrine
4. I Wanna Be Your Bicycle Saddle
5. Interplanetary Love
6. The Tales of Solar Sail – Dark Stars in the Dazzling Sky

Electric Heavyland
Alien8, 2002
rating: 3.5/5
reviewer: almost cool


A couple years ago, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion asked the question, "do you want to get heavy?" in a song of nearly the same name. Provided you were a person who answered "yes" to that question, but found no satisfaction of the sloppy rock stomp of JSBX, Acid Mothers Temple have arrived again like a bag of sand upside the cranium, delivering on the promise of heavy and then some. Although the stripped-down outer packaging might not suggest it (an homage to King Crimson's Earthbound bootleg), Electric Heavyland lets loose with waves and spades of what you've expect from the over-the-top group.

With three tracks that run just over 50 minutes in length, this is a release that is at most times absolutely relentless. Opening with "Atomic Rotary Grinding God," the haunting, spaced-out droney vocals of Cotton Casino drift over subtle feedback for several minutes, sounding like what could easily be a soundtrack to some long-lost zombie movie. Soon, a squeal of feedback rips across the surface, and the absolute deluge of sound begins as drums pummel and a scorching guitar solo wails away. At times, the recording is so damn thick that it's hard to even pull away anything more than one singular wall of sound, but as the track progresses and heaves and groans, the group push out a sort of psychedelic metal that mixes early Mudhoney with doses of pure tripped-out weirdness.

The tracks just get longer, too, as "Loved And Confused" wastes absolutely no dead air building into things, instead wailing away for an entire 17 minutes, weaving too and fro like a thunderous rock band who's taken some bad (or maybe good) acid en route to busting guitar strings and toppling drum kits. Casino's droning vocals again play a major part in the swirling haze, and provided there are pictures in an upcoming edition of the musical encyclopedia, a picture of this group will be found next to the word "freakout."

Musically speaking, it's the final track of "Phantom Of Galactic Magnum," that's the most interesting. Giving the listener a short breather with the droney opening, the track gives way to quick-panning guitar feedback phasers (which will absolutely spin your head if listened to on headphones) before launching into a full-on blasto multiple-guitar spazz. I'm using a lot of odd words to describe the group, but if you've heard them before, you'll probably realize that it's warranted. While lots of groups talk about 'rocking out,' Acid Mothers Temple just keep on doing it. As mentioned above, the recording tends to bleed into a dense squall at several times, and the recording on the actual instruments is dirty as hell (I can almost picture the sound-board people crying as levels consistenly rip into the red zones), but if you're into psychedelic rock that swerves into downright metal moments, you'll probably eat this release up (likewise goes for those who are already fans of the groups antics). Definitely not for everyone, this is one of those albums that requires a somewhat specific mood for listening, as it tends to be rather all-enveloping (I had a hard-enough time writing this while it was playing, and I blame any confusion above on it). A downright exhausting listen, Acid Mothers Temple invoke thee to rock out with thy cock out.

review also found here

1. Atomic Rotary Grinding God / ? Quicksilver Machine Head
2. Loved and Confused
3. Phantom of Galactic Magnum

New Geocentric World of Acid Mothers Temple
Squealer, 2001
rating: 4/5
reviewer: mr p


The U.F.O. stands for "Underground Freak Out". This positions them as one of the mostly aptly named artists in modern music. Acid Mothers Temple has unmistakably created one of the most psychedelic and trippy albums of the new millennium. Japanese guitarist Mokoto Kawabata started the collective based upon their shared communal values, often causing them to be mistaken as a religious cult. If that's not reason enough to by the album, I don't know what is.

The album begins with the 20+ minute "Psycho Buddha", sporting a looped voice and harmless twinkles floating above. Soon, incredibly distorted, messy, dirty, instruments shove themselves into the mix. The song continues for another 20 minutes, fudge-packed with delayed guitars & feedback with everything on it. The drums are being murdered in the background (most notably the cymbals), while the song just seems to fall apart out of nowhere.

"Space Age Ballad" follows with organs and harps, as somber voices harmonize each other with a minor tone. But as soon as the song starts to crescendo a little, the song fades out and segues into "You're Still Now Near Me Everytime". The first part of the song is probably the most accessible part of the album: full guitar chords and Hako's conventional melodies. But just when you thought the song was normal, a Jimi Hendrix-influenced jam session is laid out with wah-wah and more feedback.

The most effective moment on the album is on "Occie Lady". Instrumental chaos controls the song for 6-minutes, when suddenly it parts to a discordant piano line. Brimming with minimalism and dissonance, the piano is nothing short of beautiful.

The album continues through similar neo-psychedlia, as the lengthy songs come equipped with odd synth noises, wailing guitars, and experimental vocal styles. The songs are marked with improvisation and spontaneity, yet have an intended beginning and end. They also contain a classic rock element, almost like Electric Ladyland on steroids. Trying to discern the instruments from one another is an albatross, but the cacophonous, experimental chaos is obviously intended.

Album closer, "What Do I Want to Know (Like Heavenly Kisses part 2)", is a stunning work of free-form ambience. The song comes off as a cross between Fennesz and Gastr Del Sol. After 11 minutes of ambience, the song settles to a delay-heavy guitar, acting as the strongest and most unique song on the album. Although it may not be the best example of their work, it definitely is one of their most experimental and rewarding.

New Geocentric World is not for everyone. It's not the type of album you play in your car on the way to work. The album may break and defy traditions, but it's not music from the future. It's more of a culmination of 60's/70's rock coupled with Japanese and Indian music, blended into a musical dish prepared by the devil himself. If you're prepared for something totally out of left field, this album is for you; if not, at least listen to "What Do I Want to Know"-- you won't regret it.
1. Psycho Buddha
2. Space Age Ballad
3. You're Still Now Near Me Everytime
4. Universe of Romance
5. Occie Lady
6. Mellow Hollow Love
7. What Do I Want to Know (Like Heavenly Kisses part 2)