In many folkloric traditions, on a full moon normality is momentarily suspended. Under the “eye of the night” the mind becomes an antenna, and other behaviours and instincts kick in. The new album by Vanishing Twin, Ookii Gekkou (Japanese for Big Moonlight, pronounced ‘oh-key ghekko’), released 15th October on Fire Records, is the sound of ordinary life under a different set of rules, in a place where it’s always night.
First track ‘Big Moonlight (Ookii Gekkou)’ tells the chaotic story of rock torn away from the earth’s outer layer and its gradual falling into the patterns that give us moon phases. All this over a cohesive groove that nods to space-age music.
The new track is released alongside a new clay animated music video by London based video artist Daisy Dickinson (Flaming Lips, Toy, Snapped Ankles).
“We asked Daisy to take the being from the cover of our album and make it move, grow, stretch, multiply and merge with other objects. Hypnotised by the moon, the being plays in a strange landscape populated by other mysterious objects and characters.”
‘Ookii Gekkou’ is an album conceived and created under lockdown – a sort of dream catcher for all the madness of the past year. Each song a spell or an incantation for coping with the oddity and the eeriness of it all.
The music contains no fewer surprises as a result. It explores new ground for the band, incorporating elements of afrofunk, outer jazz and avant-garde, all the while keeping a foot in more traditional pop songwriting.
Hurricanes, organisms, vibes, bells, and percussive rallies all follow, each infiltrated with influences as diverse as Piero Umiliani, Art Ensemble of Chicago and ELO among others. Indeed, even a cursory earful adds to an ever-expanding palette of sound, no mean feat for the newly-trimmed quartet of songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist Cathy Lucas, drummer Valentina Magaletti, bassist Susumu Mukai, and synth/guitar player Phil MFU, this reduction resulting in no fewer ideas and even bigger steps.
A band that fearlessly floats in the hazy space between the real world and an imagined one, blurring the line between warmly nostalgic and eerily haunted.” Pitchfork
“One of the most original and exciting acts of the moment”. The Quietus
“A gorgeously psychedelic, yet strangely nostalgic voyage into the past, present and future.” Electronic Sound
Photo credit: Arthur Sajas
UK & EU 2021 TOUR DATES
03 Sep: End Of The Road Festival, Larmer Tree Gardens, UK
04 Sep: Manchester Psych Fest, Manchester, UK
09 Sep: Tremor Festival, Azores, Portugal
17 Oct: Arts Cool, Elsewhere, Margate, UK
22 Oct: Bongo Club, Edinburgh, UK
23 Oct: Broadcast, Glasgow, UK
24 Oct: Future Yard, Birkenhead, UK
25 Oct: The Lanes, Bristol, UK
26 Oct: Hare And Hounds, Birmingham, UK
28 Oct: Kings Place, London, UK
09 Nov: Pôle Etudiant, Nantes, France
10 Nov: Le Petit Bain, Paris, France
11 Nov: Le Grand Mix, Le Tourcoing, France
12 Nov: Le Guess Who?, Utrecht, Netherlands
14 Nov: Rotondes, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
16 Nov: TBC, Berlin, Germany
17 Nov: Club Manufaktur, Schorndorf, Germany
18 Nov: Kammerspiele, Munich, Germany
19 Nov: Trans Century Update, Leipzig, Germany
20 Nov: Palace St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
US 2022 TOUR DATES
15 Mar: Knitting Factory, New York City, US
16 Mar: Columbus Theatre, Providence, US
17 Mar: Bar Le Ritz PDB, Montreal, Canada
18 Mar: Lee’s Palace, Toronto, Canada
20 Mar: The Magic Bag, Detroit, US
21 Mar: Sleeping Village, Chicago, US
22 Mar: 7th St Entry, Minneapolis, US
23 Mar: Reverb Lounge, Omaha, US
26 Mar: Clockout Lounge, Seattle, US
27 Mar: Holocene, Portland, US
29 Mar: Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco, US
30 Mar: The Echoplex, Los Angeles, US
31 Mar: Pappy and Harriets, Joshua Tree, US
01 Apr: Constellation Room, Orange County, US
03 Apr: The Casbah, San Diego, US
04 Apr: Congress, Tucson, US
06 Apr: Antones, Austin, US
07 Apr: Tulips, Fort Worth, US
09 Apr: Aisle 5, Atlanta, US
11 Apr: Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, US
‘Okki Gekkou’ will be available on the 15th October via Fire Records, on gatefold black vinyl and CD
Rough Trade Exclusive: Die cut gatefold sleeve with hand numbered and stamped insert (randomly selected colour insert). Pressed on turquoise vinyl, LTD to 500 units.
https://www.facebook.com/Vanishingtwinmusic
Fire Records
