Artist
幾何学模様
Geometric Patterns
Tokyo, Japan • 2012 – 2022
幾何学模様 is a music group from Tokyo, Japan, active 2012–2022. Their discography on Gatefold includes 8 records.
8
Albums tracked
136
In collections
2012
Since
Biography
幾何学模様 (Kikagaku Moyo, meaning "geometric patterns") is a psychedelic rock band from Tokyo, Japan, founded in the summer of 2012 by Go Kurosawa and Tomo Katsurada. Their first self-titled EP was released in September 2013 on Cosmic Eye Records / Sound Effect Records. Bandcamp page: http://geometricpatterns.bandcamp.com Tumblr page: http://kikagakumoyo.tumblr.com Contact: kikagaku.moyo@gmail.com Current line-up: Tomo Katsurada - vocals, guitar
The Arc of 幾何学模様
The pivots — what forced 幾何学模様 to reinvent.
The Street Busking Genesis
Before the world tours, it was just Go and Tomo busking outside Tokyo stations with whatever gear they could carry. These early sessions, captured on the self-titled debut, were raw and relied on a heavy, motorik repetition born from playing for indifferent commuters. The arrival of Ryu Kurosawa after studying sitar in India changed the dynamic, forcing the guitars to find space around a drone rather than just competing for volume. You hear that tension on the 2013 record where they’re still figuring out if they’re a garage band or a meditation circle.
The Guruguru Brain Expansion
Moving to the Forest of Lost Children era, the band stopped being a local curiosity and started their own label to control their output. They leaned into the 'free folk' movement, ditching the heavy distortion for acoustic guitars and more intricate percussion. Recording in the mountains of Japan provided a shift in acoustics that made the records feel wider and more breathable. This is where the songwriting tightened up, moving away from aimless wandering into structured, multi-part epics.
The Portuguese Production Shift
For Masana Temples, they flew to Lisbon to work with jazz musician Bruno Pernadas, a move that confused the hell out of the purists. Pernadas stripped away the hazy fuzz and demanded clean, bright production that highlighted their technical chops over their pedalboards. It pushed the band toward a sophisticated, almost pop-adjacent sound that leaned on bossa nova rhythms and tighter arrangements. This wasn't a sellout move—it was a necessary pivot to keep from becoming a psych-rock caricature.
The Final Bow on Kumoyo Island
They retreated to their own studio in Tokyo to record Kumoyo Island as a deliberate farewell. After years of touring, they returned to the DIY ethos of their first EP but with the polish of a band that had played every major festival on Earth. It’s a record of everything they’d learned: the fuzz is back, the sitar is locked in, and the vibes are heavy. They announced the breakup before the record even hit the shelves, ensuring the final tour was a victory lap rather than a slow decline.
Influences
- Can — Go Kurosawa has explicitly cited Jaki Liebezeit’s 'metronome' drumming as the foundation for their rhythm section. You hear it in the unwavering 4/4 pulse of tracks like 'Dripping Sun.' It’s that same discipline of holding a groove until it becomes hypnotic.
- Far East Family Band — They are the direct spiritual heirs to Fumio Miyashita’s 70s space-rock outfit. The way Kikagaku Moyo layers synthesizers behind sitar drones is a page right out of 'Nipponjin.' It’s the sound of Japanese prog-rock being reclaimed by a new generation.
- The Velvet Underground — Tomo and Go have pointed to the 'White Light/White Heat' era for its use of feedback as a melodic tool. The track 'Green Sugar' uses that same scraping, abrasive guitar drone that Lou Reed championed. It provides the grit that keeps their sound from getting too 'hippie.'
- Ravi Shankar — Ryu Kurosawa moved to India specifically to study under the lineage of the senior masters. His playing isn't a surface-level 'Eastern' gimmick; it’s grounded in actual raga structures. You can hear the authentic discipline in the way he handles the sympathetic strings during their quieter interludes.
- Flower Travellin' Band — The band has referenced Satori as a blueprint for how to bridge the gap between heavy Sabbath riffs and Japanese traditionalism. The heavy psych freakouts on 'Stone Garden' carry that same 'Made in Japan' weight. It’s about taking a Western form and making it sound completely alien.
Discography
Their records — most-collected first.
Related artists
Around the web
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