
Kikagaku Moyo are (left to right) bassist Kotsuguy, guitarists Daoud Popal and Tomo Katsurada, drummer Go Kurosawa, and sitarist Ryu Kurosawa.
The effects-crazy, THC-fueled Japanese psychedelic rockers, led by guitarists Tomo Katsurada and Daoud Popal, have called it quits, but not before one last album and tour.
The core of Kikagaku Moyo, a psychedelic quintet from Tokyo, Japan, is group improvisation. Collaborative synergy and interplay are embedded deep within the band’s collective subconscious, and their live shows—as well as their studio recordings—are often spontaneous acts of creation.
“It’s a lot of eye contact and a lot of concentration,” Tomo Katsurada, one of the band’s two guitarists, explains while discussing the group’s approach to “instant composition,” a term borrowed from one of their primary influences, Krautrock pioneers Can. Although, in his telling, the emphasis is on the concentration. “I smoke so much weed before the show—we all smoke so much weed and we go so high. But it’s crazy. We’ll have a long improvisation—maybe that’ll even be 25 minutes on one song—and I’ll use up all my THC from my brain and I’ll be completely sober. It’s crazy to realize how much concentration goes into instant composing on the stage. There’s a lot of control that we have by way of concentration while improvising.”
But that intense hyperfocus—the byproduct of relentless touring and rehearsing—took a forced hiatus once the pandemic brought the world to a halt. That pause was particularly difficult for Kikagaku Moyo. By the time Covid hit, two members of the band had relocated from the Tokyo area to Amsterdam; a third would soon follow. So, the recording of Kumoyo Island, the group’s latest and final release (more about that in a minute), was particularly hampered because of the lockdown. They couldn’t travel to jam, let alone get together in a studio, which meant that a lot of the album was done piecemeal—either via swapping files online or by one member taking the lead producing a particular track.
Kikagaku Moyo - Kumoyo Island (Full Album-2022)
That approach comes out in the record’s overall sound. For example, “Cardboard Pile,” which is still very much a trippy, psych-type groove, is cut up and self-sampled in a style that’s more reminiscent of DJ Shadow than anything normally associated with the psychedelic canon. “Gomugomu” takes a complete left turn and oozes a warbly, off-kilter country music vibe. There’s also the more atmospheric, ambient feel of songs like “Daydream Soda” and “Maison Silk Road.” Not that the album is lacking for Kikagaku Moyo signature bangers. “Field of Tiger Lilies” and the almost—should we call it “funk?”—“Dancing Blue” leave a lot of room to blossom when played in front of an audience, which may be the craziest thing about Kumoyo Island.
When the band finally reconvened to tour in support of the new album, the soundcheck—which took place three hours before their first performance—was the first time they played any of these new songs together.
Not that it mattered.
“It worked,” Katsurada says, unfazed. “We’ve been playing music together for so long that it’s really fast for us to create the groove or find the vibe of the song. And the rest of the parts we can improvise.”
“I love to stomp a red-color pedal when I engage the fuzz and overdrive. Visually it makes me feel like I am ready to fuzz out.”—Tomo Katsurada
“We always value that first energy, that primitive energy,” Daoud Popal, Kikagaku Moyo’s other guitarist, says about those early 2022 soundchecks. “Those first few times, we had no idea how the songs go. Of course, now we can play them better, but those early primitive versions of those songs were also great.”
In a sense, for the members of Kikagaku Moyo, recording a song in the studio isn’t so much about creating a completed, final product as much as it is about bringing it into the world. From that point forward, how it evolves is anyone’s guess.
“Songs get older and grow up,” Katsurada says. “They grow up together with how we grow up. After we record a song, we bring it on tour, and it grows as we tour. We still have so many ideas from inside the song, and that makes it not boring when playing shows every day. It’s always challenging, and it’s always growing.”
“A song [when it was recorded] may have been a version that was very true to ourselves a few years ago,” Popal adds. “But now, a few years later, it maybe sounds unnatural to us, like we don’t have that kind of feeling anymore. But when we add some jamming parts, that always updates the songs to our current feelings.”
Kikagaku Moyo’s twin guitar lineup is augmented with an electric sitar that’s played by Ryu Kurosawa (his brother, Go, is the band’s drummer). His background is in Indian classical music, and he’s had to adjust his thinking and approach to better define his role and place in the band. That was particularly important, because while the group wanted the colors and broad palette the instrument offered, they didn’t want it to become a gimmick.
Tomo Katsurada's Gear
Tomo Katsurada, like Daoud Popal, plays just one guitar: a Gibson Les Paul Junior Special with two P-90 pickups.
Photo by Sara Amroussi Gilissen
Guitars
Amp
- Fender Twin Reverb
Effects
- Boss PV-1 Rocker Volume
- Xotic XW-1 Wah
- Xotic Super Clean
- Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi V4 (Op Amp)
- Carlin Compressor
- Carlin Phaser
- Catalinbread Pareidolia
- ZVEX Octane 3
- Lovetone Big Cheese Clone by Thomas Graham
- Dawner Prince Boonar Multi-Head Drum Echo
- Danelectro Back Talk Reverse Delay (V1)
- Fairfield Circuitry Shallow Water
- Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Nano
- TC Electronic PolyTune 3
Strings
- Unknown brand of strings that have been on his guitar since early 2022
Picks
- Dunlop Tortex .60 mm
“Once he customized his acoustic sitar to electric sitar, he had more opportunity to explore the electric sounds with the pedals,” Katsurada adds. “Me and Daoud are always experimenting with pedals, but sometimes guitar pedals don’t work with sitar. Some fuzz pedals don’t sound as good. It was trial and error until he found a good fuzz pedal for the sitar.”
When it comes to sculpting tones—and, judging from the array of awesome sounds they’ve concocted over the years, both guitarists are bonafide tone fiends—pedals are where the action is. They don’t vary their guitars. Katsurada plays a Gibson Les Paul Junior, and Popal plays a Vox Mirage II, and that’s basically it. Their arsenal of amps is similarly one-dimensional: They have six Fender Twin Reverbs in Amsterdam that everyone uses (except bass), and another three in the U.S.
The band’s final album was also the first they recorded via file sharing and distanced production, due to Covid.
Katsurada relies on an assortment of vintage tape echoes, like a 1970s-era Japanese-made Kastam and an aged Binson Echorec, although these days he won’t take either of those on the road. “I am too scared to carry that,” he says. Nowadays, he uses a digital copy of the Binson. “It’s not the same, but that’s more for myself. It’s a micro-difference for the audience, but it is different. The right echo unit makes me feel so much better when I play.” He also uses a variety of fuzz boxes, like a Big Muff and a Carlin Compressor overdrive, and he’s particular about the color, too, which helps with the live show, both in terms of practicality as well as the vibe. “I love to stomp a red color pedal when I engage the fuzz and overdrive,” he says. “Visually it makes me feel like I am ready to fuzz out.”
Popal isn’t as picky. “I use a Fuzz War by Death by Audio, but to be honest, I am not a gear geek. Many times, I use pedals and have no idea what they are. Tomo gives me something and says, ‘You should use this.’ I say, ‘Okay,’ and I use it. For example, the Foxx Tone Machine is a pedal I got it from Tomo.”
“We’ll have a long improvisation—maybe that’ll even be 25 minutes on one song—and I’ll use up all my THC from my brain and I’ll be completely sober.”—Tomo Katsurada
He does, however, have a penchant for expression pedals. “I love to play with my feet, like wah—I like that a lot. Usually, the guitar is played with two hands only, and the wah is a very unique addition. With a foot pedal, it’s like playing guitar with three hands. I use other expression pedals connected to two of my pedals. One is delay—a Roland Space Echo—and I change the delay time with my expression pedal. That same pedal—it has two outputs—is also connected to the tremolo, so, again, I can change the tremolo’s BPM with my foot.”
But great tones and incredible chemistry aside, after a decade together—and five full-length albums in the can, plus many other releases—Kikagaku Moyo has called it quits. They spent most of 2022 on the road, and their final show was in Tokyo on December 3.
Daoud Popal's Gear
Daoud Popal is transported by his band’s “instant composition” at the 2022 Desert Daze festival, held in Riverside County, California, in late September.
Photo by Debi Del Grande
Guitar
- Vox Mirage II
Amps
- Fender Twin Reverb
Effects
- TC Electronic PolyTune 3
- Xotic EP Booster
- Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Nano
- Catalinbread Belle Epoch
- JAM Pedals Big Chill
- Boss AC-2 Acoustic Simulator
- Boss RE-20 Space Echo
- Electro-Harmonix Stereo Clone Theory Analog Chorus/Vibrato
- J. Rockett Archer Ikon Boost/Overdrive
- ZVEX Instant Lo-Fi Junky
- Dunlop MC404 CAE Wah
- Death by Audio Fuzz War
- Foxx Tone Machine
- Two Boss Expression Pedals
Strings
- Ernie Ball (.010 sets)
Picks
- Dunlop Tortex .60 mm
“We decided at the end of 2021, after we came back from a West Coast tour, that this tour is going to be the last one,” Katsurada says. “It is better for us to finish up this project and to archive our project together. That’s the healthiest way for us to keep a good relationship, and friendship. I am going to keep playing music. I have a radio program that I am doing with my partner, and I have many music projects that I am interested in doing. Maybe I’ll make my solo music and just keep making music, but not as a band. Now, I am interested in working with people I’ve never worked with, and I want to explore my creativity in music. It is really good to collaborate with other people I have never worked with. I feel I can find myself more.”
“The last two years, since Covid, two of us—and now three—were already separated and living in Amsterdam,” Popal adds. “Naturally, under Covid we couldn’t do much touring, and so I started my own projects in Japan. I believe I will continue with those.”
To drive the point home, and as a special gesture for the final tour, Katsurada was attempting to play every show throughout 2022 on the same set of strings. “I still haven’t broken any yet,” he says, somewhat amazed. “We’ve never missed a show in 10 years, never canceled; so we don’t want to cancel any shows and I don’t want to break any strings. That’s the goal.”幾何学模様 (Kikagaku Moyo) - Green Suger @ SHIBUYA全感覚祭
Kikagaku Moyo play “Green Sugar” for the Japanese channel Space Shower TV at Tokyo’s Shibuya Public Hall. Note how the tune evolves and shifts gears rhythmically and sonically as the performance unreels.
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Milkman’s Jerry Garcia-style JG-40 combo.
Grateful Dead-inspired gear from Milkman and Scarlet Fire helps to keep the guitarist’s sound alive.
Guitar players wanting to catch the Grateful Dead’s particular lightning in a bottle exist along a spectrum. Some are content to take inspiration from Jerry Garcia’s playing but make their own way regarding guitar choice and signal path. Others strive to emulate Garcia’s sonic decisions down to the most minor details and create signal paths as close to Jerry’s as possible. In recent years, an ecosystem of gear has developed around fostering Jerry Garcia’s electric tone, including everything from guitars, amps, and stompboxes to on-board preamps and speakers.
Entire books about the Grateful Dead’s gear have been written, so we can’t cover it all here. Garcia tinkered with all facets of his sound from about 1971 until 1978, when his signal path reached stability. By then, his On-Board Effects Loop—an innovation he developed to control how much signal reached his effects—was dialed in, his backline firm, and his choice of effects pedals solidified. Even then, adjustments were made, especially when MIDI arrived or when technology like in-ear monitoring was used. Here are some basics.
Scarlet Fire’s recreation of Garcia’s Wolf, originally built by Doug Irwin.
It starts with guitars. For players wanting to get their Jerry on, there’s a wide range of Garcia-esque instruments—with just as wide a range of prices—out there. Recreations of the Doug Irwin guitars and the Fender Alligator Strat abound. China-built models from companies likePhred Instruments can go for as little as $700 or so. Luthier Thomas Lieber apprenticed with Irwin long ago, and his Lieber Guitars will deliver a copy of a variety of Garcia models. Leo Elliott’sScarlet Fire Guitars out of Dallas, Texas, takes things in another direction. Elliott builds Doug Irwin replicas that start at $20,000 and go up from there, with a current wait time of about 18 months for an instrument. He’s outfitted many of the top Garcia guitarists today, including Tom Hamilton Jr. and Jeff Mattson. Elliott says, “I’m a self-taught luthier; I didn’t really build my first guitar until 2010. I understood a little bit about woodworking before I got started, but I learned by reading books and through trial and error. I started building replicas of Doug Irwin’s Wolf guitar right away, which is sort of like building a car and starting with a Ferrari. I didn’t know any better. Then, eventually I got to know Doug Irwin and collaborated with him. So, I got to hold Garcia’s Tiger guitar and get to know it really well, and by 2015, I had built replicas of that guitar. There’s one guy who helps me around the shop, but otherwise, I am building these guitars on my own. I’m collaborating with Doug Irwin on a new series of Tiger guitars, which will retail for 50 grand each.” That’s one way to get your Jerry going.
The JBL-inspired Milkman K-140.
Garcia’s choice of amplifiers is another matter. He preferred Fender Twin Reverbs loaded with JBL Alnico speakers, which were popular amongst many rock bands in the 1970s. The details get complicated; Garcia’s amps were heavily modified, and the Fender Twin served as a preamp that ran to a McIntosh MC-3500 power amp.
It’s hard to find vintage JBL speakers today—at least ones in good shape. San Francisco’s Milkman Sound, founded by Tim Marcus, has created a faithful reproduction of those classic JBLsthey call the K-140. They’re coupling those speakers with a Garcia-style recreation of his Fender Twin that Marcus named the JG-40. “I think 75 percent of Jerry’s tone is in the JBL speakers,” Milkman’s founder says. “But when you start to analyze the other 25 percent, you kind of have to start withDon Rich. [Editor’s Note: Rich was the guitar player in Buck Owens’ band, pioneers of the Bakersfield Sound.] That’s Jerry’s tone, too, but the difference is Garcia’s midrange was a bit throatier. It sounds clean, but really, it’s not clean at the same time. Especially his tone in the late ’70s. There is something about running that Fender Twin Reverb through the McIntosh that would just completely blow out the tone in a really interesting way.”
Garcia colored his tone with off-the-shelf effects. This was, after all, long before the days of boutique pedals. By 1978 and beyond, you’d hear him playing through an MXR Distortion+, an MXR Analog Delay, and an MXR Phase 100. He often used auto wahs, preferring the Musitronics Mu-Tron envelope filter as well as a Mu-Tron Octave Divider and a Mu-Tron combination volume and wah pedal.
When I asked Jeff Mattson, Bella Rayne, and Tom Hamilton Jr. exactly how orthodox they are about using the kind of gear that Garcia did, I got three different answers.
Mattson tells me that because Dark Star Orchestra is doing something very specific, he really has to tailor his sound as carefully to Garcia’s as he can. “Some folks get too hung up on small things, like what kind of cable to use and things like that, and I don’t go that far. But it’s important for Dark Star Orchestra to get Jerry’s sound right because we are covering different eras and different shows. In 2022, for example, we went to Europe and recreated shows from the Dead’s famous Europe ’72 tour, so you have to pay close attention to what kind of gear they were using to do that right.”
Hamilton works differently. He’s always preferred a higher-gain signal than Garcia ever did, landing in more of a British or heavy metal tone. (Randy Rhoads was a big influence.) “I’ve always approached it like, ‘What’s the new information we can put into this thing?’” he says. “Not just recreate but pushing in a forward direction. And anytime I’ve played with the guys who played with Garcia back in the day, they always said to me, ‘You’re here because you’re here. Don’t try and do what we did back in 1978 or do it because Garcia did it that way.’ They’ve always encouraged me to be myself.”
Bella Rayne is just wrapping her head around what it really means to try to sound like Garcia. “Besides Jerry, I’m influenced by guitarists like Dickey Betts and Derek Trucks, so my tone tends to be a bit heavier and bluesy,” she explains. “I’m generally running a Stratocaster through a Fender Twin Reverb. But recently, I was doing a show, and a buddy of mine set up a Jerry rig for me, and that was so cool: JBL speakers, McIntosh head, the whole setup. I had never played through one. I didn’t know what the hype was all about. I plugged in, and it was just amazing; there was such a snap, and I was really commanding the band. I can see myself keeping my current rig but adding a Dead-rig to experiment. But honestly, anything is fine; I am not picky. I just want to play the best that I can.”
PRS Guitars today launched five new three-pickup, 22-fret models across the S2 and SE series. The S2 Series release includes the S2 Special Semi-Hollow and S2 Studio, while the SE Series welcomes the SE Special Semi-Hollow, SE Studio, and SE Studio Standard.
“The distinctive pickup configurations of these five guitars deliver a versatile tonal platform, whether you’re exploring subtle textures or pushing the envelope. The deep dive into our Narrowfield technology is obvious with this launch. With both the S2 models made in our Maryland factory and the SE models made in Indonesia, our goal has been to create guitars that will inspire you and spark creativity, all at an exceptional value,” said PRS Guitars COO, Jack Higginbotham.
S2 Special Semi-Hollow
The PRS S2 Special Semi-Hollow features a pair of 58/15 LT humbuckers in the bass and treble positions and a PRS Narrowfield in the middle. A 5-way blade switch and two mini-toggles allow players to tap the humbuckers, creating twelve distinct pickup combinations for sonic exploration. The carved maple top and mahogany back encompass a semi-hollow body that adds a natural airiness and depth to the guitar’s tone while enhancing sustain.
S2 Studio
The PRS S2 Studio delivers a wide range of sonic possibilities through its distinctive single-single-hum configuration. Featuring two proprietary PRS Narrowfield pickups in the bass and middle positions and a 58/15 LT humbucker in the treble position, the S2 Studio offers a palette of sounds from single-coil clarity to vocal humbucker tones. This model also has a 5-way blade switch and push/pull tone control.
SE Special Semi-Hollow
The PRS SE Special Semi-Hollow is designed with the versatility of a hum/“single”/hum setup, bringing PRS’s Narrowfield DD pickup design to the SE Series in a classic maple-top guitar. The semi-hollow construction also enhances sustain and resonance, while the f-hole adds a classic aesthetic. The coil-tap switching system unlocks a wide range of tones through a pair of 58/15 LT “S” pickups in the bass and treble positions and a PRS Narrowfield DD “S” in the middle.
SE Studio
The PRS SE Studio’s “single”/”single”/hum pickup configuration provides a wide range of tonal options. This combination of PRS Narrowfield DD “S” bass and middle pickups with a PRS 58/15 LT “S” treble humbucker offers humbucking warmth, single-coil sparkle, and everything in between. The 5-way blade switch and push/pull tone control further enhance its versatility.
SE Studio Standard
The only bolt-on neck in this release group, the PRS SE Studio Standard brings the tone, playability, and versatility of the Studio model to the SE Series and into an all-mahogany design with a vintage-style pickguard aesthetic. At the heart of the SE Studio Standard is its versatile trio of pickups: an 58/15 LT “S” humbucker in the treble position with two Narrowfield DD “S” pickups in the middle and bass positions. The 5-way blade switch and push/pull tone control allow for an array of pickup configurations.
PRS Guitars continues its schedule of launching new products each month in 2025. Stay tuned to see new gear and 40th Anniversary limited-edition guitars throughout the year.
For the first time ever, two guitar greats, John 5 and Richie Kotzen will be heading out on the road this year. The tour will launch October 16 and run through November, hitting markets across the U.S.
Find the full tour itinerary right plus a link for tickets & VIP, including additional dates featuring John 5 only. Reserved seating tickets will go on sale Friday May 16 though a fan presale will begin today at noon local time and fans are strongly encouraged to buy early to get the best seats.
Meet and Greets for both artists will be available. For John 5 please go to: https://john5store.com/collections/vip.
Today, John 5 also announces more details of his anticipated new album. Called The Ghost, it will be released October 10 and is led by the new track “Fiend,” featuring Kenny Aronoff.
John 5 continues running public tours this month for his Knights In Satan’s Service Museum of KISS Memorabilia in Los Angeles, California. Guided tours are open to the public for one month only (with a possible expansion). Current dates available are May 12-16, May 19-23 and May 27-30. Each will be led by John 5 himself who will provide tons of rich detail and answer any questions. Secure your place HERE.
JOHN 5 continues to tour with Mötley Crüe including an upcoming residency in Las Vegas in 2025.RICHIE KOTZEN &
JOHN 5 FALL 2025 TOUR
October 16 El Cajon, CA @ Magnolia
October 17 Riverside, CA @ Fox Performing Arts
October 18 Roseville, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post
October 19 San Jose, CA @ The Ritz
October 21 Phoenix, AZ @ Celebrity Theatre
October 22 Albuquerque, NM @ KiMo Theatre
October 24 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
October 25 Leander, TX @ The Haute Spot
October 27 New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
October 28 Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall
October 29 Nashville, TN @ Fogg Street Lawn Club
October 30 Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
October 31 Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
November 1 Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
November 2 Clearwater, FL @ Capitol Theatre
November 4 Richmond, VA @ The National
November 5 Leesburg, VA @ Tally Ho Theater
November 6 Patchogue, NY @ Patchogue Theatre
November 11 Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
November 12 Derry, NH @ Tupelo Music Hall
November 13 Foxborough, MA @ Six String Grill & Stage
November 14 Stroudsburg, PA @ Sherman Theater
November 15 Lorain, OH @ Lorain Palace Theatre
November 16 Columbus, OH @ The King Of Clubs
November 17 Warrendale, PA @ Jergels
November 19 Wyandotte, MI @ District 142
November 20 Flint, MI @ The Machine Shop
November 21 Fort Wayne, IN @ Piere’s
November 22 St. Charles, IL @ Arcada Theatre
November 23 Belvidere, IL @ Apollo Theatre
November 25 Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater
November 29 Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet's*
*John 5 only
AEROSMITH guitarist and songwriter JOE PERRY is set to return to the road for a series of August performances with THE JOE PERRY PROJECT. The 8-date run kicks off August 13 in Tampa, FL and wraps August 23 in Port Chester, New York, with an August 19 performance in PERRY’s Boston hometown (see the itinerary below). For the North American trek—which marks the first solo shows for PERRY this year—the legendary guitarist will be joined by his Aerosmith bandmates Brad Whitford (guitar) and Buck Johnson (keys), along with The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson (vocals), and Stone Temple Pilots’ Robert DeLeo (bass), and Eric Kretz (drums).
“Well…it’s time to let the music do the talkin again,” PERRY says. “I’m really excited about the JPP line up this year!!!! Most of these guys played with me at The Roxy in L.A. at the debut event for my latest solo album [Sweetzerland Manifesto] in January 2018. They’re all busy as hell but thankfully they’re able to carve out some time for this run. And I’m not only lucky enough to have Brad Whitford onstage with me but Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes! [who sang ‘Fortunate One’ on Sweetzerland Manifesto MKII], Robert DeLeo and Eric Kretz from STP!!! and Buck Johnson who plays keys and sings with Aerosmith, the Hollywood Vampires, and is also a solo artist in his own right.”
For the shows, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee says “the set list is gonna include my fav JPP cuts, STP, Black Crowes, and with Brad we’ll be hitting the Aero hits and some deep cuts and then ya never know!!!! Gonna be a BLAST, and if you’ve ever been to one of my shows you know the words GARAGE BAND on STEROIDS come to mind! See you there!!!!”
DATE | LOCATION | VENUE |
Wednesday, August 13 | Tampa, FL | Seminole Hard Rock - Tampa |
Thursday, August 14 | Hollywood, FL | Seminole Hard Rock - Hollywood |
Saturday, August 16 | Toronto, ON | HISTORY |
Sunday, August 17 | Muskoka, ON | Kee to Bala |
Tuesday, August 19 | Boston, MA | Wang Theatre |
Wednesday, August 20 | Hampton Beach, NH | Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom |
Friday, August 22 | Mashantucket, CT | The Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino |
Saturday, August 23 | Port Chester, NY | Capitol Theatre |