<p>In Japanese, <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=330286729" target="_blank">Mahikari</a> means "True Light," and is one of a handful
of new religious movements that has swept the country. Mahikari
combines aspects of various older Asian religions and spiritualist
teachings—like Oomotoko, Buddhism and Shintoism—and puts an emphasis
on inner harmony. Now that two of Japan's most renowned guitarists of
the '90s—Acid Mother's Temple guitarist Kamoto Kawabata and The
Boredoms' ex-ax man Yamamoto "Yama-Motor" Seiichi—are collaborating, Mahikari now also means "fucking awesome
psych noise rock band." Their debut self-titled album, four songs
totaling 40-plus minutes, creates mind-blowing sonic landscapes.
Kawabata and Yamamoto have an incredible knack for building on
each other's riffs and solos.</p>
<p>The opening song, "The Fog Peaks of Nara" (below),
let's the two layer distorted wails and reverb-heavy, sustained
arpeggios for more than eight minutes before Stoo Odom (formerly of
Thin White Rope) comes in on drums. Odom's playing is completely solid
here, but of course with the likes of Kawabata and Yamamoto, at no
point is he the highlight of the album. The real down and dirty guitar
playing comes on the third song, "The Ooze Pits of Clarksdale." You
won't find any self-indulgent shredding like when Steve Vai and Joe
Satriani get together (pricks), just some great, great guitar playing
by two men who know as many scales and modes as they do effects-heavy
ways to manipulate their tone. A truly killer instrumental album. But
get it soon: it's only available on limited-edition vinyl direct from
<a href="http://www.birdmanrecords.com/" target="_blank">Birdman Records</a>.</p>
<p>Recommended situations for listening to Mahikari: Tai Chi
sessions; background music to your Sunday spent masturbating to weird
Japanese anime porn; 4am, driving to the White Castle, high out of your
motherfuckin' mind.</p>
<p>
<script type="text/javascript">writeFlash({"src":"/swfs/audio-player.swf?url=http://media.splicetoday.com.s3.amazonaws.com/Music/Mahikari/03 The Fog Peaks of Nara.mp3","width":"420","height":"30"});</script>
</p>
<p class="photo-credit">"The Fog Peaks of Nara"</p>
Zach Kaufmann
mahikari, true light, psych rock, noise, underground japanese indie, birdman
the-feed
0
2009-02-24T16:45:00-05:00
<p>Two titans of Japanese rock, one limited-release album.</p>
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2009-02-24T16:51:52-05:00
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True Light, True Shred
2009-02-26T16:33:31-05:00
http://www.birdmanrecords.com/
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