Posts Tagged ‘Occult Architecture Vol. 1’

MOON DUO – ” Occult Architecture Vol. 1 “

Posted: May 2, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Occult Architecture Vol. 1

Back at the start of the year, with the cold nights and dark mornings closing in Moon Duo, fittingly, released the first of two parts to their latest album.

The Portland duo – guitarist Ripley Johnson and keyboardist Sanae Yamada – deliberately went with the dark stuff first, as our writer David Zammitt commented at the time in his review of ‘Occult Architecture Vol. 1’.

Meaning all things magick and supernatural, the root of the word occult is that which is hidden, concealed, beyond the limits of our minds. If this is occult, then the Occult Architecture of Moon Duo’s fourth album – a psychedelic opus in two separate volumes released in 2017 – is an intricately woven hymn to the invisible structures found in the cycle of seasons and the journey of day into night, dark into light.

Offering a cosmic glimpse into the hidden patterning embedded in everything, Occult Architecture reflects the harmonious duality of these light and dark energies through the Chinese theory of Yin and Yang.

In Chinese, Yin means “the shady side of the hill” and is associated with the feminine, darkness, night, earth. Following this logic, Vol. 1 embraces and embodies Moon Duo’s darker qualities — released appropriately on February 3rd, in the heart of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

MOON DUO – ” Creepin “

Posted: December 13, 2016 in MUSIC
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Moon Duo is a psych-rock/drone/krautrock band from Portland, Oregon by way of San Francisco. The project started in 2009 when Wooden Shjips guitarist Erik Ripley Johnson wanted a side band. He and Sanae Yamada (keys, vocals) joined forces, playing with programmed drums behind them. A couple of years ago, they hired drummer John Jeffrey to round out the band. Apparently, they had never met him, and they didn’t even audition him. He was hired after he met the band’s manager in Berlin. Things have worked out really well for them so far.

The band’s first album Mazes came out in 2011, followed by Circles in 2012. After that, they toured a lot. Not wanting to do that “write the new record on the road” thing, they waited until there was a big gap in their touring schedule to write and record Shadow of the Sun.

Moon Duo’s Occult Architecture Vol. 1, the first installment of a two-part album by the Portland psych heroes. The albums were inspired by the occult writings of Mary Anne Atwood, Aleister Crowley, Colin Wilson, and Manly P. Hall, as well as the Chinese theory of Yin and Yang. The darker Vol. 1 is being released in the dead of winter in the Northern Hemisphere (February. 3rd), and it represents Yin, or “the shady side of the hill.” Vol. 2 will follow in warmer months. Note: The limited edition LP of Vol. 1 comes housed in a deluxe box, which includes a space for Vol. 2 should you wish to purchase that when it comes out

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You can get some of the krautrock flavor in this song. The buzzy synths, the motorik-style drums, the delayed vocals. I love it. And of course it’s a little drone-y. It’s infectious, and I love it. It’s actually a little dark and gothy.

Here’s the official video for the song, which features Australian skateboarder Richie Jackson using all sorts of things including a pitchfork, a computer keyboard, and a car’s front bumper to make improvised skateboards. He also walks along in a ridiculously exaggerated gait, which spotlights the motorik beat. Make sure you watch the video all the way to the end.

What’s left to say about Moon Duo – not much, except that they continue on that cyclical drone path into musical nirvana. Divine.