
Kuunatic is an all-female trio originally from Japan that offers a mixture of different genres halfway between Prog and Psychedelia with Tribal references. A sonic exploration characterized by tribal drums and traditional Japanese instruments that blend with Prog keyboards, hypnotic bass lines and powerful female voices. Their debut full-length “Gate of Klüna” was released on October 29, 2021 via Glitterbeat Records and produced by Tim DeWit. 8 tracks that are a journey through space and time, an original work difficult to categorize in a single genre but which explores very vast musical horizons. The opener “Dewbow” immediately plunges us into the mystical atmospheres of the record, a blend of traditional instruments, female choral voices and tribal rhythms that blend with a hypnotic bass. The most meditative and traditional sounds that blend with distortions and an almost Stoner rhythmic session, to which Japanese flutes are added. A hypnotic track that succeeds in merging Oriental sounds with Psychedelic Rock, an incisive and engaging sonic impact. “Desert Empress Part 1” first of two parts, begins with tribal-inspired percussion sounds that blend with traditional instruments and a pulsating bass. The vocal inserts are more minimal, short and choral and the track is pressing in the rhythmic session and with a dark and anguished atmosphere. The influences of the late 60s are felt, but the sound of the band is so personal that each passage is original, resulting in the most Experimental Psychedelia. “Desert Empress Part 2” is the second and final part of this song, characterized by intricate phrasing between traditional instruments and keyboards enriched with effects. The dark atmosphere of the previous song continues, concluding the musical discourse with a rhythmic session pulled to the extreme in the final and with a wide use of atmospheric effects and sounds. “Full Moon Spree” is the shortest track on the album, very rhythmic and with a marked presence of traditional Japanese sounds, both in the music and in the vocals. The voices are stratified and in the finale it closes with tribal percussion. A short intro makes us fly with our minds in Japan and begins “Tītián,” also proposed as a single with video. With the entry of the rhythm session it takes on a more Psychedelic character with modern sounds close to the Stoner, the bass is penetrating. In the central part the keyboards pre-stage the scene with a solo enriched by effects and pulsating bass lines, for a purely Psychedelic Rock section, and then close by returning to the initial theme. The three stratified voices open “Lava Naksh” which develops with traditional instruments and a powerful drum that give life to an aggressive piece. The bass is hypnotic and the atmosphere is charged with intensity, and then in the central part it transforms with a change and after a section of only percussion and voice, close with tribal experiments. “Raven’s War” begins with a slow rhythm and a deep bass and effects on which the keyboards are inserted giving a very dark touch to the track. A track with pachydermic movements, which acquires intensity and accelerates with the passing of the minutes, always remaining on dark tones. in the finale it closes with a prolonged section of tribal percussion and effected sounds. The album “Para Bennyà” closes, which recalls the traditional African sounds, developed between percussion and tribal choirs to which Japanese percussion and wind instruments are added in the finale. This band offers a particular sound, whose predominant part is the tribal and traditional one, to which are added both modern and late 60s Psychedelic traits. This mix is very particular, certainly original and deserves more than a listen to grasp all the nuances contained within it. An album recommended for lovers of the most refined Psychedelic sounds and taken to the extreme, good research of traditional sounds giving life to an original work.
Tracklist
01. Dewbow (5:42)
02. Desert Empress Part 1 (6:20)
03. Desert Empress Part 2 (3:44)
04. Full Moon Spree (2:47)
05. Tītián (4:38)
06. Lava Naksh (6:40)
07. Raven’s War (6:49)
08. Para Bennyà (6:25)
Lineup
Fumie Kikuchi / Keyboards and Vocals
Yuko Araki / Drums and Vocals
Shoko Yoshida / Bass and Vocals
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