Kukangendai

In the organizer's words:

The Japanese experimental band Kukangendai are returning to Düsseldorf on their European tour (four countries and five cities). The band played a concert at the FFT almost ten years ago. A lot has happened since then: they released their latest album "Tracks" in 2023 and played an unamplified acoustic concert for the first time last year. Now the band is presenting a new, extended live set. You can hear songs from their latest album, but also excursions into the world of quieter, jazzy acoustic music.

Kukangendai is an experimental band from Kyoto, consisting of Junya Noguchi (guitar, vocals), Keisuke Koyano (bass) and Hideaki Yamada (drums). Since their formation in 2006, the band has been exploring the boundaries of structure, repetition and musical irritation - with precision, humor and radical originality. Live, Kukangendai generate an energy that is as strict as it is playful - minimal means create maximum tension. Their play with restriction, disruption and formal acuity has won many awards and been recognized internationally. Releases have appeared on renowned labels such as Ideologic organ (Editions Mego, Paris) and ULYSSA (USA). The band collaborates frequently with other artists such as Ryuichi Sakamoto and the poet Gozo Yoshimasu. In 2016, Kukangendai opened their own production and performance space "Soto" in Kyoto - a space for creative processes and concerts.