The Japanese band Kukangendai was founded in 2006 by guitarist and singer Junya Noguchi, bassist Keisuke Koyano and drummer Hideaki Yamada. The three play experimental rock. Some characterise their music as math rock or avant-jazz. Kukangendai’s songs take shape through a long and meticulous process in which melodies and rhythms are carefully constructed. Mistakes are welcomed and subsequently repeated so often that they become a part of the music. The result is the minimalist, polyrhythmic sound that Kukangendai is known for. 

The band has a cult status in Japan, where the three played many concerts, always with that same stoic composure. In 2016, the band opened Soto, a studio cum concert venue in Kyoto where they invite other bands. In 2018, they released the EP Zureru, for which they collaborated with Ryuichi Sakamoto. In 2019, Palm was released on Stephen O’Malley’s label Ideologic Organ.

Albums

2009 Kukangendai

2012 Kukangendai 2

2014 Live

2015 Remixes

2016 RAP PHENOMENON (with Moe & Ghosts)

2018 Zureru (EP with Ryuichi Sakamoto)

2019 Palm

2021 Tentei