{"title":"Artist: Maya Ongaku","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"maya-ongaku-approach-to-anima-lp-vinyl-record","title":"Approach to Anima [Import]","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eKEY FEATURES\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaya Ongaku's debut album\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1xLP pressed on Classic Black Vinyl\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHoused in a Single-Pocket Jacket\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eRELEASE DESCRIPTION\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHailing from the seaside communities surrounding \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnoshima\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, a small island located 50 km southwest of Tokyo, \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaya Ongaku\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e is a ragtag collective of local musicians whose brand of earthy psychedelia transcends widely beyond the roots of their inner souls. The name derives not from any kind of ancient civilization, but rather a neologism defined as the imagined view outside one’s field of vision. The band—currently a trio of \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTsutomu Sonoda, Ryota Takano, and Shoei Ikeda\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e—finds sanctuary at the Ace General Store, a beachy vintage shop and salon-like space just hidden from sight from the bustling, touristy riverside Subana Street. Between discussions on music and art, curating the vinyl section and manning the register, and chatting up with locals young and old, the members find time to jam and record their spontaneous ideas in the studio tucked away in the back. It’s in this unlikely setting where Maya Ongaku finds its origins, the culmination of what Sonoda describes as 自然発生 (\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eshizen hassei\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e), meaning spontaneous generation, or the supposed production of living organisms from nonliving matter.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eApproach to Anima\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, the group’s debut album released on \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGuruguru Brain\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, finds Maya Ongaku building a foundational groove while tapping into their innermost psyche. Sonoda’s malleable guitar and vocals, Takano’s sinuous bass lines, Ikeda’s floating woodwinds, and a sprinkling of delicate percussion—all coalesce into an aural experience that’s assertive yet abstract, calm but unsettling. The slow-building, sax-laden “\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eApproach\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e” serves as an introduction to Maya Ongaku’s world, while the appropriately-named “\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWater Dream\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e” floats its way toward the gentle finale of “\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003ePillow Song\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e.” It’s a concise distillation of their many interests and influences, from \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNeo-Dada\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFluxus\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, to where contemporary art intersects with the development of modern recording technology in the ‘60s and ‘70s.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs the title suggests, Approach to Anima is not intended to be a terminus; it’s merely the beginning of an exploration. The three childhood friends that comprise Maya Ongaku are always looking beyond the confines of the idyllic but rapidly gentrifying enclave of their beloved Enoshima. Feeding off of the energy that still radiates from the triumphant, decade-long journey of their label bosses’ band \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKikagaku Moyo\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, who rose to global prominence from scrappy beginnings busking on the streets of \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTakadanobaba\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, they hope to go wherever inspiration takes them, to anywhere around the globe where their music can find a home.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUltimately, Maya Ongaku’s uninhibited world-building will make it possible for us to see the unseen, and expand the possibilities of the naked eye—all through the unbridled vibrancy of their music.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTRACKLIST \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eApproach\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNuska\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDescription Of A Certain Sound\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMelting\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSomething In Morning Rain\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRakusui\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWater Dreams\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePillow Song\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLISTEN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ciframe src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/playlists\/1556655034\u0026amp;color=%23ff5500\u0026amp;auto_play=false\u0026amp;hide_related=false\u0026amp;show_comments=true\u0026amp;show_user=true\u0026amp;show_reposts=false\u0026amp;show_teaser=true\u0026amp;visual=true\" height=\"300\" width=\"100%\" allow=\"autoplay\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc; line-break: anywhere; word-break: normal; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-weight: 100;\"\u003e\n\u003ca style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" title=\"Guruguru Brain\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/gurugurubrain\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGuruguru Brain\u003c\/a\u003e · \u003ca style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" title=\"Maya Ongaku - Approach to Anima\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/gurugurubrain\/sets\/maya-ongaku-approach-to-anima\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMaya Ongaku - Approach to Anima\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Maya Ongaku","offers":[{"title":"LP \/ Black","offer_id":42308766367935,"sku":"GGB-032-BK","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0620\/6947\/3471\/products\/9505478774725.png?v=1701227944"}],"url":"https:\/\/helixsounds.com\/collections\/artist-maya-ongaku.oembed","provider":"Helix Sounds","version":"1.0","type":"link"}