Kyoto Kyoto have released their debut EP Mirror Flexing Jaw. It brings the culmination of what has become months of introducing the world to their sound – an intriguing blend of experimental and math/krautrock. As you can probably tell, this is quite the anticipated release for me. I’ve been eager to hear how the trio work within the EP structure for a while – since hearing ‘Gaacher Blitz’ in July – and am happy to confirm that they do it so, so well.
A snappy drumbeat opens up ‘Fenderr’ and leads us into a guitar section that quickly builds a world of mystery as it enters the atmosphere. Its fast-paced tempo and equally hurried vocals do little to get you feeling comfortable but delivers a groove to keep you engaged. The topic of telling time through the eyes of an aging dog isn’t one we could all relate to, and it heads into a chaotic closing section that takes you even more off guard from what’s happening. What is going on here? Who knows.
‘Gaacher Blitz’ follows with a Tool-esque melody that moves frantically from ear to ear, against a set of drums that roll with the ever-flowing layers. It is just as hectic and hard hitting as I remember it back in July. ‘Seifert’ slows the tempo a little to allow Kyoto Kyoto to showcase the intricacies of their sound. Delivering some really textural percussion into the mix that works really well against their often-brutal guitars (see, ‘Grangbeen’).
Within the sea of music reviews and submissions, you’re exposed to a lot of different sounds, genres, and thoughts. A lot of it blurs into the same noise, but occasionally you come across something that sounds so individual and removed from the crowd that it’s you who has to do the chasing. Mirror Flexing Jaw is a textbook example of this. The material heard on this EP cannot be heard elsewhere, and while it does it best to unnerve you in its world of murky instrumentals and bizarre topics, it cannot help but be accessible. It is unashamedly itself, and it excels in throwing you into the deep end.
The riffs are brutal and the lyrics are incoherent at times, but that only adds to the thrill of listening to it. It is without doubt one of the best EPs I’ve heard in a long time, not just from this year. Kyoto Kyoto have delivered something special here, and it absolutely deserves to be raved about.