SAICOBAB channels the vital energy of living music traditions through ecstatic performance. NRTYA, Sanskrit for “dance”, explores the shared roots of Japanese and Indian spiritual practices in a tangible, intoxicating form. YoshimiO’s experiments in this field are well documented and legendary from her work in OOIOO to her work in the Boredoms. Multi-instrumentalist Yoshida Daikiti reveals the human hand that shapes living traditions, as much through his fluid playing as his own collection of handmade instruments, while percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Motoyuki “Hama” Hamamoto embodies the metaphysical power of rhythm.

YoshimiO’s wild vocal acrobatics and inimitable range shift from hypnotic chants to ethereal atmospherics and darting melodies, ducking and weaving around Daikiti’s serpentine sitar figures and basslines. Hama’s solid rhythmic architectures and deft polyrhythms are here enhanced by additional drums from Taketawa Yo2ro, slipping from subtle pulses to thundering grooves that drive the music. SAICOBAB’s music exudes a true reverence for living musical traditions while remaining unbound by orthodoxy. The electrifying energy of the quartet’s performance is palpable in every track, eliminating established hierarchies with performer and listener alike entwined in the same cosmic dance.