Band: Kuunatic | Album: Wheels of Ömon | Genre: Avant-garde psychedelic tribal folk zeuhl? | Year: 2025
From: Tokyo, Japan | Label: Glitterbeat
For fans of: Kikagaku Moyo, Magma, Osamu Kitajima
Kuunatic’s sound is pretty difficult to describe, and that’s a big part of why I love them. I lumped all those genre descriptors above into a big chimera rather than split them up more granularly for a reason. The elements are noticeable but impossible to truly pick apart or isolate. At its base, this is a drums-bass-keys trio where all three members sing, but they also include a multitude of traditional Japanese folk instruments, including the sho, sasara, and ryuteki.
Much as Magma’s music is largely about and set on Kobaïa, Kuunatic’s is about their own mythic world, Kuurandia. (They go into great detail about the story of both this album and their 2021 debut, Gate of Klüna, in this article, as well as on the Bandcamp page for this release.) The music is fittingly odd, experimental, and ritualistic for such heady concepts.
The drone of a sho fades in on “Yew’s Path”, and a distorted bassline adds a sense of tension and dread. Airy, reedy keyboards provide an otherworldly melody, and the band’s chanted vocals give the sense that one is in an alien temple preparing to witness some odd rite. In its second half, there’s a galloping, syncopated rhythm, and a wiry string instrument plucks out an oddball solo.
“Mavya at the Lacus Yom” continues with the haunting ritualism of the opening song. This is somberer and more atmospheric, though. The occasional distant thump of a kick drum and low groan of a bass note help to keep this composition from completely dissolving into the ether, but this is the one point on the album where I feel things could have been tightened up a bit. There’s not really enough here to warrant it being nearly eight minutes long.
The energy picks up on “Disembodied Ternion”. The drums are skittery and light, and the bass is sharp and biting. The trio harmonize their vocals, delivering both mantra-like chants and more urgent vocalizations. This song swirls, wobbles, and stomps in an infectious way that keeps the listener on their toes. The one-minute a capella interlude “Myth of Klüna” follows, acting as something of a meditative reset after the relative chaos of the preceding cut.
“Yellow Serpent” has a light and bouncy feel. Zither and flutes offer a lush backing, and the rubbery bass and idiosyncratic drumming give this song a unique character. I love the warbling synth tones; they’re both trepidatious and hopeful. The conclusion features some great muscle, with buzzing distorted bass leading the charge.
“Kuuminyo” features the guest vocalist Rekpo singing “Hanro”, a traditional Ainu song. (Rekpo is a member of the Ainu vocal group Marewrew, which is working to revive a traditional Ainu style of music called upopo.) The three members of Kuunatic harmonize their chants as Rekpo weaves her melody through their voices. This is an interesting, mostly a capella piece that acts as an intriguing interlude.
Chanting continues on “Halu Shanta”, with hollow, thumping drums, warm bass, and distant folk instruments giving this song an esoteric air. The song’s second half is slow and full of wordless singing with twangy strings and light chimes for embellishments.
The album ends on “Syzygy and a Counter Truth”. Right off the bat, it’s got the most rock-like beat of any song on this release. There’s still a strange, limping quality to the drum pattern, but the fuzzy bass and squeaky synths give solid forward momentum. The vocals are run through a filter, and there’s a creepy feel that runs through it.
Wheels of Ömon is one of the strangest records I’ve heard this year. The three-part harmonies, ritual atmosphere, Japanese influences, and celestial theming converge fluidly. This album is a bold statement from Kuunatic, and it establishes them as one of the foremost experimental bands to keep your eyes and ears on.
Score: 91/100
The Elite Extremophile 