KUUGA

The factory's decayed, but Tohji, Loota & Brodinski
are still smelting dreams. This is Chamber Music for the post-industrial decay.
'KUUGA' sees the trio of Tohji, Loota & Brodinski enter 2021 with a collection of hymn-like rap meets club mutations. Following a 2020 which saw Tohji dive into ambient soundscapes with tracks such as 'Oreo' and 'propella', and collaborations with the likes of Mura Masa, Bloodz Boi and Malibu, 'KUUGA' is an evolution of his current aesthetic and sound exploration. This time, Tohji ventures from the depths of the sea to Japan's vast mountain ranges where the serenity of nature and industrial insanity exist side by side.
The release of 'KUUGA' will be accompanied by two guerilla parties in warehouses at the margins of Tokyo and Osaka, where the project will be performed in its entirety. Amidst forgotten machines in the middle of rural landscape, Tohji & Loota will debut the entire audiovisual concept.
After 'Intro', 'KUUGA' announces itself with 'Yodaka' - flitting between acapella incantations and 808s that land like a plane. 'TOB' is all stuttering distortion swagger, as Tohji's and Loota's falsetto hymns lay forth the album's manifesto. 'Naked' sees acid synth lines snake in and out of back-and-forth vocal shadowboxing, before 'Oni' brings us back to the Chamber, as vocal chants layer over and over before collapsing on a Baile-funk induced breakdown. 'Iron Dick' lumbers into view - propelling itself with monk-like determination. 'Err Day' whirrs into view - channeling a doomsday Aaliyah, before 'Outro' closes the album.
Having amassed critical momentum in Japan, Tohji has set his crosshairs firmly on the World in 2021. 'KUUGA' is just the first page in a tapestry of sonic experimentation, as Tohji unfolds his vision this year.