Maya Ongaku and Mong Tong combine forces for joint European tour

Collage of two band photos, on the top the one of Maya Ongaku and below Mong Tong. Both members of Mong Tong are standing near scooters while being blindfolded and the members of Maya Ongaku are dressed in black and the photo taken is a bit blurry.

Maya Ongaku (top) and Mong Tong (bottom) © Guruguru Brain

Recently, Maya Ongaku (stylised as maya ongaku) released their very first album filled with psych-folk, Approach to Anima, and next November, the band will tour Europe for the first time and will do so together with Taiwanese psychedelic sibling duo MongTong, who has also just released a new album through the label Guruguru Brain, which is run by the musicians of the now inactive band Kikagaku Moyo. The European tour consists of 13 shows in six countries.

Maya Ongaku is a collective of local musicians from the coastal communities around Enoshima. The origin of the band, currently a trio consisting of Tsutomu Sonoda, Ryota Takano and Shoei Ikeda, can be found in a vintage shop called Ace General Store, where between chats, putting together the vinyl section and manning the cash register, the musicians also find time to jam sessions and record music in the studio that can also be found there.

Behind Mong Tong are two brothers who, after having completed their studies, went on a quest to learn more about the obsession they share: Taiwanese occult-inspired art and vintage superstitious imagery and turning this into music. To make this music, they use psychedelic sound gamelan music, phin guitar, tabla drums, and Taiwan sisomi.

Mong Tong en Maya Ongaku European Tour 2023

Sunday 5 November, 2023: Urban Spree – Berlin, Germany
Wednesday 8 November, 2023: CCM Jean Gagant – Limoges, France
Thursday 9 November, 2023: Blonde Venus – Bordeaux, France
Sunday 12 November, 2023: Le Guess Who? – Utrecht, Netherlands
Monday 13 November, 2023: Shacklewell Arms – London, United Kingdom
Tuesday 14 November, 2023: Crofters Rights – Bristol, United Kingdom
Wednesday 15 November, 2023: White Hotel – Manchester, United Kingdom
Friday 17 November, 2023: Alien Puzzle – Munich, Germany
Saturday 18 November, 2023: TransCentury – Leipzig, Germany
Tuesday 21 November, 2023: VoxHall at PART – Aarhus, Denmark
Wednesday 22 November, 2023: MS Stubnitz – Hamburg, Germany
Thursday 23 November, 2023: Kulture A – Liege, Belgium
Friday 24 November, 2023: De Nieuwe Anita – Amsterdam, Netherlands

There is a possibility that additional shows may be announced in the near future. We’ll keep an eye on that as best we can, but keep yourself updated via the Facebook page of the label of both bands, Guruguru Brain.

Source: Maya Ongaku

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Francisca/Seraphinne

Never satisfied, always exploring. Started with AVO in 2003. Now active as a writer, reporter, reviewer, promoter, photographer, interviewer and presenter. Can be found regularly at conventions and concerts in the Netherlands and sometimes elsewhere in Europe or even in Japan. Big passion for Japan and music, can be made happy with coffee. (click on Soundcloud logo)