Tō Yō, the Tokyo-based psychedelic quartet, has announced their debut record Stray Birds From the Far East--a dreamy, pop-infused psych/acid rock concept album about nostalgia for a place yet to be discovered. Accessible, wide appeal for Rock, Psych and World Music fans- beautifully designed and packaged color vinyl and cd. The Tō Yō sound is simultaneously unique yet familiar--but it's also moving. Our psychedelic sound is at times violent and at times naive, says vocalist and guitarist Masami Makinom, but we also believe our sound is meant to awaken the most primitive senses in order to sublimate the rise of the soul and its uncontrollable impulses. Tō Yō is an ambitious band with an ambitious vision, so it's no surprise some of their biggest influences are known for complex, groundbreaking visions; Far East Family Band, J. A. Seazer, Flower Travellin' Band, Kikagaku Moyo, YU Grupa, Ali Farka Touré, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Red Hot Chili Peppers all show up in the list of the band's most important influences. As a self-described jam band, hashing out Tō Yō's songs in the studio was a necessity, but it also proved to be a strategic benefit, as working with engineer Yui Kimijima at Tsubame Studio (the mecca for today's Japanese psychedelic rock) in Tokyo helped the band take their sound to the next level. With Tō Yō, the band embarks on an ambitious journey of experimentation and musical risks, but this has led to a colorful and often unpredictable sonic tapestry that embodies their myriad influences while combining with the heroics of indie darlings Built to Spill, the shimmering charm of My Morning Jacket, the carefree spirit of surf rock, and the wild, swirling sounds of the psychedelic giants of the 1970s.
