Acid Mothers Temple
& The Cosmic Inferno

Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. was formed in 1995, so this year 2005 marks our tenth anniversary. Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O was originally intended as just one part of the Acid Mothers Temple Soul Collective, but over the past ten years it seems that most of our fans have taken them to mean pretty much the same thing. Of course, many of you will have been aware of the various other groups that have come out of the Soul Collective. But it is also true to say that Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. was the core of the collective. But I have never seen Acid Mothers Temple as the collective name for any particular unit or group - rather it is a description of the souls of all those who have gathered together under our slogan, and it is an attitude to life. Acid Mothers Temple is a place of refuge, a hometown for all those excluded by mainstream society who find some resonance in our slogan, "Do Whatever You Want, Don't Do Whatever You Don't Want!!"

At the end of our European tour in the fall of 2004, Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. decided that this was the last time that we would play such a long tour. Over the years we have tried to play wherever there are people who want to hear us, and we have tried to make our music easily accessible by releasing albums on labels from many countries. We believed that was the best way to reach the fans around the world who have found something to love in our music. However, the repeated lengthy tours (often with no break between them) and the raging torrent of releases have finally begun to wear us down. And if you look back at rock history, even the greatest bands found that their peak lasted for just a few years before they were exhausted by the grind of touring and recording.

Even before the fall 2004 tour I had begun to feel the same warning signs with Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. that I had previously experienced in other groups. By the end of the tour, just as I expected, we were physically and mentally exhausted, like a group of dinosaurs on the brink of extinction. That was why we decided not to undertake any more extended tours. We need to take some time out to recharge our reservoirs of cosmic energy, which is just about run out. It feels like I have been slicing off parts of my soul, in compensation for which the group has been granted a modicum of success over the past couple of years. But I no longer feel the need to continue with the group if it means that Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. will become just one more ordinary rock band. At the beginning Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. did not even exist as a normal group. And to this date we have never had an 'official' lineup - the group has only ever existed as temporary assemblies of likeminded musicians, a miniature soul collective. But through constant touring and recording, I feel that the lineup has fossilized, and the free communion of souls we enjoyed at the beginning has been virtually lost.

Just before setting off on the fall 2004 European tour I accepted a booking for my solo unit, Mothers of Invasion, in Osaka for January 2005. At the time I imagined that we would just play the gig as Mothers of Invasion with a new lineup. But later I began to feel the need for some powerful, new force that could stand against the virtually extinct dinosaur of Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O., a worthy rival who could read the last rites to the corpse. Perhaps I felt this need because I had nothing to replace the declining power of Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. Everything that exists in this universe consists of two elements. Just as ancient Chinese yin-yang five-element philosophy states, in everything there are two opposing forces - a front and a back, a yin and a yang. Without the balance between these two forces, the motion of the universe would cease.

With that thought in mind, I chose to mount an attack Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. myself. Of course, if this attack were to succeed I would need musicians just as powerful, if not more powerful, than Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O.

The first person who voiced their agreement for my ideas was my old friend and partner in Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O., Higashi Hiroshi. He and I are like two sides of the same coin, yin and yang, and without any explanation from me he immediately grasped my intentions. We decided to take the members of Mothers of Invasion and shift them to the new group, giving birth to a new Acid Mothers Temple. Just then I received a transmission from my own cosmos - the group should be named Cosmic Inferno. It was utterly fitting for this is truly a battle between heaven and hell, between The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. and The Cosmic Inferno.

Though we shall henceforth be Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno, the new group will also be known in short as Acid Mothers Temple and this will no doubt sow confusion in the minds of many. But the true manifestations of Acid Mothers Temple are many - Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O., Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno, Acid Mothers Temple SWR. The future may see yet other groups bearing similar names. But each and all of them will be true manifestations of Acid Mothers Temple.

Thus, on this the tenth anniversary of the founding of Acid Mothers Temple, I announce the birth of the hellchild, Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno.

Kawabata Makoto (13th Jan. 05)

profile

Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno :

Born October 31 1965 in Kyoto. Begins playing seriously in 1982. In 1984 he joins NOIZUNZURIE who play their own interpretations of Japanese folk songs and noh music. In 1986 he founds the Boredoms with Yamatsuka EYE from Hanatarashi, but leaves the group after only appearing on their debut single. Forms Leningrad Blues Machine in 1987 - in spite of several periods of inactivity the group continues to exist. Joins Zeni Geva in 1988, records and tours with them extensively over the following decade (the group's 2002 appearance at ATP was their last). In 2002 he plays live with Kawabata Makoto & Mothers of Invasion. This eventually leads to his joining Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno. In 2003 forms Amazon Saliva with Hide from Ultra Bide - the group is still in existence. 'mara-tab' in Kyoto slang refers to an oversized nipple the size of the male sexual organ.

Major works :
Hoyo / NOIZUNZURIE (1985 Telegraph Records)
Anal By Anal / BOREDOMS (1986 Trans Records)
Freedom Bondage / ZENIGEVA (1995 Alternative Tentacles Records)
10,000 Light Years / ZENIGEVA (2001 Neurot Records)
Yaje / LENINGRAD BLUES MACHINE (2005 Gyuun Records)

Link :
TABATA MITSURU
AMAZON SALIVA (Japanese Only)
LENINGRAD BLUES MACHINE (English Version is not available yet)
ZENIGEVA

Born in Kochi, Shikoku. In 1987 joins Kawabata Makoto's Erochika as the group's third bassist. In 1988 joins Yumejin, led by Taki Toshizuka (ex Cosmos Factory). Forms Tsurubami together with Kawabata Makoto and Emi Nobuko in 1994. Joins Acid Mothers Temple in 1995. In 2001 forms and breaks up Pardons with early AMT vocalist Cotton. Higashi is currently active with Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO, Acid Mothers Temple & the Cosmic Inferno, Acid Mothers Gong, Tsurubami, Guy Unit, Godman, etc. Formed Cosmic Dew in 2007. Higashi is also a peerless lover of dance, and as suits his Shikoku background a peerless lover of alcohol.

Major works :
Pardon! / PARDONS (2001 Acid Mothers Temple)
He No He No / HIGASHI HIROSHI (2004 Galactic Zoo Disc)
All titles of ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE & THE MELTING PARAISO U.F.O.

Born in Tokyo. Began his music activities when he joined S.Karma as drummer in 1984. The group continued until around 1992. In 1989 played with High Rise for one year. In 1990 joined White Heaven as bassist, and continued to play with them until they split in 1998. Between 1998 and 2000 drummed with Mainliner. Rejoined High Rise in 2000 and continued to play with them through till 2002. Formed Miminokoto in 2000, and continues to play with them. Has also drummed with Nagisa Ni Te, in a duo with Kaneko Jutoku, and in innumerable other short-lived groups.

Major works :
Strange Bedfellow / WHITE HEAVEN (1992 PSF)
Next to Nothing / WHITE HEAVEN (1994 NOON)
Imaginative Plain / MAINLINER (2000 PSF)
Psychobomb / HIGH RISE (2000 PSF)
Miminokoto/ MIMINOKOTO, (2002 Gyuune Cassette)
2 / MIMINOKOTO (2003 Austin Record)
Live / MIMINOKOTO (2003 Last Visible Dog)
3 / MIMINOKOTO (2004 Siwa Records)

Links :
MIMINOKOTO

http://www.acidmothers.com/Cgi-bin/crew/C_kawabata/index_main.html

Links :
tabinekope.exblog.jp
REVEAL

Links :
PIKALOGGG
AFRIRAMPO

Born in Osaka. During the 80s and early 90s attracted much attention with the excellence of his drumming with legendary Osaka psychedelic hard rock trio Subvert Blaze. After that also drummed in Live Under the Sky (led by Boredoms guitarist Yamamoto Seiichi), Ghost, Cosmic Invention, and Tsuyama Atsushi's hard rock group Nishinihon. In 2004 he formed a trio called Andromelos with Kawabata Makoto and Yamazaki Mazo (Masonna). Numerous other drum and session credits. His highly technical 60s influenced drum style surely lives up to his nickname, "God Speed".

Major works :
Subvert Art / SUVBERT BLAZE (1990 Alchemy Records)
Subvert Art 2 / SUVBERT BLAZE (1992 Alchemy Records)
Subvert Art Complete Works / SUVBERT BLAZE (2004 Alchemy Records)
Sky / LIVE UNDER THE SKY (1995F.M.N. Sound Factory)
Lead Or Deadend? Head Or EAD / EAD (1995 Gyuune Records) Help Your Satori Mind / COSMIC INVENTION (1997 The New Sound)
St. Captain Freak Out And The Magic Bamboo Request / ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE & THE MELTING PARAISO U.F.O. (2002 Ektro Records)

Link :
OKANO FUTOSHI

2005

In January, Kawabata formed Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno with Higashi Hiroshi, Tabata Mitsuru (Zeni Geva, ex. Boredoms), Okano Futoshi (ex. Ghost, ex. Subvert Blaze) and Shimura Koji (ex. High Rise, ex. Mainliner). The group has been born out of the line-up of Kawabata Makoto & The Mothers Of Invasion mk3 (Acid Mothers Of Invasion).

1st CD "Just Another Band From The Cosmic Inferno" was released by Important Records (USA).

In June and July, European tour (UK, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Croatia, Finland, France and Greece) The group performed at Venn Festival 2005 in UK, Ruin Festival in Austria, Mo Fo Festival #5 in France and Hearing Protection Required in Greece.

The European tour CD "Cosmic Funeral Route 666" was released on Acid Mothers Temple label.

2nd CD "Anthem Of The Space" was released by Ektro Records (Finland).

3rd CD "Demons From Nipples" was released by Vivo Records (Poland).

4th CD "IAO Chant From The Cosmic Inferno" was released by Ace Fu Records (USA).

In September and October, USA & Canadian tour. Sam Lohman played drums instead of Okano at some concerts. They played "In C" at "Terry Riley's 70th Birthday Celebration" at UCLA.

The US tour CD-single "Trigger In Trigger Out" was released by Nokahoma Records (USA).

In December, At the invitation of The Mars Volta played at All Tomorrow's Party UK.

2006

5th CD "Darkness And Bible Black Sabbath" was released by Alien8 Recordings (Canada).

in June, European tour (Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Croatia). The group performed at Nippon A Go Go in France.

in July the group headlined at "Enban Jamboree" in Tokyo.

in December the group headlined at "Macaronizm Night ver. Are" in Yamaguchi.

2007

1st DVD "2006 Summer Live!" was released by Enban (Japan).

Okano Futoshi quited.

12" Split EP "The Load Is A Virgin Killer" was released by Nokahoma Records (USA).

2nd DVD "Hardcore Uncle Meat" was released by Acid Mothers Temple label.

In July and August, toured Western Japan featuring Pikacyu (ex.Afrirampo) as a new drummer.
In August in Osaka the group performed as the headlining act of the Heavy Space Psychedelic Rock Carnival. Yamazaki Maso (Masonna) joined them as a special guest.

6th CD "Ominous From The Cosmic Inferno" was released by Essence Music (Brazil).

2008

In June, Hokkaido tour.

7th CD "Journey Into The Cosmic Inferno" was released by Very Friendly Records (UK).

8th CD "Pink Lady Lemonade ~ You're from Outer Space ~" was released by Riot Season (UK).

1st live CD "Hotter Than Inferno ~ Live in Sapporo 2008 ~" was released by Vivo Records (Poland).

3rd DVD "Hotter Than Inferno ~Live in Osaka 2007 ~" was released on Acid Mothers Temple label.

In July and August, UK & Irish tour. The group performed at Standon Calling Festival in UK.

Hawkwind's cover split 7"EP "Brainstorm" was released by TRENSMAT (Ireland).

2010

In May, the group played at "Battle of Acid Mothers Temple" with AMT & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. with Ichiraku Yoshimitsu, AMT SWR and AMT & Melting Cosmic Blues Band.

In June, the group headlined at "Enban Jamboree" in Tokyo.

In September, Okinawa tour.

Hawkwind's cover compilation CD "Search Of Hawkwind" was released by Critical Mass Records (UK). The group covered "Brainstorm".

2011

In July, the group headlined at "Chaotic Acid Noise Fest" in Kochi.

In July, the group played with Tenniscoats as Acid Mothers Tenniscoats" at "Enban Summer Festival 2010" in Tokyo.

9th CD "For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Goofy Funk?" was released by Chaotic Noise Recordings (Japan).

1st live LP "Shakespeare From The Cosmic Inferno 2008" was released by Blackest Bootlegs (UK).

In August, Pikacyu graduated from the band at "Acid Mothers Temple Summer Festival 2010" in Tokyo.

In December, tour in Kochi and Wakayama. Opera replaced Pikacyu.