A circular projection on the screen. Then one powerful intro, and the room was theirs. It didn’t take long to know it was going to be a special night with maya ongaku.
The spaciousness of Nothing Space Music carried over live, along with the little details that make the album worth listening to closely. Our review of the album talks about how each sound gets its moment without crowding the others and that came through on stage. Tsutomu Sonoda’s guitar could sit back in the atmosphere, then step forward when the song called for it. Shoei Ikeda moved between keyboards, saxophone and flute. Ryota Takano’s bass was locked in with them. The whole band sounded tight.
The set eased into a quieter, more intimate stretch, then finished with a psychedelic banger. It was a lovely ride. Walking out, I could have stayed in that world for the rest of the night, watching the light and listening to wherever the sounds went next.
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