Baroque Bordello. Erochika. Mothers in Invasion. These bands (and many more) have been graced by the presence of psychedelic rocker Kawabata Makoto. But he’s best known for being the founding member and chief of late 90s Japanese soul collective Acid Mothers Temple.
Bringing extreme Pink Floyd-esque sounds to our ears, Acid Mothers Temple has grown roots everywhere since its inception: there’s Acid Mothers Temple SWR, Acid Mothers Guru Guru, Acid Mothers Temple and the Pink Ladies Blues, Acid Mothers Afrirampo... the list goes on – and, at the helm of each arm of the spiderweb, lies the serene, bearded, fuzzy Jap-fro’d Makoto.

His 40-plus years in the biz have spawned a total of 68 electro/drone/experimental/psych rock albums (both as collaborator and solo – aside from the guitar, he also plays the violin and other traditional instruments) and he’s claimed to be able to ‘receive music from my cosmos both live and studio. I just try to be a good radio receiver’.

He was neither formally nor informally trained by anyone but himself and relied on the pure experimentation of trippy music and his own hand-built instruments when he first started, circa late 1970s. He’s known for his radical-yet-poetic guitar acrobatics, his unconventional instrumentals (playing a guitar in cello-style, for example), his monochromatic attire and enthusiastic hair whipping –
and you’ll normally see him flaunting all of this in his various collaborative projects. This fortnight Hong Kong-side, however, he plays an intimate, solo gig. Special guests include Orgasm Denial and DJ Urine, whose, um, interesting names should indicate how the night
is expected to turn out: unpredictable, just like every stroke of Makoto’s guitar genius. Get psyched.

Ysabelle Cheung 

Kawabata Makoto plays Gallery EXIT on Friday January 20.