The Yin and Yang of Moon Duo’s dual-pronged attack on 2017 arrives firstly in the form of Occult Architecture Vol.1, the follow-up to 2015’s Shadow of the Sun. Supposedly representing the Yin in which the Chinese translation equates to ‘the shady side of the hill’, Vol.1 embodies the darker qualities of Moon Duo, something that is fittingly released in the foggy cold of February.

The Oregon band, fronted by Ripley Johnson and keyboardist Sanae Yamada recorded this first instalment in their hometown of Portland, OR. The sound developed is supposed to be reflective of the hidden qualities encapsulated within the atmospheric terrain that holds the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Dense rain clouds eclipsed with moments of sunshine outline the sounds of Occult Architecture, a personification of their music that exists between the walls of fuzz, motorik rhythms and moments of blistering guitar. From opener ‘The Death Set’, this intention and literal bringing-to-life of environment is evidenced. Thundering drums crash behind the phased keyboard sounds, hitting down like monsoon season would do in the Far East. The percussion lands like missiles upon fertile ground with the smoggy voice of Johnson finding gaps to peak through.

‘Cold Fear’ opens with a darker, sinister tone – emerging out of subdued drum samples comes that lysergic woozy keyboard pattern once more. Synthesised sounds writhe like snakes and Johnson winds the sound of his other musical outlet, Wooden Shjips, into the energy of Moon Duo. It differs from the previous material from Moon Duo – the likes of Shadow of the Sun and 2013’s Circles in the way it feels so uncanny and eerie. The ice of ‘Cold Fear’ erupts into the slightly more approachable ‘Creepin’’ but even with a name like that, how much can you trust it? It finds a slightly more major-scale sound to it and a racing tempo with a cha-cha-cha clap that comes in every now and then, in doing so it brings a refreshing change of mood to the outlook of Occult Architecture Vol.1.

‘Cross-Town Fade’ definitely plants more of a firm fist in The Jesus and Mary Chain sounds than the previous tracks did. It carries more tension in the percussion, with the keys finding an offbeat to dance an obscure waltz upon. Johnson’s vocals lie behind a distorted mask giving a sound that resonates with Julian Casablancas more than anything else. It’s not too far off an 80s synthpop tune on slightly more amphetamine than it was previously used to. ‘Cut of Moloch’ trashes any carefree notions that its preceding track may have given off. It’s completely submerged in its own dystopian landscape but is mind blowing in the way it attacks you. Guitars shimmy atop of the storm of keys with barbaric soundscapes washing over every now and then. With this track, it becomes clear to see the ‘shady side of the hill’ that the pair were going for – it sets a scene and thrusts you into the scenario where you are attacked, alone and desperately vulnerable.

The dirge of keys and synth that you’re submerged within gives Johnson slightly more room to experiment with his guitar, squeezing as many petrifying sounds out of it as possible. ‘Will of the Devil’ makes room for this arguably better than anywhere else – Spaghetti-Western sounds haunt you every now and then, whipping around your ears and putting you at mercy.

Moon Duo prove on this first instalment of 2017 that they can transcend any nonchalant stereotypes of psychedelia. Their music is completely absorbing in the way it takes you in, transfixed for 40-odd minutes. The walls of sound that twist and revolve around you throughout ‘White Rose’ act as less of a kiss goodbye but more an endearing handhold into Vol.2 – from the winds that rush by at the start through to the solid four-to-the-floor drumming that comes after, you are utterly captivated. The darkness of this albums measure is something that Moon Duo have crafted well, how they then flip this on its head for the Yang is set to be interesting. So far they have proved that they know their way around the genre and they seem to only have themselves to challenge for now. It’s pretty remarkable stuff.
Tom Churchill

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