Gate of Klüna

The 2021 debut album by the Japanese trio KUUNATIC, following some earlier shorter releases, was another stellar example of how the tradition of psychedelic-inspired music from the country grows and thrives over a half-century in. Described by one of its members as a concept album about the “fantasy planet” that they live on, it elegantly combines everything from rich vocal chanting to rumbling percussion jams. The group eschews guitar for a bass/drums/keyboard approach, with atmospheric grooves like “Desert Empress” and “Lava Naksh” the result.