About Pochakaite Malko
Artist Biography
Japanese avant-prog outfit Pochakaite Malko formed as a quintet in Tokyo in 1996, and featured bassist Shigekazu Kuwahara and keyboardist Kazuo Ogino. Kuwahara had been a member of drummer Tatsuya Yoshida's Magma-influenced group Koenji Hyakkei, appearing on the 1994 album A Hundred Sights of Koenji, and in 1995 played with Ogino in a Magma tribute band led by Yoshida. Pochakaite Malko underwent a number of lineup changes in their first few years, and even a hiatus as Ogino joined Masaki Batoh's psyched-out Ghost, but re-formed in December of 1999, this time featuring Kuwahara and Ogino along with second keyboardist Tomohiro Ueno and drummer Junzo Tateiwa -- a third keyboardist, Sharmin, was also a member of the group, but departed in 2000.
In December 2000, the quartet of Kuwahara, Ogino, Ueno, and Tateiwa played the music of Zamla Mammaz Manna with multifaceted Swedish avant-prog artist Lars Hollmer during one of Hollmer's Tokyo tours, and in spring of 2001 Pochakaite Malko began work on their eponymous debut album, which saw release in November of that year. The quartet took inspiration from classic '70s-era keyboard-oriented progressive rockers like Emerson, Lake & Palmer while incorporating influences from such European avant-proggers as Univers Zero, Present, and Magma -- the latter particularly unsurprising given Kuwahara's previous involvement in Koenji Hyakkei and, along with Ogino, in Yoshida's Magma tribute band. Pochakaite Malko also included a guest appearance from guitarist Kei Fushimi on one track.
Keyboardist Ueno left the group soon after the release of the debut CD, however, but was replaced by violinist Akihisa Tsuboy from the group KBB. Tsuboy played a prominent role in Pochakaite Malko's next album, Laya, issued in November of 2004; the album retained the debut's energy but also more prominently displayed world fusion influences and organic qualities. Tsuboy's violin retained its leading role in the 2006 Döppelganger EP, while the world music aspects were somewhat downplayed in favor of heavy and driving zeuhl fusion.
While no further recordings were forthcoming from Pochakaite Malko, the bandmembers have stayed active in a variety of other projects. Tsuboy remained a member of KBB; Kazuo Ogino has continued to perform and record in the orbit of Masaki Batoh; and Tateiwa has -- in addition to working with Batoh and company along with Ogino -- played percussion in a number of world fusion groups. Meanwhile, Kuwahara rebooted another of his own bands, Zletovsko, which he had begun in 2002 with keyboardist Isao Horikoshi but had never recorded; Zletovsko is a wild avant-prog quartet that in its latest incarnation rejoins bassist Kuwahara with drummer Tatsuya Yoshida, and also includes Kei Fushimi, the guitarist who guested on Pochakaite Malko's debut (and who, incidentally, along with Yoshida, was a member of SOLA, Lars Hollmer's Global Home Project). ~ Dave Lynch
Hometown
Japan
Genre
Rock
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