Sons of Zöku – ‘Yumi’

SONS OF ZÖKU – ‘YUMI’

SINGLE

Independent

It’s not common knowledge that the samurai’s weapon of choice was not the sword, but the yumi, a compound bow. The design of the yumi has remained the same for centuries and its use is now mostly confined to archery, in particular kyūdō which means ‘the way of the bow’, with its own philosophies and spirituality entwined.

Adelaide’s sensational Sons Of Zöku shine in addressing this spiritual element. Their new single ‘Yumi’ is inspired by this historic Japanese weapon and from it a tale is invented over their brand of worldly, psychedelic, experimental rock.

A soulful, funky, brass-driven introduction transports the listener to the 1970s before a mesmerising chant begins to hypnotise: ‘Here we are all form enlightened / Here we are the void in spite of’. The inclusion of modernised gagaku musical elements renders the track truly breathtaking.

“The arrow is your guru” is the final sentence echoed by the band – and in that context, their ‘Yumi’ could be our divinity.

Sounds like: Leon Haywood and Kikagaku Moyo have collaborated on Howdy Moon.

By Will Oakeshott