Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO

A recent CD from this collective features a "Steal Your Face," something I find very pleasing, as when the Dead were touring, anyone could print stickers, T-shirts, etc. featuring any derivative or direct reproduction of the band's insignia; now that Grateful Dead Merchandising has usurped the family tradition, I imagine this couldn't be something one could get away with doing in the US. I wonder how deep the similarities are - in my perception, the Dead were generally abhorred by anyone who hadn't seen them live, but rare was the mind that wasn't infected after having the experience.

I've had very few "favorite" bands in my life (Sonic Youth, Swans, Caroliner) but many bands have stayed in my house, something that's worn thin on almost all of us and generally doesn't help the place smell any better. Seeing another van in the driveway did not please any of my housemates, but after discovering who was in the living room, each one was charmed, stars in their eyes, pleasantly surprised to say the least.

Though I dearly wanted to catch them live in the past, this tour was the first time I was actually able to make it out, and though I've enjoyed their records, after this experience I feel as infected as I was at one point with the Dead - I expected a psychedelic freak-out, but this would actually be understating the peak they boiled up and drove impossibly further into ecstatic frenzy - the crowd was pushed to the limits of excitement and then pushed over the edge; it felt like a communal orgasm, like the venue would have to burst, unable to contain the level of shared intensity. Here the comparison with the Dead may be apt, but must be doubled, tripled, squared or cubed; or it may not be apt at all, like comparing opiates to psychedelics.

As they play, particularly during the most technically demanding and driving segments, they look like meditators, minds calm, bodies beautiful. They brought this kind of presence into the house, leaving it actually smelling better (lol), very gracious, unassuming, beautiful voices, obvious humor in the Japanese not literally understood but containing such personality as is universally attractive and full of kindness, wisdom, and humility.

For many years I avoided getting into AMT because their output is so intimidatingly voluminous - I felt that if I were to take it on, I'd have to stop listening to everything else just to keep up. After seeing them live and experiencing their presence on and off stage, I could relate to anyone's exclusive obsession - just as this type of "monogamy" was common among deadheads, AMT could be the only band you need.

"Do Whatever You Want, Don't Do Whatever You Don't Want!!"
Is this the AMT concept? I don't know, it may be a part but this is what i mean for life. I discovered this band in the same casual ways i usually discover old and new psych\garage bands, and the first album i found "Mantra Of Love" was not exactly the most interesting album i came across, and also the cover art was not attractive for my attention. But who knows how, i casually googled for them and started to discover lots of very interesting stuff about them and i was fascinated. I read all what i find on the internet about them, in particular the frontman Kawabata Makoto: what they do, what they think, what they want, their music, their style... it was so close to my ideas that i thought "man! that's the way i like!". You know, collective living without any must or rule, play and record together, doing "strange", experimental sounds... making music without following a guideline, theme or inspiration but completely free. Probably they're not the only group, but the first contemporary group with these ideas i found, which changed something in me. Fro exalmpe i started learning music and how to play as many instrument as i can.
Regarding their music, as i am a quiet person, i find their psychedelic\folk\drones recordings exceptional, on the other side i dislike the Noise\extreme-freak acts. Maybe it's my fault that i'm not able to understand it yet! Anyway this is only my opinion.