Go-zee-lah (pronounced Godzilla) is the J-pop improv unit led by Kyoko Kitamura on voice and Yayoi Ikawa on piano. After touring Costa Rica in the summer of 2009 as the Yayoi Ikawa quintet, the two formed Go-zee-lah, creating intense and sometimes demented Japanese-pop-inspired tunes which cover a broad spectrum of everyday subjects ranging from romance to racism. Go-zee-lah is an open unit, collaborating with other musicians to form trios, quartets and quintets. Currently, they form a bass-less trio with Harris Eisenstadt on drums.
Genre-bending ok|ok was formed in 2002 by three New York City based musicians: Kyoko Kitamura on voice/laptop, Mike McGinnis on woodwinds and Khabu Doug Young on ukulele and guitar. ok|ok likes to experiment with noise, free improvisation and structured improvisation, and often mixes accessible rock/pop vibe with strange odd meters and disturbing human noises. Understandingly, the music is sometimes too "in" for the "out" crowd and more often is too “out” for the “in” crowd, but, undaunted, ok|ok continues down its own path, making whatever music they want.
Their debut CD "Eating Mantis" was
released in September 2008 on Ravi Coltrane's RKM label. For audio samples, please visit http://myspace.com/okokmusic
"Hunt"
is the award-winning animated music video for the tune with the same
title from ok|ok's debut album "Eating Mantis". It was directed and
animated by PECKS, a Japanese animator duo (Yohei Ito and Shingo
Igata). It won the WNET/THIRTEEN short film competition and was aired
in the New York Tri-State area in the fall of 2008, then was screened
in L.A. during the 2008 Zero Film Festival. It has since traveled
around the world.
"If you're someone who likes to be challenged, who has to go back and listen until what you hear makes sense (or begins to make sense), look no further. "Eating Mantis" is "new" music that should be heard." (Richard Kamins, Harford Courant)
"ok|ok's "Eating Mantis" should prove a feast for listeners with a sense of adventure, a liking for the unpredictable and for compelling, visionary drama in music that expands the mind yet satisfies that basic craving for structure." (Uncle Dave Lewis, music writer)
"For all its eccentricity and oddball experimentation, Eating Mantis is a highly musical album...a promising and engaging effort from this New York City-based foursome." (Alex Henderson, AllMusicGuide)
Photo of Go-zee-lah by Michael Weintrob. Photo of ok|ok by Hilary McHone.
Go-zee-lah (pronounced Godzilla) is the J-pop improv unit led by Kyoko Kitamura on voice and 
Genre-bending ok|ok was formed in 2002 by three New York City based musicians: Kyoko Kitamura on voice/laptop, Mike McGinnis on woodwinds and Khabu Doug Young on ukulele and guitar. ok|ok likes to experiment with noise, free improvisation and structured improvisation, and often mixes accessible rock/pop vibe with strange odd meters and disturbing human noises. Understandingly, the music is sometimes too "in" for the "out" crowd and more often is too “out” for the “in” crowd, but, undaunted, ok|ok continues down its own path, making whatever music they want.
Their debut CD "Eating Mantis" was
released in September 2008 on Ravi Coltrane's RKM label. For audio samples, please visit 