Mokumedori by 木目鳥

Mokumedori's first self-titled album contains a sense of nostalgia and melancholy that exist latently within the fragments of one’s memory. She creates a “picture story book in motion” using acoustic and toy instruments.

Uniquely blending influences including avant-pop, toy music, and contemporary classical music, Mokumedori’s soundscape is a soundtrack for a picture story book in motion. The world she constructs with her handcrafted masks and props illustrates little Mimi playing toy instruments while a menacing Mokumedori lingers in her mind. This creates a cute atmosphere with a glimpse of darkness, giving an air of surreality and nostalgia when blended with her music. Listeners will travel through an epic tale, starting with the first track “tomoshibi” that summons a child’s fantasy, followed by “dans les bois”, where they are led into a fairy tale forest, then proceed to continue deeper up to “shinonome”, the final track.

Influenced by the synergy of the visuals, music, and sound effects in Czech animations and French films, Mokumedori’s theatrics resemble the works of Roman Kachanov, Jan Švankmajer, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. This trait is present throughout the album. The sounds of the toy piano, melodica, harmonium, glockenspiel, etc. scattered throughout the album represent a children’s ensemble, and are carefully layered to create an epic picture story book in motion.

In addition to composing music using toy instruments and household items, Mokumedori is an artist that handcrafts her own props and masks, manifesting a unique “picture story book in motion”. Performs regularly at live music clubs and art galleries.