Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. is a Japanese psychedelic music collective formed in 1995 by guitarist Kawabata Makoto and bassist Sugino Koji. The group has drawn influences from psychedelic rock, progressive rock, ambient acts, and Eastern spiritual music, becoming known for their aggressive experimental sound. During their career the group has released over 60 albums, experimented with virtually every type of instrument in unconventional ways, and built a dedicated cult following throughout the world.
Makoto Kawabata formed Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. in the wake of his experience playing with the folk-inspired Acid Mothers Temple Soul Collective. With Melting Paraiso U.F.O., Kawabata wished to create music of an art rock and psychedelic variety, free from any predetermined stylistic reason. He invited Koji Sugino, a former collaborator, to form the rhythm section, and recruited former Neo Cosmic Tribe and Yonin Bayashi member Higashi Hiroshi to play with synthesizer. The core lineup was further expanded by the additions of Shimura Koji on drums, Yoshida Tatsuya on percussion, KÅchi Nishio on mandolin, and Cotton Casino on vocals and synthesizer.
The group debuted with their self-titled EP in 1997, experimenting between heavy rock tunes and some more folk-inspired songs. Immediately, their lineup began to fluctuate—some members left to pursue other musical projects, and some joined because of personal recommendations from Kawabata or others in the group. As the group ran through numerous lineups, one core feature of the Acid Mothers Temple collective became their flexibility and willingness to experiment with any type of musical and stylistic combination.
The group’s second full-length album, Electric Dream Ecstasy, was released in 1998 and featured longer instrumental pieces and an emphasis on improvisation. Their sound was also becoming increasingly experimental, with more noise elements made from treated instruments such as an electric rames and a drum synthesizer. In 2000, Acid Mothers Temple released their third album, Electric Heavyland, and their first live album, Live in Occident, the same year. This marked the beginning of the group’s peak of popularity; the group gained attention in the music scene in Japan and throughout the world after receiving mentions in publications such as The Wire Magazine and Rolling Stone.
Throughout the 2000s, the group released three more studio albums and over 20 live albums. 2009 saw the group launching its first European tour, covering countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Czech Republic, and Poland. In the following years, the group toured several more continents, becoming recognised as a staple of the international psychedelic music scene.
In 2015, Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO released Myth of the Love Electrique, their twelfth studio album. This marked the return of Sugino Koji as a core member and the introduction of Satoshima Nani and Himi as live members. This lineup disbandend shortly afterwards, with Kawabata reconvening Acid Mothers Temple with Tsuyama Atsushi, Kawana Sachiko, and Tabata Mitsuru from Dust Of Blitz Snow Council—the last lineup to perform under the Acid Mothers name before disbanding and introducing yet another lineup entitled Acid Mothers Sacred And Divine.
Throughout their 20+ year career, Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. have maintained their energetically adventurous and always unpredictable style. The group continues to contribute to the international psychedelic scene, going strong in influence, live shows, and album releases. As long as they’re around, Acid Mothers Temple will continue to shape contemporary psychedelic music and remain as an integral part of its history.