Akvoturo

With Akvoturo, Kohoutek is delving into a more experimental form of their brand of US psych/space jams, a loose concept album sonically examining the consequential role that water has played in nascent civilizations, starting from our ancestral habitats. The title is in Esperanto, in theory a language as universal to humanity as water is to its diet, as well as an homage to the label ESP which is a substantial inspiration on the Kohoutek ethos, informed by revolutionary free jazz and outsider psychedelia.

This release consists of 4 tracks (2 on each side). Side A starts out with Pluvobaro, a combination of Eastern inspired components, including repetitive gamelan-esque marimba and other rhythmic work, with an insect-like drone. The side continues with Inundo, a more traditional sounding American psych jammer, which could sit nicely beside any of Clint Takeda’s (of Bardo Pond fame) projects, which member Scott Verrastro also plays in. Starting as a slow thudding jam, before taking up double-time, teetering on PSF inspired fuzz.

Disfalo starts side B, sparse and loose, like rain drops falling on various ephemera in a scrap yard, while the hum of machinery drones and squeals in the background. And like on side A, the 2nd track here, Irigacio, returns to classic Kohoutek form, starting from a spacey/slide guitar based, mid-tempo head-nodding jam. It eventually builds into an ecstatic and faster single-note (almost surf) melodic guitar journey, before finally returning to the slow-head-nod tempo from the start of the song. The slow fade of the track helps bring everyone back to a state of relaxation, with deep breaths and glazed eyes.

“Triumphant transmissions by these spacey voyagers. Their main objective is to stoke the flames on the gray matter BBQ of the average sober-minded citizen. Be prepared to have your ass dragged through the cosmic canals of Mars & beyond. Project Blue Book has got nothing on these motherfuckers!!!” — John Schoen

“The comet Kohoutek was first seen near earth by a Czech astronomer in March of 1973. David Berg, founder of religious cult Children of God, predicted its passing would cause armageddon the following year. A more welcoming family, the Sun Ra Arkestra, performed a concert dedicated to Kohoutek on December 12th, just two weeks before it came as close to our globe as it ever would.

All of this could be insignificant trivia surrounding the name that Philly-by-way-of-D.C. band Kohoutek chose for itself. But somewhere in between all those early '70s deductions, interactions, and overreactions might just live the keys to this group’s expanding music. Inside their open, winding, slow-burning soundscapes lies the hard-edged reality of cosmic science, the hypnotic magic of mass-mind superstition, and the infinite paths of Saturn-bound outer spaceways.” — Marc Masters

“What you end up with here is a record of two parts, worldly different, that showcase the broad spectrum of planetary talent that Kohoutek possess. It's both a thinking record and a raucous record that clash but co-exist, symbiotically. Perhaps it shouldn't work but it does and long may Kohoutek continue on whatever space-way they choose to travel along next.” — Dave Dingle

Akvoturo was recorded in April 2022 at Strange and New Sounds in Richmond VA with JK Kassalow (Cough/Caves Caverns), and unveils the band as a sextet featuring longtime core members Verrastro (Bitter Wish/Heavy Lidders/Henbane), bassist Craig Garrett, guitarists John Stanton (The Redeemers/Kuschty Rye Ergot), and Jeff Barsky (Insect Factory/Time Is Fire/Bed Maker) and electronics wizard John Simler (Cash Slave Clique). Kassalow augmented the ensemble with violin and analog electronics and edited and mixed the album with Verrastro. The unparalleled James Plotkin did the mastering.