Moon Duo is an American psychedelic rock duo formed by Ripley Johnson and Sanae Yamada in 2009. They are known for minimal motorik rhythms, fuzzed guitar, looping synths and clear influences from Velvet Underground, Spacemen 3 and krautrock.

The duo was founded by Ripley Johnson (also of Wooden Shjips) with Sanae Yamada. Some of their releases, including the Occult Architecture records, were issued on Sacred Bones.

DeBaser reviews emphasize Moon Duo's debt to Velvet Underground, Spacemen 3 and kraut influences. Critiques highlight minimal, motorik rhythms, fuzzed guitar and hypnotic repetition. Occult Architecture is presented as a two-part concept (Yin/Yang) with Vol.2 seen as stronger. Mazes and Circles are noted for hypnotic, repetitive grooves and pop-leaning moments. Live reports show stretched, guitar-forward, more abrasive performances.

For:Listeners of psychedelic rock, krautrock and space-rock; fans of Wooden Shjips and minimal motorik grooves.

 Circles is an album of tracks that might seem like masses without a center of gravity: a multilayer of fine sonic fabrics settle in the mind in a spiral manner, and any possible hypnosis would aptly counterbalance the album's monolithic nature.

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 “Mazes” is the second album, following the more kraut-dark “Escape”, and it's anything but labyrinthine in the unfolding of its 8 tracks.

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 In this case, we can indeed speak of a return to psychedelic music and kraut-rock or space-music as an experience borrowed from the Spacemen 3 of J. Spaceman and Sonic Boom from the late eighties.

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