Zoffy | it

Psychedelic trad duo infused with B-grade humor, formed in 1997. The group consists of Kawabata Makoto who is obsessed with troubadours and the music of their birthplace Occitan, and Tsuyama Atsushi who is frighteningly knowledgeable about European trad and the good old rock of the 60's and 70's.

Tsuyama, on the one hand, played in a duo with Yoshida Fumio (Si-Folk), Japan's most respected player of Irish traditional music, while on the other developing his own unique fake European trad world through his solo performances and the AYA trio (with Aki from Koenji Hyakkei and Katsui Yuji from ROVO). His cover of his solo album, "Henry the Human Horse!", took his concept of fake European trad to its highest completion.

Kawabata Makoto showcased his multi-instrumental skills in Toho Sara, and has also performed solo on various ethnic instruments.

Kawabata and Tsuyama's fateful meeting finally occurred, and the two first began to improvise covers of classic rock tracks on traditional instruments. In their own words this "revitalized the original power of the songs by returning them to their original versions". The concept of the group has since altered, and they now aim to improvise fake versions of troubadour and traditional music from various regions. Again in their own words, "giving birth to troubadour and trad music that could not have been born at the time. Just like the troubadours in the Middle Ages, our performances are entirely improvised, our communication, sympathetic vibration and resonance are based on inspiration. We ARE contemporary troubadours."

Both musicians are also current members of Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O., and during the group's '99 tour of Europe and the USA they frequently took to the stage as the opening act. They played on the first day of the April 2000 Psychedelic Festival in Osaka, headlined by Acid Mothers Temple. Performances have also taken place with Ruins and HACO. Their second album, "Zo Zo Zo Zo Zoffy!!" was chosen as the best album of 1998 by Hoppy Kamiyama (God Mountain) in Indie's Magazine.
They toured Europe as one part of Japanese New Music Festival Tour 2003. And they played at Duo Festival 2003 in Osaka with Afrirampo and Coa.
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