guitarist, performer on numerous traditional instruments, composer, improviser, mixing engineer, producer, leader of the Acid Mothers Temple, speed guru.
"Music, for me, is neither something that I create, nor a form of self-expression. All kinds of sounds exist everywhere around us, and my performances solely consist of picking up these sounds, like a radio tuner, and playing them so that people can hear them. However, maybe because my reception is somewhat off, I am unable to perfectly reproduce these sounds. That is why I spend my days rehearsing.
Where do these sounds come from? Who is sending them out? That is not something for me to know, and neither is there any way that I could find out. I simply believe that they come from the 'cosmos'. (Maybe other people would call God the source). Since I was a small child I have been prone to hearing ringing sounds in my ears and other sound phantasms. At the time, I believed that these were messages aimed directly at me from a UFO, and so I would gaze up at the sky. But once I started playing music myself, I came to feel that these noises were a kind of pure sound. And I promised myself that one day I would be able to play those sounds myself. It is only recently that I have begun to feel that I have been able to come close to reproducing these sounds in my solo guitar work, and in my INUI project.
However, in June of 1999, I finally discovered my own 'cosmos' and I experienced an instant of total union with it!! That 'cosmos' is still tiny in size - although any cosmos can, by its very nature, be infinitely huge or infinitely small. The energy and vibrations contained within that it far exceeded my imagination in scope and beauty. I can only describe the miraculous instant when my 'cosmos' accepted my consciousness as MAGIC."
(Kawabata Makoto. July 8th 2000)
1978
Forms the experimental group ANKOKU KAKUMEI KYODOTAI (DARK REVOLUTION COLLECTIVE), and begins his musical explorations using homemade instruments.
ANKOKU KAKUMEI KYODOTAI have changed thier name to BAROQUE BORDELLO.
1980
Sets up the R.E.P. label. Over the following three years the label releases 40 recordings of solo and group work.
1981 - 84
Forms a lot of avant-garde groups.
Performes with many underground groups in Osaka.
1984
Forms the group EROCHIKA which incorporated elements from Japanese traditional music and Japanese spiritual culture.
1985
Joins the avant-garde psychedelic band HEDEIK. Other members of the group included current members of The Boredoms.
1987 - 92
Begins to play with many improvisers and jazzmen. Also composes, arranges, and performs a piece for 100 sutra-reciting Buddhist priests from the Shingon sect.
Becomes involved with a Japanese beatnik commune.
1991
Forms the avant-garde group JOHARI with Nanjo Asahito (High Rise). The group continued until 1992.
1993
Travel to New York, busks on the street and collaborates with other musicians.
Collaborations with butoh performers, dancers, etc.
Performes with many musicians and groups, including stints in a Korean percussion emsamble and reggae bands.
Joins the group of seventies folk singer Ito Takao.
1994
Utilizing his accumulated solo recordings, Kawabata forms the group TOHO SARA with Nanjo Asahito (High Rise).
Forms the improvisation power trio MUSICA TRANSONIC with Nanjo Asahito (High Rise) and Yoshida Tatsuya (Ruins).
Joins Nanjo's group OHKAMI NO JIKAN as guitarist and violinist.
Forms the improvisation drone trio TSURUBAMI with Higashi Hiroshi and Emi Nobuko.
Forms the improv group NIPPONIANIPPON with Yokoyama Mabo and other musicians with links to the Japanese beatnik scene. They also perform with Japanese beat poet Nanao Sakaki.
Forms the WATER PLANET BAND with the Japanese beatnik singer Uchida Bob, the percussionist Yokoyama Mabo, and the Yoshida Tatsuji (ex. Carmen Maki & The Moses, ex. Minami Masato & The River).
1995
Sets up ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE SOUL COLLECTIVE.
Forms ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE & THE MELTING PARAISO UFO.
Forms MAINLINER with Asahito Nanjo.
1996
Forms SEIKAZOKU with Yoshida Tatsuya (Ruins) and Tsuyama Atsushi (Omoide Hatoba).
Joins Nanjo's SEVENTH SEAL.
Forms UCHU (ex. Surfin' U.F.O.) with Higashi Hiroshi and Ayano.
1997
Begins solo performances using traditional instruments. Also begins the solo unit INUI.
Joins the improv big band GUY UNIT.
Begins collaborations with the acid folk duo Shogo-Nari.
1998
Sets up the Acid Mothers Temple label.
Forms the psychedelic trad duo ZOFFY with Tsuyama Atsushi.
Forms FLOATING FLOWER with Yuki and Kaneko Tetsuya.
Starts a street guitar feedback performance GUITAR SOUNDSCAPE by 2 guitars and 2 amps.
Begins collaborations with the acid folk singer Iuchi Kengo.
1999
Forms the hard rock trio NISHINIHON with Tsuyama Atsushi and Yoshimitsu Ichiraku (dravideo).
Begins collaborations with French guitarist J.P. Pauvros.
2000
Begins collaborations with Richard Youngs.
2001
Forms KAWABATA MAKOTO & THE MOTHERS OF INVASION.
Forms ZU-KANK with the free juzz drumer Shoji Hano and Shimura Koji.
Forms the trio with Kang Tae Hwan and Ichiraku Yoshimitsu.
Begins collaborations with French avant-rock group Ueh.
Begins collaborations with Space Machine (Yamazaki Maso from Masonna).
2002
Forms GURU & ZERO with Daevid Allen (Gong) and Cotton Casino.
Begins collaborations with American psychedelic group MAQUILADORA
2003
Joins Daevid Allen's GONG (ex you'N'gong) as guitarist.
Forms the duo I & MAKOTO with Cotton Casino.
Forms KARMA with a female guitarist Roco (Helicoid MB0222MB, F.F.D., ex.Mady Gula Blue Heaven).
Forms the power improv trio DERE DEVIL BAND with Tsuyama Atsushi and a free jazz drumer Hano Shoji.
Forms ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE SWR with Yoshida Tatsuya and Tsuyama Atsushi.
Joins Yoshida Tatsuya's a cappella trio ZUBI ZUVA X.
Forms ACID MOTHERS GONG.
2004
Forms ANDROMELOS with Yamazaki Maso (Masonna, Space Machine) and Okano Futoshi (ex AMT & TCI, ex Subvert Blaze, ex Ghost).
Begins collaborations with Damo Suziki (ex Can).
Joins KINSKI's US tour as guest guitarist in August.
Forms ACID MOTHERS AFRIRAMPO with Afrirampo.
Begins collaborations with the psychedelic rock group MANDOG.
Forms a psychedelic unit FLOWER MAN with Yamamoto Seiichi (Boredoms, Omoide Hatoba, Rovo), Tsuyama Atsushi(AMT & TMP U.F.O., Omoide Hatoba), China (DMBQ, Shonen Knife), Misawa Hiroki (Labcry), Michishita Shinsuke (LSD-March), Suhara Keizo (ex AMT & TMP U.F.O.) and others.
2005
Forms ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE & THE COSMIC INFERNO.
Forms GODMAN with Higashi Hiroshi (AMT) and the psychedelic rock group Mandog.
Forms SHRINP WARK with Yoshida Tatsuya.
2006
Begins collaborations with Kuriyama Jun (ex Ox).
Begins collaborations with Tabata's psychedelic rock trio Leningrad Blues Machine.
Joins Tsuyama's group ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE & THE INCREDIBLE STRANGE BAND.
Forms ACID MOTHERS GURU GURU with Mani Neumeier (Guru Guru) and Tsuyama Atsushi.
Begins collaborations with Japanese psychedelic blues singer Suzuki Junzo.
2007
Formas a new group with Yamazaki Maso (Masonna), Suhara Keizo (ex AMT & TMP U.F.O.) and Aiko (ex Noizuwarcame).
Begins collaborations with Croatian Psychedelic band 7 That Spells.
Begins collaborations with Michishita Shinsuke (LSD-March).
Forms PUKACHU-MAKOTO with Pikachu (Afrirampo).
2008
Forms THREE MANTRAS with Yamazaki Maso (Masonna).
Forms HUMAN SHOWER with Satoshima Nani (Bogulta, ex.Zuinoshin)
