Womad

GOCOO + GoRo

Cosmic beats and primal poly-rhythms from Japanese drum troupe

WOMAD has hosted Japanese taiko percussion groups before, but none quite like the hordes of GOCOO. How many drummers does it take to make such a thunderous sound? Well in GOCOO's case, 11 (seven of whom are female) beating the hell out of a battery of around 40 drums between them. Most taiko ensembles stick rigidly to a traditional style; the more adventurous seek new interpretations of traditional Japanese music. Primal and yet sophisticated, GOCOO's approach is more freewheeling, crossing fearlessly between East and West, tradition and pop, ancient ritual and full-on party to create a mesmerising miasma of cosmic beats and complex poly-rhythms balanced between trance and ecstasy. Founded in Tokyo in 1997, they've since become a cult at home and their music has crashed its way into the Western mainstream. If you think you haven't heard them before, you probably have without realising it - that's them on the soundtracks of the Hollywood blockbusters The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.

Biog by Nigel Williamson