Minami Deutsch

Minami Deutsch
OriginTokyo, Japan
GenresKrautrock, psychedelic
Years active2014 (2014)–present
LabelGuruguru Brain
Members
  • Kyotaro Miula
  • Yuichi Ushioda
  • Keita Ise
  • Kosei Terunuma
Past members
  • Riki Hidaka
  • Tatsuhiko Rauschenberg
  • Taku Idemoto
  • Keisuke Ise
  • Takuya Nozaki
  • Hikari Sakashita
  • Masahito Goda

Minami Deutsch (Japanese: 南ドイツ, Hepburn: Minami Doitsu) are a Japanese krautrock band founded by guitarist and vocalist Kyotaro Miulain in Tokyo in 2014. Their name translates into English as "South Germany".[1]

History

Minami Deutsch was formed by guitarist and vocalist Kyotaro Miula in Tokyo in 2014, who subsequently recruited guitarist Riki Hidaka, bassist Keita Ise and drummer Kosei Terunuma.[2] They released a self-titled debut through the British Cardinal Fuzz label on 26 September 2015, getting praise from CBS News contributor, Dave Pehling, for "unique approach to repetition rhythms and heady atmospherics" on the lengthy cuts "Futsu Ni Ikirenai" and "Übergleich Part II".[3]

Before the next release, the group signed with Guruguru Brain, a label established by another Japanese psych rock band Kikagaku Moyo, which reissued their debut and released their second album With Dim Light (2018).[3] Pitchfork reviewer, Patrick St. Michel, complemented Minami Deutsch for "studiously testing the limits of repetition" on With Dim Light, and in comparison to the previous release "allowing some original flair" into their tracks. The album features four guest percussionists, including Kikagaku Moyo's Go Kurosawa, who supply each song with "its own character".[1] Minami Deutsch promoted the 2018 release with their first large-scale U.S. tour, supporting Kikagaku Moyo and performing live at the Roadburn Festival with former Can vocalist Damo Suzuki, a collaboration that resulted into a special EP issued a year later.[3] The band released their third album in 2022.[4] They composed soundtrack for the Japanese film Lapse (2019).[5] Around 2023 Miula moved from Japan to Berlin, Germany, believing German scene—psychedelic, dark and experimental—fits well with his music taste.[5][4]

Minami Deutsch took part in the 2024 edition of the Adelaide Fringe festival.[6] They performed as opener during Blood Incantation's European tour that started in April 2024.[7][8] In October 2025, the band joined psych band Earthless as co-headliners for dates across USA, including the Midwest and West Coast.[9][3] They played 21 shows in nine European countries in November 2025.[8]

Style

Minami Deutsch have been characterized as krautrock[8][1], psychedelic,[1] jazz,[10][11] and space rock,[12] while the band self-describe themselves as "repetition freaks", and cite psychedelic rock and minimal techno as their starting point.[8][1] Their music mostly instrumental, occasionally featuring snippets of lyrics in Japanese or English.[5] Pitchfork reviewer, Patrick St. Michel, appreciated the band's balance between revivalism and innovation. Michel added that both Dim With Light and the self-titled debut album focused on a particular period in krautrock history, reviving "the scene's primordial days", specifically the motorik rhythms of the first two Neu! albums.[1] Zoé Richardet of Tages-Anzeiger compared Minami Deutsch to a Frankenstein's monster: "one exhumed half of its body is Krautrock, the other psychedelic rock from the seventies. And the current that generates the life-giving spark is the creative energy of Minami Deutsch."[5]

When Kyotaro heard Krautrock bands like Can as a teenager, he "wasn't that impressed". At the time, he favored post-rock and post-punk.[13]

Members

  • Kyotaro Miula – lead guitar, vocals, synthesiser
  • Keita Ise – bass
  • Kosei Terunuma – drums
  • Taku Idemoto – guitar, drums

Former members

  • Riki Hidaka – guitar
  • Keisuke Ise – bass
  • Takuya Nozaki – drums
  • Tatsuhiko Rauschenberg – guitar

Discography

Studio albums

  • Minami Deutsch (2015, Cardinal Fuzz)[14]
  • With Dim Light (2018, Guruguru Brain)
  • Fortune Goodies (2022, Guruguru Brain)

Live album

  • Live At Roadburn Festival (Minami Deutsch and Damo Suzuki) (2019, Fuzz Club Records)

EPs

  • Can't Get There EP (2019, Höga Nord Rekords)

Singles

  • "Tunnel / New Pastoral Life" (2016, Höga Nord Rekords)
  • "Minami Deutsch / Kuro" – "Boogie Down / Atlas Stabbed" (2018, God Unknown Records)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Michel, Patrick St. (1 May 2018). "With Dim Light – Minami Deutsch". Pitchfork.
  2. ^ Herwitz, Jesse (31 October 2024). "The Japanese band Minami Deutsch brings a European genre into the spotlight". Monterey County Weekly.
  3. ^ a b c d Pehling, Dave (30 October 2024). "Acclaimed Japanese psych band Minami Deutsch headlines Halloween show at the Chapel". CBS News.
  4. ^ a b Sterdan, Darryl (12 January 2023). "Now Hear This: Minami Deutsch – Fortune Goodies".
  5. ^ a b c d Richardet, Zoé (20 July 2023). "This Japanese band loves German music". Tages-Anzeiger.
  6. ^ Goodridge, John (10 March 2024). "Adelaide Fringe Review: Japanese kraut-rockers Minami Deutsch heat up the Cranker".
  7. ^ Kennelty, Greg (15 October 2024). "Blood Incantation & Minami Deutsch Announce 2025 European Tour Dates". Metal Injection.
  8. ^ a b c d Hagen, Francisca (24 October 2025). "Minami Deutsch set to tour Europe for 21 shows with Floral Image and Weite as support acts". avo-magazine.com.
  9. ^ Kennelty, Greg (31 July 2025). "Earthless & Minam Deutsch Announce October U.S. Tour Dates". Metal Injection.
  10. ^ Crowley, Leanne (12 April 2018). "Live: Minami Deutsch / Girl Sweat". silentradio.co.uk.
  11. ^ Lewis, Henry (16 April 2018). "Minami Deutsch live at Buyer's Club Liverpool review". skiddle.com.
  12. ^ Dennis, Peter (17 December 2022). "Live Report: Minami Deutsch and Einstellung at Birmingham's The Hare & Hounds". avo-magazine.com.
  13. ^ Tomite, Kimiyoshi (26 February 2024). "ベルリン移住　ダモ鈴木との共演　南ドイツ・首謀者Kyotaro Miulaが語るクラウトロックの実験精神" [Moving to Berlin, performing with Damo Suzuki, Southern German mastermind Kyotaro Miula talks about the experimental spirit of Krautrock]. tokion.jp (Interview) (in Japanese).
  14. ^ Coppack, Martyn (26 September 2015). "Minami Deutsch – Minami Deutsch".

Further reading

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