Formed in Tokyo in 2022, Tō Yō explores the space where psychedelic rock, trance, and heavy repetition converge. The trio—Masami Makino (guitar), Issaku Vincent (bass), and Hibiki Amano (drums)—creates immersive, long-form compositions that evolve through subtle shifts rather than abrupt changes, transforming repetition into a living and organic force.

While often associated with the contemporary psychedelic rock movement, Tō Yō’s identity is deeply rooted in Tokyo’s underground culture. Unlike many music scenes that are divided into separate worlds, Tokyo’s underground remains unusually interconnected. Rock bands, DJs, experimental musicians, noise artists, and electronic producers often share the same venues, audiences, and creative communities.

Tō Yō emerged from this environment. Alongside performances in traditional live houses, the band frequently participates in club events and mixed-format underground gatherings where dance music, improvisation, heavy rock, and experimental sound coexist. This proximity has profoundly shaped their musical language. Repetition is not approached solely as a rock device, but as a shared principle found equally in trance music, club culture, and psychedelic exploration.

Following appearances at Fuji Rock Festival in 2023 and 2024, and a European tour in 2025 that included Freak Valley Festival and SonicBlast Fest, the band began reflecting on what truly defined their sound. Rather than looking toward conventional ideas of Japanese psychedelia, they found inspiration in the rhythms of Tokyo itself: dense yet fluid, geometric yet organic, mechanical yet unmistakably human.

This perspective became the foundation of their second album, Yardang.