Lightning Records is proud to release the first official Moan record Think About Forgotten Days. Moan is the solo project of Japanese rock legend Shinji Masuko, best known as founding member and guitarist/vocalist of rock gods DMBQ and principal guitarist and integral member of noise art prophets the Boredoms.

Moan's first official release picks up where Shinji's critically acclaimed record Woven Music released on Brah/Jagjaguwar, one of Spin’s top 20 avant garde albums of 2011, left off. Think About Forgotten Days continues with the brilliantly agile drones and virtuosic guitar work, but launches off immediately into a more massive, rock informed scale. Shinji also adds vocals on this record, exploring a quieter dynamic with vocalist Makiko on No No 1, singing together with the kind of hushed and heartfelt beauty that recalls Yo La Tengo at their most tender.

The album's 25 minute opener Murmur of the Zodiac Voices begins like the Big Bang, though, as if taking one of DMBQs loudest power chord explosions ever generated, and revealing an entire universe that was living and breathing inside of it. It calls to mind an almost Sunn O)))-like minimalist rock scale, but references do no justice to the originality and sonic clarity of Shinji's guitar shredding. Equally poetic creating a guitar drone or a soaring guitar solo, Shinji is a true modern guitar poet.

Shinji's creative contributions in the Boredoms extends far beyond the guitar, though, including the design and production of their notorious seven-necked guitars (Sevena I & II), as well as track production and systems design for the Boredoms large scale BOADRUM projects. Moan originally grew out of this when Kid Millions heard some Boredoms backing tracks on Shinji's iPod while staying at his house during Boadrum rehearsals.

Shinji tells the story behind the Moan record below:

"Moan was started as my solo work project. Originally the songs were made for my band Boredoms' BOADRUM project, as sound material for the show. EYE uses many drones for Boredoms live show, so I am always making tons of drone music and sound materials for every show. I am a guitarist of that band, but I also have a more important position in the band as track /sound material maker.

One day, Kid Millions of Oneida, who was also playing in the Boadrum project, was asking me to make my record. I said OK and it was a very happy thing. After I made the record, I started to do my solo show too, but it was not so fun because I had to play alone. I couldn't expect any musical chemistry. I really like to make sound with other people, not alone. So I asked Water Fai member Makiko. She has a very good sense of melody, harmony and singing, so now I can focus to playing instruments and making sounds.

The 1st song of this album "Murmur of The Zodiac Voices" was made for our live show originally. I wanted to bring great noise and calm drone at the same time, to draw a big beautiful and mysterious night sky. My inspiration is coming from the night sky always, I guess. I hope its the same space wave that Joe Meek was listening, haha. We are living in a modern and well-controlled world today, but I feel the night time still contains a lot of good (maybe evil too) power for the human body and mind.