Ultra-Ecstasy for the Ear

An unadulterated eclectic collaboration between Chris (lyrics and spoken word) and comrade-in-arms E23 of “Splatterhead and the Oblivion Brotherhood” fame (mainline music into the vein of the universe). The album: CONSUMED BY ECSTATIC CARGOES features tracks of the ultra-obstruse, the electro-avant garde, and the audio-in-your-face. Described by Denver’s Westword as “dance music for prom when your high school is on a prison ship in space,” it includes remixes by Atom TM, Aquatic Ape, Ancient Inc and Clark ov Saturn. Recorded at the KGNU Electronic Air Studios in Boulder, Colorado – it charts a mile-high milestone in the “Splatterhead partnership”. With four single releases to date, plus a mini-album: RABIDITY RULES of bonus tracks, includes IDM Big Beat, Acid and Ambient remixes, the journey continues. Check all out and download on Bandcamp.

The Holy Cow is Cosmic Now

HOLY COSMIC COW is Indo/Canadian Raj Ramayya latest single release from his album SPICE AGE ADVENTURES – music composed by Raj (Cowboy Bebop / Ghost in the Shell) and Kevin Penkin (known for his work on Star Wars, Made in Abyss, and Tower of God) and lyrics by Chris. The album also includes Chris’s lyrics on the songs “Tantric Taxi Driver” and “Paparazzi Princess”.

Holy Cosmic Cow is one of the rare lyrics where Chris makes a direct social commentary. “See the billionaires are burning / Dollar bills on spaceship trips / Golden bomber girls are sipping / Jet-mix in “BAR BRITZ” / Caravans of refugees / Arrive at Kingdom Come / Nations on the run / Drowning in the sun /O Oblivion / or “Here they come those silent drones / To blow away your home / Children throwing stones / Mayhem on their phones / Watch it all explode”. In the present world of turmoil this song is a welcome reprieve from realism, with its suggestive search for higher realms: “To fly within the inner skies / Where all the sensual things collide / And open up the birdcage of the mind.”

Watch the beautiful Indian themed, psychedelic-doused video.

A Thousand Years On

Chris wins the 2023 Classics Day Cultural Foundation Prize, an award celebrating the 1000th anniversary of the first mention by Murasaki Shikibu of the “Tale of Genji” in her diary. The award is presided over by Her Imperial Princess Akiko with an award ceremony taking place in Kyoto on September 3rd.

Classics Day is a day held annually in Japan on November 1st for the purpose of promoting classical works. It was legislated in 2012, and accordingly honours the classics that includes literature, traditional Japanese music, a gamut of the arts and themes in the fields of academia and philosophy.

The Blue Bamboo

Chris writes a new version of Mioko Yamaguchi’s famous song “Moonlight Princess,” released on a double album on the 40th anniversary of the original recording.

Miyoko Yamaguchi’s classic recording “Tsukihime” -月姫 – (the title taken from the ancient Japanese 10th century tale of Kaguka-hime – a princess from the moon) is to be released as a double album produced by “the fourth member of YMO” – Hideki Matsutake. Chris wrote an entirely new version of the original “Moonlight Princess” recording – subtitled “The Mystic Tune of the Blue Bamboo” – using the motif of the rustling leaves of bamboo to conjure up memories of the princess’s life on earth. Beautifully sung by Mioko, the lyrics add a new interpretation to the song on the 40th anniversary of the release of the popular album. Release date: 2023.4.12

Behind the Mask: One Hundred Haiku

BEHIND THE MASK: One Hundred Haiku. Chris finally reveals what is behind that famed mask! From the eponymous song title recorded by Yellow Magic Orchestra, and covered by Michael Jackson and Eric Clapton, this book explicitly uncovers the cultural and social milieu of a Japanese nation that the lyricist has absorbed from his long residency in the country. Designed by YMO’s “SOLID STATE SURVIVOR” album cover designer HeyQuicci Harata and translated by Ryoichi Ito, with a text by journalist Eiichi Yoshimura, the book exposes both the aesthetically traditional and the relevant modernism that lie at the core of the nation.

get your copy

A series of gallery exhibitions will accompany the book:

Kyotographie’s Delta Gallery, Kyoto:
February 22nd -March 12th

Fashion designer Marc Jacob’s Bookmarc Gallery, Harajuku, Tokyo:
March 31st – April 6th

Yamazaki Bunko, Akasaka, Tokyo:
May 1st – May 20th

Head Shots

HEAD SHOTS: to kick off the Year of the Rabbit with a “mochi-pounding” drum roll of the modern merged with the traditional, two new releases featuring Chris’ lyrics will be highlighted: the guitarist Ris’s PLASTIC SAKURA – a cultural fusion of post-modern rock and traditional Japanese arrangement (featuring the famed koto musician Michiyo Yagi) – released Jan 25, 2023- and the electronic “super spaciness” of Euphonix’s album SPACESHIP HEAD, featuring the title song SPACESHIP HEAD together with BIG BANG EYES and MEGAPHONE MOUTH – released Jan 14, 2023. Undoubtedly an explosive opening to the year!

Thriller Thrills!

Behind the Mask is back – back on Michael Jackson’s THRILLER album! To celebrate the album’s 40th anniversary the song, written by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Chris Mosdell and Michael Jackson, will be returned to the track list of the original record. Taken off the original album because of contractual problems, the song, first composed for Yellow Magic Orchestra’s Solid State Survivor album, is now included in this double disc release (out on November 18th, 2022).

Behind the Mask has had a charmed journey through the musical world. After being picked up by producer Quincy Jones and recorded by Jackson in the Thriller sessions, it has since been covered by Eric Clapton, Greg Phillinganes and Human League, and sampled by the rap group Goldie Lookin’ Chain. Back now on the best-selling album of all time, the “prodigal song” has returned!

Puma Power

A unique bilingual collaboration between poet, environmental sound artist, experimental contrabass musician, interpretive dancer and the “Jimi Hendrix of Psychedelic Lighting”!

Invited by longtime collaborator and environmental sound engineer Samuel Andre, Chris performed with PUMA at Kyoto’s newest venue SOCO GALLERY. A bilingual two set performance including the first “Zen Set” of “neo-haiku” poems, and a second of “chant recitations” from the poem SHAKE THE WHOLE WORLD TO ITS FONDATIONS. All illuminated by the incendiary lighting of Akito Sengoku, noted for setting fire to his equipment halfway through his set!

Dance interpretations by Meri Otoshi, Japanese readings by Azumi Miyata, and contrabass by Yasutaka Okada.

Bird Girls in Full Flight

Chris recently wrote the “insert song” for the opening episode of the new TV anime series “Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story” – a song that hopes to inspire thousands of girls to take up “clubs”!

birdie wing

Sung by LUIZA – the popular ex-singer of the band Winking Owl, the song itself – HONEY DAYS (GONE TOO SOON) – is a sentimental rendition with the opening line “Seven seas of sadness . . . ” setting the emotional intensity for the continuing narrative. It was released as a single on Amazon Tunes.

The Silly Season

To celebrate poetry month in America, Chris (aka Mozz) will perform his Goofy Guru Show (more to follow) on April 22nd, 2022 at Millburn Public Library, NJ. Performing for children from five to five-thousand years young, Mozz will read a selection of poems (illuminated by his wacky illustrations) from his award-winning books: The Pearls of Wisdumb (Winner of the Evvy Award for Humor), In Search of the Holey Whale (Gold Prize Winner of the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award for Poetry), and A Fork in the Road (Winner of the US Book News for Humor). Check out The Song Shop for more details on these books.

“Silly and highly original.” – School Library Journal.

"Magnificent . . . a banquet of sensory delights."
— Vivien Allender, Vogue

"As a lyricist Chris Mosdell has stretched every boundary one can in his approach to structure and form. More poetic than a Kerouac or a Bukowski, yet just as blunt and edgy as his predecessors, Mosdell is a must read."
— Razor Reviews

"The most imaginative work being done in Japan today."
— Sherry Reniker, Poetry Editor, Edge

"Lyricist extraordinaire."
— Angela Jeffs, The Japan Times

"When I read his lyrics, I see him in a chemistry laboratory, making Molotov cocktails – his eyes lucid, blue and very clear."
— Ryuichi Sakamoto
Video by Brian Comerford
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