The Taj Mahal Travellers (also given variously as Taj Mahal Travelers, Taj-Mahal Travellers, etc.) were a Japanese experimental music ensemble founded in 1969 by former Group Ongaku leader and Fluxus member Takehisa Kosugi. The rest of the group were several years younger than Kosugi, and were all inspired by the spirit of the day. They chose mainly to perform their music outdoors, often on beaches and hilltops, creating spontaneously improvised drones (compare with Dronology), often using standard musical instruments, albeit in unconventional ways (e.g., a bowed double bass placed flat on its back). The group's sound was heavily reliant on electronic processing, particularly delay effects.
Personnel Takehisa Kosugi: electric violin, harmonica, voice etc. Ryo Koike: electric double bass, santur, voice, etc. Yukio Tsuchiya: tuba, percussion, etc. Seiji Nagai: trumpet, Mini-Korg synthesizer, tympani, etc. Michihiro Kimura: voice, percussion, mandolin, etc. Tokio Hasegawa: voice, percussion, etc. Kinji Hayashi: electronic technique
Discography Live Stockholm July 1971 First issue (unauthorized): Double CD, Drone Syndicate DS-01/02, 2001 Second issue (authorized): Double CD, Super Fuji Discs FJSP-51/52, 2008 July 15, 1972 album, CBS Japan SOCM-95, 1972 Re-issue: CD, Showboat SWAX-501, 2002 Oz Days Live Compilation also featuring Les Rallizes Denudes and Acid Seven Group (Taj Mahal Travellers has one track only) Double LP, with Les Rallizes Dénudés, 1973 August 1974 Double LP, CBS Japan OP-7147-8-N, 1975 Re-issue: Double CD, P-Vine PCD-1463/4, 1998
External links
at Discogs Discography/Biography at SoundOhm Tour documentary at Ubu.com