Mongoose was formed by Tetuzi Akiyama (guitar, electronics), Utah Kawasaki (analog synthesizer) and Taku Sugimoto (guitar) in 1998. Their music is "minimal noise music": free improvisation constructed from extremely quiet sound fragments generated by the three members. Thus, at the small venues where they usually have gigs, it often seems as if other sound elements--a telephone ringing, a door slamming, a chair squeaking, etc.--are part of their music (whether or not this is their intention).
Mongoose's first CD, At Penguin House, recorded live in February 1999, was released in September of that year. In October 2000, the group toured France and Belgium. This was the first time they played outside Japan.
(left to right) Tetuzi Akiyama, Taku Sugimoto, and Utah Kawasaki
at Gallery Chika in Tokyo on January 21, 2000
Photo © 2000 Masae Tanabe