JP THE WAVY and Takashi Murakami have officially released “Mononoke Kyoto,” their debut single as the duo MNNK Bro. (pronounced Mononoke Brothers).
The track was previously exclusively available for preview at the artist’s “Takashi Murakami: Mononoke Kyoto” exhibition at the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, which marked Murakami’s first domestic exhibition in eight years. “Mononoke Kyoto” features production and recording work from Murakami himself, resulting in a cut that’s different from JP THE WAVY’s previous works, as well as a cover art designed by the artist that sees MNNK Bro. against a backdrop of cherry blossoms. It also arrives with a Spikey John-directed music video, which showcases the artworks from the exhibition and pays homage to Kyoto’s historic Gion Kobu Kaburenjo Theater and Kennin-ji Temple.
To commemorate the debut single’s release, MNNK Bro. also dropped an accompanying special edition vinyl LP as a way to experience Murakami’s cover art. Each record also arrives with three of 24 original trading cards that were originally released earlier this May for the exhibition and is priced at ¥6,600 JPY (approximately $40 USD).
Watch MNNK Bro.’s “Mononoke Kyoto” music video below, and stay tuned for official release details for the vinyl LP.
