Lionmilk, aka Mokichi Kawaguchi, is a Los Angeles jazz pianist, composer, and producer who has been releasing music since 2016. He debuted on Paxico Records in 2018 with the release of Depths of Madness, and then moved over to Leaving Records in 2019 with the release of Visions in Paraíso, where he’s remained since then. His last album, O.T.S., came in August of 2021. Now he returns with another experimental project, Intergalactic Warp Terminal 222.

If you’ve spent some time with Lionmilk’s music before, you might have a good idea of what you’re getting into, but if you’re new to him, this is some experimental music that takes some patience to listen to. If you have that kind of patience, though, there is much reward to be found within Intergalactic Warp Terminal 222. Opening with a radio transmission asking if anyone is out there, this is a musical project exploring the idea of solitude, and the struggle to feel human connection while also diving deep into one’s own psyche. In practical terms, Lionmilk is communicating this mostly through free jazz electric piano and experimental electronic production, moving between moments of ambient soundscapes and soulful jazz. Lionmilk is an exceptional pianist, but he never really shows off on this album, instead opting for these short bursts of melodic brilliance in between moments of soothing stillness. As you might imagine, there’s not much in the way of singles with a project like this. It’s meant to be listened to all in one sitting from front to back, so that you really get the emotional and intellectual flow that Lionmilk intended. There are some sporadic voice memos and lo-fi vocals to be found, and when they are, the messages are often so short and simple, so it might take a moment to realize what’s actually being communicated. That’s the real beauty of this project. No one piece stands out, but when you put everything together, it makes for a beautiful musical project.

Intergalactic Warp Terminal 222 is a challenging musical project from Lionmilk. It requires some patience and understanding before the music really sinks in, but once it does, everything will click and really start to grow on you when you get how much passion and thought Lionmilk has put into this.