PRIMITIVE COMMUNITY

TOSHIAKI YOKOTA is a Japanese flautist who was born in 1944 Tokyo and spearheaded a number of experimental bands since the 1960s. Probably most famous for his project The Beat Generation, he has also been a member of Love Live Life, Takeshi & Sound Limited and this short lived project called PRIMITIVE COMMUNITY also known in the Japanese language as GENSHI - KYODATAI. This sole album from this project emerged in the experimental free-for-all year of 1971 and featured a unique mix of avant-garde jazz, progressive rock and ethnic influences.

This was a huge project actually with seven percussionists, a Hammond organ, guitar, bass, trumpet and of course YOKOTA rockin' the house with his flute and other woodwinds. Initially only pressed with 300 copies, the album's cult status has allowed it find a 2011 reissue on the Think! label therefore much more affordable than the massive price the albums were going for before. The album featured eight tracks, originally titled in the Japanese language but Romanized since. The album itself is completely instrumental except for some spoken, shrieked and shouted vocals from time to time.

PRIMITIVE COMMUNITY may be a lot of things but PRIMITIVE is not one of them. This is some seriously cool avant-jazz mixed with progressive rock and perfectly fits into the psychedelic timeline of the late 1960s / early 1970s. Offering a transcendental type of musical motif which gets the album included in the world of raga rock although there are no Indian influences whatsoever, the album rather relies on a variety of bass led grooves and an army of tribal percussion to craft a festive vibe. Add some occasional acid guitar fuzz and a few bluesy licks along with some Hammond organ heft and it's easy to comprehend on a single listen why this album has held up well after fifty years.

In many ways this album reminds me of a more experimental Santana especially from the 'Caravanserai' era with tight-knit percussive grooves accented by psychedelic rock teased out into more progressive arenas as well as jamming sessions. The difference is of course that PRIMITIVE COMMUNITY featured more jazz sounds with an ambitious trumpet player as well as the folk elements delivered by the incessant flute runs. TOSHIAKI played not only alto and bass flutes but also added the subtle sounds of the piccolo and recorder. The rich percussive session featured not only a rock drummer but several ethnic percussive instruments although no taiko drumming despite being a Japanese group.

There's little to indicate that this project emerged from Japan as it truly sounds like a mix of American avant-jazz mixed with European prog. The album drifts from jazz dominant motifs to drum and bass led rock. At moments when the band breaks into spiritual chants such as on 'Hare Krishna' it starts to sound a bit like a religious sermon but these brief moments give a glimpse into the inner workings of the music which the jazz and rock parts build upon until unrecognizable. Overall this is a highly sophisticated yet enjoyable musical experience that is celebratory in nature and delivers a nice balance of accessible hooks but isn't afraid to go for the experimental jugular either. Early Japanese experimental rock may not be as well known as Western releases but PRIMITIVE COMMUNITY is certainly stands out as one of the better underground releases of the era.