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DATE COURSE PENTAGON ROYAL GARDEN

RIO/Avant-Prog • Japan


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Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden picture
Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden biography
Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden was the resulting emergence of several key protagonists within the Japanese underground scene, forming an astounding new super group in both musical scope and members [11+]. Formed by Naruyoshi Kikuchi in '99 out of the ashes of RIO/free jazz group Tipographica, he quickly snapped up guitar and turntable guru Otomo Yoshihide, along with fellow 'New Jazz Quintet' compatriots Kenta Tsugami and Yasuhiro Yoshigaki. Expansions followed, inducting musicians prolific in technical capabilities and affluent experiences within improv circles.

DCPRG hit the scene with brute force, releasing two albums in 2001. Their first a split record with Rovo [Japanese post-rock band], who shares members from DCPRG's line-up. Their second release for the year 'Report From Iron Mountain' resolved their initiation, catapulting the band to sit alongside other notables from the underground scene. Upon numerous occasions, 'Report From Iron Mountain' sites uncanny parallels to Miles Davis Bitches Brew, intersecting improvised electronics and funked out grooves with Tipographica's quirky RIO.

Persons familiar with the Japanese scene will lick the lips in anticipation, while Jazz-rock gurus will find many pleasurable facets underneath the thicket of edgy counterparts. Recommended !


==Adam (Black Velvet)==





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Discography:
Report From Iron Mountain, 2001
General Representation Products Chain Drastism, 2002
Structure Of Force, 2003

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DATE COURSE PENTAGON ROYAL GARDEN discography


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DATE COURSE PENTAGON ROYAL GARDEN top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.00 | 2 ratings
Sino / Pan-American Beef Stake Art Federations
2001
4.00 | 8 ratings
Report from Iron Mountain
2001
3.00 | 1 ratings
Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden 3rd: General Representation Products Chain Drastism 1-CD
2003
4.00 | 4 ratings
Musical from Chaos
2003
4.43 | 9 ratings
Structure Et Force
2003
3.33 | 3 ratings
Franz Kafka's Amerika
2007

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DATE COURSE PENTAGON ROYAL GARDEN Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

DATE COURSE PENTAGON ROYAL GARDEN Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Report from Iron Mountain by DATE COURSE PENTAGON ROYAL GARDEN  album cover Studio Album, 2001
4.00 | 8 ratings

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Report from Iron Mountain
Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden RIO/Avant-Prog

Review by Guldbamsen
Special Collaborator Retired Admin

4 stars Boa constrictor in your morning coffee

I was actually planning on doing a couple of reviews for some old obscure American albums, but seeing as I completely missed the plot with my last write-up as Tim Hecker was Canadian and I then unexpectedly had left the land of milk and honey, I thought it best to pop straight over the Pacific Ocean like a pole-vaulter with jumping shoes and devote myself to some of the most inspiring and imaginative artists this side of the solar system.

Japan has been a hotbed for progressive music ever since they picked up on latter day Beatles and those experimental bits of the time that rubbed off to other such Western artists. Japan quickly soaked up everything vibrant and essential and then began to develop a style that was entirely their own. Looking back from a modern viewpoint, I think it's fair to say that the Japanese not only created a niche sound for themselves, but they additionally had a big hand in shaping the sound of the future. What I mean to say by this is that we today, all across the globe, are witnessing the ripples from the waterdrops that descended oh so long ago - especially when we're talking the more avantguarde minded groups - the peeps that want to stretch our musical beliefs, how we hear and feel music.

Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden are a big bunch of mostly jazz influenced musicians who tend to roam every musical adaptation you can think of, maybe except for straight up jazz.... Yep sounds kinda contradictory, yet that was my impression of them when I first came across their masterly Structure et Force release, - an album which I rightfully awarded with the full monty in my review of it. Then I bought this baby a little while back and suddenly found a band that paid homage to the wilderness days of jazz - back when it roared wildly about in both rock, psychedelic tripping and electronic templates.

Report from Iron Mountain recalls the great days of experimental jazz - hell call it whatever you want: avantguarde, freejazz, experimental lobster music - doesn't matter really, but what is at the very heart of the sound, is an outspoken adventurous approach. You can hear it in the Mwandishi releases that started with the now classic Herbie Hancock albums like 'Crossings' and 'Sextant' as well as in Miles Davis early 70s oevre. -A wild experimental look at jazz from a rock point of view.....or is that the other way around?

OK........??? So we're basically just listening to left overs from the kings of yore and nothing new ever happens and all music is derivative and music will never progress and yadayadayada.... HELL NO! With a big bootful of trance induced psychedelia drenched noise rock - the likes that fizzle and hum all through your body like sodapop on the rise from within, the musical expression of this album is far removed from the 1970s jazz scene, even if I myself believe this album to be it's natural heir-taker. Then you get the bombastic post-rock touches - the small whirling pools of guitar and rhythm that ever so slowly develops into these grand rocking gestures that threaten to overtake everything around them like a giant octopus of sound.

Like the subsequent Structure et Force you're also treated to a highly infectious funk drive that propels the band forth like big black tanks in leather boots. Teutonic funk perhaps? Nahh listen to this for yourself and you'll catch my drift, but safe to say, this ain't James Brown baby! With all kinds of horns and DJ scratchings, poly-rhythms from different drummers purposely playing off and in key at the same time, the feel of Report from Iron Mountain never really mimics anything other than itself. You can keep throwing arbitrary parallels at them from all kinds of the musical map, and quite often you hear resemblances and similar sounding instruments, yet there is something here...something that's as exotic as a boa constrictor in your morning coffee...something that refuses to be boxed in and sticker-dubbed.

This brings me back to the start of my review. Japan has like no other country rejuvenated the face of progressive music, and this album proves that. It takes it's cue from the out-there-on-the-ledge jazz and mixes it up with an infinitely modern and futuresque twist....just like the Taj Mahal Travellers did way back in the 70s or like Tatsuya Yoshida in the 90s and so forth. It may well be a load of incomprehensible noise to some folks, but if you're looking for the kind of music that's already far beyond the upcoming corner, then by all means: Look no further!

How does one describe music.....no, how does one describe this kinda music? Well stick your head inside a Japanese jazz club filled to the brim with strange lizard like gymnasts, ping pong tables, pandas on coke, neon ship lamps and Shaft movies in the loo - all of which is spliced up beyond recognition with the enigmatic touches of the modern Manga scene - the hippedihopsters and the weird girls with tampons in their hair who love Burt Bacharach and Black metal equally. That's Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden for ya!

 Structure Et Force by DATE COURSE PENTAGON ROYAL GARDEN  album cover Studio Album, 2003
4.43 | 9 ratings

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Structure Et Force
Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden RIO/Avant-Prog

Review by Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer

4 stars With a name like this you'd think they were a Post-Rock band but no they're Avant all the way with a strong Jazz flavour. As Guldbamsen mentions you do get a Big Band vibe here considering how large the group is. Five horn players, four guys on percussion of some sort or another along with two keyboardists, two guitarists and a bass player. Yeah that's a big band. This group rose out of the ashes of TIPOGRAPHICA and are from Japan.

"Structure I" has some nice chunky bass to start with a beat then it kicks into a fuller sound before a minute. Horns come and go. That intro is reprised after 5 minutes but with the sax playing over top. It kicks back in before ending with drums only. "Structure II" opens with organ then the drums and vocals take over. Horns after 1 1/2 minutes. This is like Free Jazz with dissonant horns ripping it up as other sounds help out. "Structure III" has this wah wah sounding organ before a full sound takes over before 1 1/2 minutes. A lot of intricate sounds here. Horns come in and take over after 3 minutes. Electric piano (yes !) comes to the fore 7 minutes in until after 9 1/2 minutes when the horns take over again.

"Structure IV" is my least favourite but it's still good. Mellow sounds to open then horns come in after a minute. It's mellow again before 2 1/2 minutes before turning fuller around 4 minutes. A laid back horn a minute later and organ too. A change 6 1/2 minutes in with pulsating sounds then the horns return. "Structure V" has lots of these repetitive intricate sounds early on. Horns around 2 minutes then a change after 3 1/2 minutes as organ and more kick in. The horns become prominant and check out the angular guitar 7 1/2 minutes in. So much going on. This really does get better as it plays out. "Structure VI" kicks in early with percussion and some crazy guitar. Nice bass here too.

An excellent release for those who are looking for some challenging and adventerous Jazz flavoured music.

 Structure Et Force by DATE COURSE PENTAGON ROYAL GARDEN  album cover Studio Album, 2003
4.43 | 9 ratings

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Structure Et Force
Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden RIO/Avant-Prog

Review by Guldbamsen
Special Collaborator Retired Admin

5 stars Fat funk fusion

The ripples of yesteryear's big bands - the heritage passed on by the great jazz giants of the 30s, 40s and 50s, has developed into something quite unique and amazing. Sure, it had its stepping stones along the way, and especially when you hear an album such as Sun Ra's Lanquidity, you'll surely stop doubting in the evolution of jazz, and maybe even come to a greater knowledge of just how essential the whole notion of fusion became. Jazz had shifted for a more esoteric palette - suddenly opening up to things that earlier seemed wicked and altogether blasphemous.

Earlier this year I came across the Finnish band Astro Can Caravan and immediately fell under their spell. I had indeed unearth the true spirit of the big band feel, although conveyed in a modern eclectic dressing. In short: I was completely hooked from the get-go! Now imagine my surprise, when I then found another one of these heir-takers - now stemming from one of the most imaginative and progressive of musical places: Japan. SWEET KALINGANOITJOVSKIJ!!! Let me tell you straight away, these guys are quite simply out of this world! Rising from the ashes of avant garde Canterbury styled band Tipographica, Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden (that's their name...I am not pulling your leg!) wield a musical power that literally sweeps you off of your feet and straight into the 5th dimension. I love this outing like I love kitty cats with garlic butter and mashed potatoes. It's funky and old school while being unique and modern in a way that I haven't heard before.

For this review, my 200th of the sort, I'll try something a little different and go at it track by track - even if that goes against all of the wild unstructured sentences flying around in my cabeza. I will try as best as I can to collect my thoughts individually here, so please bear with me...

Structure l: Kitschy high towering fat funk fusion with loads of percussive splashes a la Santana - breezy brass sections and a deep belching bass line that sounds like tarmac come to life. This is what Sun Ra would sound like had he chosen to merge with Funkadelic and Guru Guru. Hell yeah - you can even dance to this stuff!

Structure ll: Hey ho we've stumbled into the studio with Wu-Tang mastermind RZA(Prince Rakeem, Rzarector, Bobby Digital) laying down some fragmented wordings that come off sounding slightly incomprehensible due to the incessant turntable sorcery slicing the music up in uneven pieces of pure funk fantasy. Then the rumbling Tarzan drums come on - from a two way street - two ever so slightly cacophonous rhythm devices that mess up the flow of things, but much to my surprise, the direction that follows is that of a beautiful ethereal jazz fusion flavour. A lone reed presents itself and everything suddenly feels desolate and pensive - like sitting under a big Buddha of stone. Slowly but steadily proceeding to grow bigger and more ferocious - ending up in full attack mode taking down colossal buildings in its path of terrorising brain-melting jazz rock.

Structure lll: Old school organs that wouldn't feel out of place in a damp crypt with Bela Lugosi and Count Dracula playing poker - shooting the breeze. Flip flop turntable shiftings, Shaft funk fusion with fat bass balloons of rock steady grooves and wah wahing rhythm guitars. Essentially a long improvised George Clinton like piece that digs its way straight down in the dark brown murky soil. Overhead the reeds alter from team spirited toots of melody to the off kilter beat downs - taking them way out on ledges and hedgehogs - sharpening the feel, dangerous, pointy and serrated.

Structure lV: Beautiful, just utterly beautiful. Ethereal synths accompanied by a slowly picked acoustic string instrument - developing into this melodic take on the jazz that fuelled the 40s. The brass section sounds particularly romantic and sweeping, although with the add on of the effervescent synths and altogether floating vibe, you are indeed in the presence of something quite original. This is the kind of music you'd expect hearing in a rare crystal cave - surrounded by millions of small luminous turquoise shimmers of starlight. The universe handed over in notes.

Structure V: Guitar lead piece with a great melodic groove. Backed up by several glistening electronics and perhaps my alltime favourite percussive instrument, the tabla. The music is a combination of swampy laid back beats - as well as the now familiar feel of the big booming brass section that sounds like a revamped version of Duke Ellington's finest. Again it seeps effortlessly into an inspired jam, that takes the listener deep within the wilderness of deep funk fusion.

Structure Vl: Maybe not too surprisingly we get fed an uncompromising jam of everything leading up to it. The emphasis is of course on the great tumultuous sound of the big band, but with all of the guitar soloing, Santanesque clay pot drumming and congas, frenzied organs and 40.000 tons of unadulterated zest and imagination stock, the ride is as climactic as a huge sizzling orgasm on the top of a crowded mountain top.

Thanks to avestin for the artist addition.

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