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by Dan Grunebaum
Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden
What happens when some of the more mischievous characters
in the Japanese experimental underground get together to form
a superband? The 11-piece juggernaut Date Course Pentagon
Royal Garden would seem to be the answer.
Formed by Naruyoshi Kikuchi out of the remains of his longstanding
free jazz collective Tipographica, the group is fronted by
guitarist Yoshihide Otomo, originally known for his guitar
work with the New Jazz Quintet. DCPRG also includes fellow
New Jazz Quintet members Kenta Tsugami and Yasuhiro Yoshigaki.
Taking as their jumping off point the intersection between
free jazz and improvisational electronica, DCPRG made something
of a minor splash with the release of their January debut,
Report from Iron Mountain (P-Vine).
Named after a confidential US government war report as well
as a live house where the band has appeared, Iron Mountain
immediately established DCPRG, along with the Boredoms and
Rovo, as leaders of the Japanese post-rock movement.
Meanwhile, this Sunday's event at Liquid Room will see
DCPRG in the company of some of the producers it worked with
on its most recent project, General Presentation Products
Chain Drasticism, also for P-Vine. The double CD includes
one disc of the band performing live, and another of a range
of DJ/producers remixing DCPRG tracks.
The live session shows the band chugging along in a groove
that recalls the free-form electric jams of late '60s,
Bitches Brew-era Miles Davis, while the remix disc reflects
the cut 'n' paste, desktop computer deconstruction
techniques of producers like Tatsuya Oe a.k.a. Captain Funk,
who will also be on hand at Liquid Room.
As the strong turnout for last summer's two-day improvisational
music festival the True People's Celebration indicated,
there is a growing audience in Japan for this music. The scene
taps into the unfortunately termed “jam band” movement
and Japan's vibrant electronica/dance culture, while
maintaining its roots in free jazz and experimental music.
With younger fans in mind, DCPRG have been playing all-night
dance events, such as this Sunday's party at Liquid Room,
which will offer a good opportunity to hear this take-no-prisoners
musical steamroller over a sound system worthy of their scope
and scale.
Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden
play “President, Secretary-General & Bass Lines”
at Liquid Room on December 29. See listings for details.
credit: Liquid Room
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