AKIRA SAKATA

FISHERMAN'S.COM

  1/  Kaigara-bushi                                                            14.43
  2/  Ondo no hunauta                                                          9.49
  3/  Saitaro-bushi                                                            8.43
  4/  Wakare no ipponsugi                                                      14.28

    Recorded and mixed at Orange Music Sound Studio, New Jersey, October 17-19, 2000
    Engineered by Robert Musso
    Produced by Bill Laswell and Akira Sakata
    Mastered October 21, 2000 by Michael Fossenkemper at Turtletone Studio
Akira Sakata: vocal, alto saxophone, synthesizer; Pete Cosey: electric guitar; Hamid Drake: drums, congas; Bill Laswell: electric bass, synth bass.

          2001 - Starlets'/Dogtail (Japan), EOCD-0002 (CD)

REVIEWS :

From the anachronistic contrast inherent in the name to the elaborately designed gatefold cover, it is clear on first glance that Akira Sakata's latest release, "Fisherman's.com," offers something out of the ordinary. A quick perusal of the credits confirms the suspicion. The legendary Bill Laswell -- a pioneer of modern funk -- both produced the album and played bass.

Laswell has been at the center of more than a few musical revolutions: He worked with Herbie Hancock to produce the 1980s classic "Future Shock" and, more recently, in collaboration with several Funkadelic alumni to yield "Funkronomicon" in 1995. Indeed, Laswell has worked with an amazing range of performers, from Ginger Baker and Brian Eno to Afrika Bambaataa and Motorhead, to cite only a few.

Sakata himself is something of a legend in Japan's free-jazz world, having headed a number of bands since his debut in 1969 with the group Saibo-bunretsu. A vocalist and alto-sax player, as well as a writer and actor, Sakata has over 20 albums to his credit, including two -- "Noise of Trouble" (1986) and "Mooko" (1988) -- recorded with Laswell.

Sakata and Laswell's latest joint effort is rich with the producer's trademark sound: heavy bass layered with tribalistic drumwork (courtesy of accomplished drummer Hamid Drake) and a dreamy, other-worldly ambience. The album is ostensibly a reworking of traditional Japanese folk songs, although by the time Sakata is through, it's hard to find any resemblance to the original material. On saxophone, Sakata emphasizes energy more than refinement, perhaps at the expense of melody. Nevertheless, there is a deeply satisfying primal energy to his vocal work. The result comes across like a prehistoric man celebrating the discovery of fire.

Overall, the album straddles a range of contrasts, between the ancient and the modern, the tuneless and the rhythmic. Its self-indulgence at times may lose some, but those accustomed to the spontaneous style that comes with the territory will surely be rewarded.

"Fisherman's.com" should be approached with an open mind. If standard fare is your bag, then look elsewhere. But for the eclectically minded, this is one dot-com that won't go bust.

Junji Nishihata (courtesy of the Japan Times website)