Akira Sakata, Toshimaru Nakamura, Raiga Hayashi

Three musicians of different generations came together to form this unusual free jazz trio. Comprised of veteran musician Akira Sakata (alto sax, clarinet, narration), noted young drummer Raiga Hayashi, and Toshimaru Nakamura (no-input mixing board)—who has been active on the improvised music scene inside and outside Japan since the 1990s—this much-talked-about band performs mainly at live music venues in the Tokyo area. Naturally, their performances contain the furiousness and wildness characteristic of free jazz, but they also pulsate in a phantasmagoric way as they move forward. And Nakamura’s effectively released electronic noise—unusual in free jazz—solidifies the trio’s distinctive character. The two tracks on this album document a live performance that took place at Apollo, Tokyo, on March 5, 2023.