1981-1986

PREORDER / STREET DATE 10/25

Primitive Art Group 1981-1986 combines the groups only two albums, plus a never-before-released live recording from Thistle Hall (1984).This material has been unavailable since the mid-1980s. Features guitar playing of NY-based David Watson who has worked with artists such as Phil Niblock, Lee Ranaldo, Marc Ribot, Christian Marclay amongst others on the downtown scene.

It is well documented that in the early 80s New Zealand was awash with adventurous new music. Though sharing the kind of happy isolation and the DIY ethic with contemporaneous outfits like Flying Nun, South Indies and Xpressway, one band cut a decidedly different path. The Primitive Art Group, formed in Wellington, devoted itself to collective improvisation coming out of a jazz tradition. With the line-up of Anthony Donaldson (drums), David Donaldson (bass), Neil Duncan (saxes), Stuart Porter (saxes), David Watson (guitar), and originally with Pam Grey (on cello), the groups relatively brief existence left a lasting impression on the New Zealand’s free music scene. Musically, there was no precedent in New Zealand for their combination of noise, collective playing and compositional freedom. Gary Steel from the local music rag TOM, wrote The first time I saw the Primitive Art Group they blew my tiny mind Great sheets of architectural noise coming at you from the stage. Where else would you see free music in New Zealand in the early 80s? You just didn’t.

In 1986, The Primitive Art Group gave their last concert at the Wellington Town Hall, just a half mile from Rawa House and the legendary Thistle Hall where their first shows had taken place. The bands Braille Records recordings have never been released outside of New Zealand, nor have ever been available digitally. As Thurston Moore writes, these are magic time capsule, lost-n-found recordings, previously shared only by deep-diving record collector aesthetes. The groups brief tenure has contin- ued to inspire new generations of improvisers, but nothing has ever quite matched the visceral blast of the Primitive Art Groups arrival on the scene. Every member of the group has carried on doing creative work at the highest levels: scoring films, making art, mentoring, organizing, touring and always playing. LISTEN