The Neoprimitive

If the members of The Neoprimitive have a defining strength, it's their ability to prioritize the unique quality of their music above the expectations of listeners or the limitations of genre. Each of the six tracks on the Tempe jam band's self-titled EP embraces a different blend of world music...

By Daniel Raven

June 28, 2007

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If the members of The Neoprimitive have a defining strength, it's their ability to prioritize the unique quality of their music above the expectations of listeners or the limitations of genre. Each of the six tracks on the Tempe jam band's self-titled EP embraces a different blend of world music and does so with an enthusiasm that is contagious. From the gleeful trumpet blasts and vocal improvisations of "Pachupa" to the sexy rhythms and seductive crooning on "Obele," the group's sound is consistently playful, energetic, and boldly experimental, even on songs that are not its own. The band reinterprets Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks" with a track that evolves from Latin/Caribbean fusion to an abrasive, hard rock assault that sounds like it belongs on an album from Rage Against the Machine. Current and former students at ASU's School of Music, the members of The Neoprimitive are all proficient with their respective instruments and clearly committed to paying tribute to the wide variety of styles that influenced them. They may define their sound as "PUREWORLD FUNKLATINJAZZGROOVELOVE" on their Web site, but they could just as easily describe themselves with a much shorter word: different.

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