The mysterious Harumi recorded his sole, eponymous LP in New York with producer Tom Wilson, whose CV included Bob Dylan, The Mothers Of Invention, The Velvet Underground and Simon & Garfunkel. Sometime around 1967 / 68, together, they cut 13 tracks for Verve. 

All of the songs fly their freak flag high, at full mast. Filled with swirling Ray Manzarek / The Doors-esque psyche organ, kaleidoscopic drum hits, acidic axe riffs and big bright mariachi brass – a la Arthur Lee & Love. Colourful action painting splashes that are filtered and sent spiralling through trippy stereo panning effects. Gentle fractal fretwork spins in paisley patterns. Harumi’s delivery somewhere between Sixto Rodriguez and Donovan. Sometimes switching between English and his mother tongue, Japanese. His lyrics hinting at hippy awakening, as if still gripped by an LSD peak. Plus the odd bit of mantra-like chanting.

The set seems the very definition of sugary 60s pop being pulled apart by the enlightenment of the psychedelic experience. Tuned in, turned on, dropped out, and topped off by 2 epic side-long spoken word pieces. “Samurai Memories” is a wild, rock raga ride driven by jazz trumpet blasts and John Cale viola shrieks. Populated by barking dogs and giggling, go-go dancing groupies. “Twice Told Tales Of The Pomegranate Forest” is a far mellower meditation that mixes existential musings on true freedom with reminiscences of Japan, chimes, harps, shamisen and shakuhachi. 

The whole thing reeks of Haight-Ashbury’s hippy heyday and groovy Greenwich Village gatherings. If you scratched the album’s dayglo sleeve you’d probably sniff a whiff of Woodstock. 

Harumi’s sole eponymous LP can be ordered directly from EBALUNGA!!!