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Djam Karet are :
Gayle Ellett on Electric 7 & 6 String Guitars, Acoustic 12
String Guitar, 24 String Steel Guitar, Guitar Synth, E Bow, Organ,
Analog, Digital & Sampling Keyboards, Mellotrons, Theremin, Wind Talker,
Koto, Birds & Percussion.
Henry L. Osborne on Electric Bass, Bottled Bass, Rhythym, Electric
& Acoustic Guitars, Keyboards & Percussion. Chuck Oken Jr On
Drums, Keyboard Sequencing.
Mike Henderson on Electric 12 & 6 String Guitars on Tracks
1,2,3 & 5
Judy Garf on Rhythym Violin on track 4.
The Tracks are :
1. Night Of The Mexican Goat Sucker
2. Forbidden By Rule
3. Lost, But Not Forgotten
4. Lights Over Roswell
5. Myth Of a White Jesus
6. The River of No Return
7. Room 40
8. The Indian Problem
9. The Pinzler Method
10. Old Soldiers' Disease
The opening track is entitled 'Night Of The Mexican Goat Sucker',
this is an excellent track with some great keyboards and guitar. There's
real funky bass lines throughout the track and there's some nice changes
in direction and tempo. The music reminds me a little of Camel and
Ozric Tentacles.
'Forbidden By Rule', is another excellent track with an unusual
guitar riff with a nice mixture of percussion and keyboards to start
with. There are some nice changes in direction and tempo aand some
great guitar.
The third track is 'Lost, But Not Forgotten', this track starts
off with some jazzy sounding keyboards sounding like a clarinet and
then it flows into some great guitar. there are nice changes in direction
and tempo within the track and again I would say there is a slight
similarity to Camel.
'Lights Over Roswell', at the start of this track ther is anice
interplay between the Bass Guitar and the Lead guitar with some nice
keyboards in the background, then there's some excellent violin played
over the top of a hypnotic rhythym backdrop. again there are some
nice changes in direction within the track.
'Myth Of A White Jesus', is an excellent track which starts
of fairly quietly with some nice keyboards and guitar.
Track six is 'The River Of No Return', this is a great track
with nice changes in direction and tempo.
'Room 40', starts off with some spacey sounding keyboards before
a rhythym guitar starts playing and there's some nice keyboards. The
tempo of the track is quite slow and there is a great guitar solo
towards the end.
Track eight is an acoustic guitar track with some nice background
keyboards.'The Indian Problem'. Nice Track.
'The Pinzler Method', is a great tarck with some great guitar.
And the final track is 'Old Soldiers' Disease', an excellent
track with great keyboards and guitar.There's some nice changes in
tempo and direction too.
This is an excellent album. It is mainly guitar orientated and there
are some outstanding Guitar passages. There is also some very nice
keyboards and the band work well together to get a nice flowing loose
fell to the music.
Any fans of Camel, Ozric Tentacles should like this album and it is
one that I highly recommend.
This CD is released on by Cuneiform Records. P.O.Box 8427, Silver
Springs, Maryland, 20907-8427. U.S.A.
Tel : 301-589-8894. Fax : 301-589-1819
Cuneiform Website : http://members.aol.com/Cuneiform2/cuneiform.html
Djam Karet Website : http://www.djamkaret.com
For More Information write to :
P.O.Box 1421, Topanga, CA 90290.
U.S.A.
Buy
The CD
Burning the Hard City
DJAM KARET
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Djam Karet
is:
Gayle Ellett: Electric 7-string & 6-string guitars, taped
effects, keyboards & percussion
Mike Henderson: Electric 12-string & 6-string guitars,
effects & keyboards
Chuck Oken, Jr.: Drums & electric percussion, keyboards,
synthesizer programming & sequencing Henry J. Osborne:
Electric 5-string bass, bottled bass, keyboards & percussion
Tracklist:
1. At The Mountains Of Madness (9:17)
2. Province 19: The Visage Of War (8:13)
3. Feast Of Ashes (10:46)
4. Grooming The Psychosis (11:57)
5. Topanga Safari (5:57)
6. Ten Days To The Sand (11:07)
7. Burning The Hard City (12:07)
Two of Djam Karet's
early works have been re-released and available again on the
magnificent Cuneiform label.
"Burning the Hard
City" and "Suspension & Displacement" were released
simultaneously in 1991. This release is a little bit harder
and heavier than their later recordings.
Djam Karet's
music is all-instrumental, and it's a mix of Genesis, Happy
The Man, King Crimson and Pink Floyd. The mixing and production
isn't very good on this CD, but then again it is, as I said,
an early Djam Karet release.
Djam Karet has
released far better albums later in their career, both as composers
and musicians. This album has a flat sound and it lacks a lot
of dynamic.
The music also tends
to get to repetitive and boring. "Province 19: The Visage
Of War" is however a good track. I usually like Djam Karet's
music a lot, but this album never grows on me.
Buy their masterpiece
"The Devouring" instead
Released by CUNEIFORM
(RUNE 128)
-Reviewed by Greger
Rönnqvist-
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Suspension & Displacement
DJAM KARET
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Djam Karet is:
Gayle Ellett: Electric 7-string & 6-string guitars, guitar
synth, taped effects, keyboards & percussion Mike Henderson:
Electric & acoustic 12-string & 6-string guitars, effects, keyboards
& percussion Chuck Oken, Jr.: Electric & acoustic percussion,
keyboards, synthesizer programming & sequencing Henry J.
Osborne: Electric 5-string bass, keyboards, effects & percussion
Tracklist:
1. Dark Clouds, No Rain (10.52)
2. 8:15 - No Safe Place (4:42)
3. Angels Without Wings (4:59)
4. Consider Figure Three (7:47)
5. Erosion (12:56) 6. Severed Moon (6:27)
7. The Naked & The Dead (5:20)
8. Gordon's Basement (3:26)
9. A City With Two Tales: Part One Revisited 1990 (13:24)
Today's Djam Karet
is an exciting and innovative band who I find a great pleasure
to listen to.
But this re-release of
their dark 1991 new age/ambient album "Suspension & Displacement"
is just boring with never-ending soundscapes, improvisations,
sampled effects and repetitive loops that just ain't going nowhere.
This album is a mix
between Aphex Twin, Biosphere and Tony Gerber.
This album were released
simultaneously with "Burning the Hard City", an album
that is totally different to this, with its heavy guitar oriented
instrumental progressive rock.
"Some tracks though
are quite good: the opening "Dark Clouds, No Rain", "Angels
Without Wings" and "Consider Figure Three".
If you're not a die-hard
new age fan you shouldn't even consider buying this album.
I rather suggest that
you get hold of one of their more previous releases, "The
Devouring" for instance, that is far better than this.
Released by CUNEIFORM
(RUNE 129)
Reviewed by Greger Rönnqvist-
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Still No Commercial Potential
DJAM KARET
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Tracklist:
1. No Vacancy At The Hotel Of Noise (7:04)
2. Twilight In Lonely Lands (7:10)
3. Room 24, Around Noon (8:41)
4. The Black Line (10:01)
5. Night, But No Darkness (8:09)
6. Strange Wine From A Twisted Fruit (28:51)
Djam Karet are:
Gayle Ellett: Electric 6 String Guitar, E Bow, Organ,
Percussion
Mike Henderson: Electric 6 String Guitars, E Bow
Chuck Oken, JR: Drums, Digital Keyboards, Percussion
Henry J. Osborne: Electric 5 Sting Bass, Didgeridoo,
Percussion
Djam Karet are
an all-instrumental progressive band from USA that was founded
in 1984. Often their music is improvisational, and so is the
case with this release.
"Still No Commercial
Potential" is a limited edition live to DAT CD pressed in
only 750 copies exclusively for the 1998 concert tour. It's
hard to categorize Djam Karet's music, but there are some reminiscences
to King Crimson, Ozric Tentacles and Pink Floyd.
The improvised music
on this album is very much in the '70's tradition with long
solos and complex odd time signatures.
As the title says:
"Still No Commercial Potential", this isn't commercial or
easy listening at all.
But all of you that dare
to listen to some truly progressive music, check this out!.
This is a unique release
by a unique band. So order your copy now!
The remaining copies
are now available through their website: http://www.djamkaret.com.
Each album is numbered
and autographed by the guys!
-Reviewed by Greger
Rönnqvist-
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Tracklist:
1. Technology and Industry (5:16)
2. Familiar Winds (12:13)
3. Forbidden By Rule (8:00)
4. Reflections From The Firepool (9:30)
5. Province 19: The Visage Of War (8:13)
6. Shaman's Descent (7:33)
7. Jammin' At Mike & J's (14:13)
8. Run Cerberus Run (9:24)
Djam Karet are:
Gayle Ellett: Electric Guitar, Keyboards and Effects
Mike Henderson: Electric Guitar
Chuck Oken, JR: Drums, Keyboards and Effects
Henry J. Osborne: Electric Bass, Bottled Bass
This is Djam Karet's
tenth release and it's a mix between improvisation and structure.
It was recorded live without
overdubs at Orion Sound Studios, Baltimore, Maryland, on the evenings
of September 25 & 26, 1998.
Here you can hear songs from
their albums "The Ritual Continues", "Reflections From The Firepool",
"Burning The Hard City" and "The Devouring" as well as
improvised material.
Although their music is hard
to categorize, you can hear reminiscences to Genesis, King Crimson,
Ozric Tentacles and Pink Floyd. My favorite song is "Forbidden
By Rule" from their 1997 album "The Devouring".
This is an honest live album
you shouldn't be disappointed with if you're a fan of Djam Karet and
similar music.
Released by CUNEIFORM (RUNE
119)
-Reviewed by Greger Rönnqvist-
Djam Karet Discography
NO COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL (1985)
KAFKA'S BREAKFAST (1987)
THE RITUAL CONTINUES (1987)
REFLECTIONS FROM THE FIREPOOL (1989)
BURNING THE HARD CITY (1991)
SUSPENSION & DISPLACEMENT (1991)
COLLABORATOR (1994)
THE DEVOURING (1997)
STILL NO COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL (1998)
LIVE FROM ORION! (1999)
BURNING THE HARD CITY (re-release 2000)
SUSPENSION & DISPLACEMENT (re-release 2000)
Djam Karet Contact
Djam Karet PO Box 1421 Topanga, CA. 90290 USA
Website: http://www.djamkaret.com/
E-mail to Djam Karet: hj@djamkaret.com
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