- Djam Karet
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Djam Karet 
Background information Origin Claremont, California, US Genres Progressive rock Years active 1984–present Labels Cuneiform Records Website http://djamkaret.com Members Gayle Ellett, Mike Henderson, Henry J. Osborne, Aaron Kenyon, Chuck Oken, Jr., M.G. Murray Djam Karet is an instrumental progressive rock band based in Topanga, California. The band was founded in 1984 by guitarists Gayle Ellett and Mike Henderson, bassist Henry J. Osborne, and drummer Chuck Oken, Jr.. The band's name is an Indonesian word (pronounced by English speakers as 'jam care-RAY) that translates loosely as "elastic time".
Contents
Personnel
- Gayle Ellett: guitar, keyboards, effects, percussion
- Mike Henderson: guitar, keyboards, effects, percussion
- Henry J. Osborne: bass, keyboards, percussion
- Aaron Kenyon: bass
- Chuck Oken, Jr.: drums, synths
- M.G. Murray: guitar, effects
Guests
- Judy Garp — Violin in "Lights Over Roswell" on The Devouring.
- Loren Nerell — Oberheim Synth in "Demon Train" and "Eulogy" on New Dark Age.
- Michael Ostrich — Melodic Lead Synth Lines in "Requiem" on Recollection Harvest.
- Steve Roach — Ending guitar atmospheres in "Ukab Maerd" on A Night for Baku.
- Dion Sorrell — Cello in "Raising Orpheus" on New Dark Age.
History
Djam Karet was founded at Harvey Mudd College in 1984 by guitarists Gayle Ellett and Mike Henderson, bassist Henry J. Osborne, and drummer Chuck Oken, Jr. They chose as the band's name an Indonesian word (pronounced 'jam care-RAY) that translates loosely as "elastic time". Early Djam Karet was a proto-"jam band" whose live, totally improvised performances on the southern California/LA area college circuit featured a free-form mixture of guitar-dominated instrumental rock and textural Eastern drone music, as on their 1985 release No Commercial Potential. Djam Karet's mode of working and repertoire gradually expanded beyond improvisation to include compositional elements, field recordings, and studio work. In 1987 the band released The Ritual Continues, which was chosen "Number 2 Album Of The Year" by ELECTRONIC MUSICIAN magazine. Two years later, they released Reflections From The Firepool (now available from Cuneiform Records), which received ROLLING STONE's accolade of " Number 2 Independent Album Of The Year".
In 1991, the band released two separate CDs at the same time: Burning The Hard City and Suspension & Displacement which "show-cased the band's two extreme split personalities...The former was a bone-crushing excursion into heavy power rock with anarchistic guitar solos, and the latter was a brilliant diary of dark, eerie ambient soundscapes." (EXPOSE'). Three years later in 1994, Djam Karet released the CD Collaborator, with guests musicians: Jeff Greinke, Kit Watkins, Marc Anderson, Steve Roach, Carl Weingarten, and many others.
As the 20th Century drew to a close, Djam Karet signed with Cuneiform Records, working on new releases for Cuneiform and initiated a program to repackage and reissue their back catalog. Djam Karet also began playing live on the festival circuit: live shows were performed at Day Zero for 1999's ProgDay (San Francisco); at NEARfest 2001, progressive rock's premier US showcase; ProgWest 2001 (Claremont) and at 2002's ProgDay (North Carolina). Throughout the years they have also contributed music to 10 compilation releases, both here and in Europe. Many of those tunes are available nowhere else.
When Cuneiform released its first Djam Karet CD in 1997 titled The Devouring, INNERVIEWS noted that Djam Karet is "back with a vengeance, one hell of an album". SPACE.com applauded their expanded sound featuring more keyboards: "As if the band's earlier music hadn't already scorched the ceilings of heaven, this new sonic incarnation burned like a stellar nova." In 1998, Djam Karet performed on the West and East Coasts, recording a live album for Cuneiform titled Live At Orion, released in 1999, that was applauded as "one of the best live recordings that I've heard" and was chosen as "Top 10 Album of 1999" by EXPOSE' Magazine. The band began to do more work in the studio, resulting in the 2001 release of New Dark Age (Cuneiform) and also the Limited Edition CD release Ascension. Numerous critics called New Dark Age Djam Karet's best to date. In the words of PROGRESSION: "This may be the best Djam Karet recording yet, which is a mouthful, considering that the band's now-voluminous output is amply studded with gems. Their brilliant synthesis of abstract mind-trip and concrete butt-kick is at an all-time high here. Sonically, ...it is simply masterful. This is one of the major releases of the year."
Around the same time as New Dark Age's release, and complementary to its work with Cuneiform, Djam Karet launched a series of self-released CD-Rs, reissues and limited edition CDs for its fans. Within two years, the band had self-released numerous CD projects, including recordings made at New York City's The Knitting Factory, an on-air performance recorded at KCRW-FM, and other archival performances. Out of this creative renaissance arose A Night For Baku which featured the addition of new band member Aaron Kenyon on bass. The title derives from Japanese folklore: the Baku are mythical inhabitants of the dream world, valiant warriors who devour nightmares as the spoils of battle. The CD features Djam Karet using more keyboards and electronics, and collaborating on one track with electronic musician Steve Roach, who worked previously with the band on Collaborator.
It is this new line up as a quintet that created Recollection Harvest, their most melodic album yet. Actually two albums on one CD, Recollection Harvest is divided into two chapters. The first-half is filled with their most melodic and jazzy music released so far, with a strong focus on composition and tight arrangements, Mellotrons and soulful guitar melodies. The second-half, titled Indian Summer, features a collection of compositions colored with beautiful acoustic guitars and analog synths, and showcases their more atmospheric side. Together, this release demonstrates the broad and varied world that is Djam Karet. The internal drama and sense of purpose of earlier releases (through New Dark Age and Ascension) is diffused in these later works.
Discography
- No Commercial Potential - 1985
- The Ritual Continues - 1987
- Kafka's Breakfast - 1988
- Reflections From The Firepool - 1989
- Suspension & Displacement - 1991
- Burning The Hard City - 1991
- Collaborator - 1994
- The Devouring - 1997
- Still No Commercial Potential - 1998
- Live At Orion - 1999
- Ascension - 2001
- New Dark Age - 2001
- A Night for Baku - 2003
- Live At NEARfest 2001 - 2004
- Recollection Harvest - 2005
- The Heavy Soul Sessions - 2010
External links
Categories:- American experimental musical groups
- American progressive rock music groups
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