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Posts Tagged ‘Mike Murray’

Djam Karet – Regenerator 3017 (2014)

Posted in Instrumental, Progressive Rock, Review, tagged , , , , , , , on April 21, 2014| 2 Comments »

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TRACKLISTING:
1. Prince of the Inland Empire (5.35)
2. Living in the Future Past (4.50)
3. Desert Varnish (7.18)
4. Wind Pillow (4.39)
5. Lost Dreams (3.49)
6. Empty House (6.07)
7. On the Edge of the Moon (8.36)

LINEUP:
Gayle Ellett – electric guitar, Fender Rhodes, Moog, mellotron, Solina, bouzouki, field recordings
Mike Henderson – electric guitar, percussion
Mike Murray – electric guitar
Chuck Oken, Jr. – drums, percussion, keyboards, effects
Henry J. Osborne – bass, piano, keyboards
With:
Mark Cook – Warr guitar (2)

The Southern Californian outfit that was hailed in Edward Macan’s seminal book Rocking the Classics as one of the front-runners of “new” progressive rock have reached another milestone in their career – their 30th anniversary. Djam Karet – formed in 1984 as a quartet comprising Gayle Ellett, Mike Henderson, Henry J. Osborne and Chuck Oken, Jr. – are back with their 17th album, Regenerator 3017, featuring about 41 minutes of brand-new music, recorded by the band’s original line-up, plus guitarist Mike Murray (who joined the band for 2010’s live-in-the-studio album, The Heavy Soul Sessions). The album follows The Trip, an intriguing vintage space-rock workout that was released in 2013, and in some ways complements it, showing a different side of the band’s creative inspiration.

Quite interestingly for a band who have made a banner of their music’s lack of commercial potential (cue the title of their debut album), Regenerator 3017 – while not truly likely to endanger the reign of the likes of Beyoncé or Kanye West as darlings of the wider music-buying public – does possess quite a lot of appeal for listeners who would ordinarily be put off by prog’s excessive ambitiousness. Melody and atmosphere are the name of the game – a smoothly flowing, ear-flattering musical content imbued with a relaxed West Coast vibe. As Djam Karet proudly stress on all their albums, Regenerator 3017 was recorded without any compression or computer manipulation – resulting in a warm, organic sound that emphasizes ensemble playing, while not failing to highlight individual performances.

The breezy, summery feel of opener “Prince of the Inland Empire”, its lazy, jazzy allure faintly tinged with reminiscences of Seventies dance music, might be somewhat of a surprise (or even a turn-off) to anyone expecting something along the lines of The Trip – let alone Djam Karet’s most Crimsonesque works, such as The Devouring or Burning the Hard City. The interplay between guitar and keyboards adds to the charm of the upbeat passages, interspersed by more sedate, almost meditative moments, in a style that put me in mind of early Camel. Things take a decidedly different turn with the classic, elegant jazz-rock sound of “Living in the Future Past”, featuring some stellar electric piano from Ellett, as well as a drop-dead-gorgeous guitar solo – the whole rounded out by mellotron and Herd of Instinct’s Mark Cook’s Warr guitar. Equally understated, but more in line with Djam Karet’s trademark sound (as aptly summed up in the already-mentioned The Heavy Soul Sessions), the 7-minute “Desert Varnish” intrigues with its tantalizing use of quiet-loud patterns spotlighting Chuck Oken Jr’s textural drumming and Henry J. Osborne’s discreet but unmistakable bass, then allowing the guitar to take the lead in a reverberating escalation.

Not surprisingly, “Wind Pillow” is mellow and atmospheric, with layers of keyboards and more than a cursory nod to Pink Floyd (“A Pillow of Winds” is the title of a song from Meddle). “Lost Dreams” continues much in the same vein, down to the measured, slightly plodding pace and Gilmourian guitar solo. Choral mellotron lends a symphonic tone to the soothing yet wistful guitar and moog in “Empty House”, underpinning the subtle flares of intensity and the climactic beauty of the slow, expressive guitar soloing. Rippling piano and fiery lead guitar shine in closing track “On the Edge of the Moon”), vying with the classical-tinged presence of the mellotron in a lovely, evocative 8-minute slice of atmosphere with some welcome bite.

While Regenerator 3017 might disappoint those who were expecting a throwback to Djam Karet’s Crimsonian roots, its deceptively lazy, upbeat feel and accessibility may well gain the band a few well-deserved new fans. Aficionados of Pink Floyd (especially the years between Meddle and Wish You Were Here) and Camel’s instrumental output will definitely find a lot to enjoy here. However, the album will offer a solid 41 minutes of very rewarding listening – even if not too overtly intricate or aggressive – to everyone with an interest in exploring the different facets of instrumental prog, and also provide a fine point of entry to Djam Karet newcomers. Last but not least, Regenerator 3017’s airy, spacious feel makes it ideal listening for the summer season that is almost upon us, without any of the cheesiness of so much stereotyped “summery” music. A special mention is also deserved by the striking, Southwestern-inspired cover designed by guitarist Mike Murray.

Links:
http://www.djamkaret.com/
http://djamkaret.bandcamp.com/album/regenerator-3017

 

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Djam Karet – The Heavy Soul Sessions (2010)

Posted in Ambient, Instrumental, Progressive Rock, Review, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 23, 2011| 1 Comment »

TRACKLISTING:
1. Hungry Ghost (8:32)
2. The Red Threaded Sexy Beast (12:42)
3. Consider Figure Three (9:48)
4. The Packing House (12:56)
5. Dedicated to KC (9:48)
6. The Gypsy and the Hegemon (10:55)

LINEUP:
Gayle Ellett – organ, analog synth, mellotron, digital synths
Mike Henderson – guitars, ebow, effects
Aaron Kenyon – 5-string bass, effects
Mike Murray – guitars, ebow, effects
Chuck Oken, Jr. – drums, altered voices

Despite their decades-long career as one of the foremost US progressive rock bands, I have to admit that this album was my very first approach to Djam Karet’s music. Although I was obviously familiar with the name – Edward Macan devoted a section of his seminal book Rocking the Classics to them as examples of ‘post-progressive’ rock – but, for some reason or the other, I had never got around to hearing any of their material. Thankfully, the opportunity came some time in 2010, when I got in touch with Gayle Ellett after reviewing the second album of his side project Fernwood, and he sent me a copy of The Heavy Soul Sessions. And what better introduction to a band’s music than a live album, even if recorded in the studio rather than before an audience? Indeed, The Heavy Soul Sessions was recorded immediately after the band’s performance at the French prog festival Crescendo in the summer of 2009, with a view to recreating the atmosphere of a live setting in the studio without any resource to overdubs or the like. An elusive outfit for most of their career, Djam Karet have not been very active on the live front in the past few years, and seeing them perform on a stage has become a rare treat for their loyal following.

Released five years after Djam Karet’s latest studio effort to date, Recollection Harvest, The Heavy Soul Sessions gathers five tracks from the band’s back catalogue, plus a cover of “Dedicated to KC” from Richard Pinhas’ album L’Ethique. The oldest number, “Consider Figure Three”, originally appeared on the Suspension and Displacement album, released in 1991 as a companion effort to the harder-edged Burning the Hard City. “The Packing House” and “The Gypsy and the Hegemon” are taken from Recollection Harvest, while “Hungry Ghost” and the “The Red-Threaded Sexy Beast” (which actually conflates two separate compositions, “Red Threads” and “Sexy Beast”) come from 2003’s A Night for Baku.  The album as a whole runs at a reasonable 64 minutes (with individual tracks between 8 and 12 minutes), presenting a highly satisfying picture of the band’s skills and expressive potential, accrued in the almost 30 years of their musical career. To Djam Karet newcomers like myself, the six tracks are a real boon, as they show a band that has grown and matured constantly over the years, and whose individual members’ side projects have proved to be a source of enrichment rather than a drain.

Djam Karet’s music has often been described as ‘King Crimson meets Pink Floyd’ – a definition which is only partly true. Following Macan’s advice, the band have finally managed to bridge the gap between their rock side and their inclination towards spacey, ambient textures that make good use of cutting-edge technology. Their unabashed eclecticism emerges from even a cursory listen to The Heavy Soul Sessions: the dynamic, riff-heavy opener “Hungry Ghost”; the gentle, almost pastoral moods of “The Gypsy and the Hegemon”; the trippy, Pinkfloydian passages in “The Red-Threaded Sexy Beast”; the airy, measured beauty of the piano and guitar work in “The Packing House”; the choppy, galloping pace of the organ-led “Dedicated to K.C.” On the other hand, “Consider Figure Three” showcases the ambient/electronic side of the band’s creativity (further explored in the side project Ukab Maerd, soon to be reviewed here). Mentioned in Macan’s overview, it is a haunting, brooding piece where the recorded voice of a doctor recites a dry scientific text over a background of spacey electronic effects, surging keyboard waves and Eastern-tinged chanting.

The compositions are ruled by the seamless interaction between Gayle Ellett’s keyboards and Mike Murray (the band’s newest member) and Mike Henderson’s guitars. Unlike the traditional ‘twin guitar’ format of many classic and hard rock bands, their main function is to add layers of sound and complement the keyboards, rather than act as perpetual sparring partners, or provide relentless rifferama – though riffs surface every now and then, aided and abetted by the powerful yet restrained rhythm section of Chuck Oken Jr and Aaron Kenyon. The music’s natural flow is not at odds with its complexity; even the frequent pauses and changes in time signature do not create that impression of patchiness or lack of a coherent structure that seem to be a constant in the output of ambitious yet less experienced bands. The remarkably fluid interplay between all the instruments puts to shame the displays of virtuosity for its own sake that plague many recent releases.

While the band’s hardcore fanbase will probably be disappointed by the lack of any new material after a five-year wait, The Heavy Soul Sessions provides a great opportunity for those who (like myself) want to get acquainted with Djam Karet’s output. Hopefully this excellent album will encourage more people to delve into the band’s back catalogue, available through their website. Highly recommended to lovers of instrumental prog, and an excellent introduction to the work of one of the most representative bands of the ‘second generation’ of progressive rock.

Links:
http://www.djamkaret.com

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