a short trip back in time...
2013
Djam Karet - THE TRIP
(HC Productions HC016) CD 47m
A band that constantly keep bouncing back with great albums now and then, Djam Karet are one of the longest-running original real jam rock bands. They were doing it long before the terms trip-rock or stoner were invented. This, their umpteenth album (I've lost count) again finds them in a more daring experimental mood, further cross-breeding their patent groovadelic, synthispace and weird factions into a new big creation that again "goes places that no space-rock band has gone before".
The band has changed a bit in recent times. Three of the originals are still there: Gayle Ellett, Mike Henderson and Chuck Oken Jr., now with Aaron Kenyon on bass (known to us previously with the excellent Atavism of Twilight) and another guitarist, one Mike Murray. And this? Well, a new feat for Djam Karet, they'd done near-on 30 minute pieces before, but this is all one big piece, a work of many moods and diversions, a work that sizzles, trips, spaces-out, trips again, and then storms along, and... it revisits the Djam Karet of yore and fuses it with new ideas to develop further in the future - all flowing, riddled with solos and dazzling interplay.
References? Well, mostly this is pure Djam Karet. I could quote some Pink Floyd touches, the usual Kosmische and Krautrock references, and the vague touches of 1970's jazz-fusion. Most other current comparisons would be those influenced by Djam Karet! Excellent from start to end. Need I say more?
- from AUDION #58. Autumn 2013
1988
DJAM KARET - KAFKA'S BREAKFAST
(Auricle AMC 033) MC
One of the finest of 1980s progressives, a Californian instrumental band who blend the best of Euro styles, with the psychedelic air of Quicksilver, Man, or the intensive fusion of Mahavishnu Orchestra. The resultant music will delight the guitar fan as well as the adventurous rock listener. "Kafka's Breakfast" is a reissue of their debut demo cassette, plus the bonus 24 minute space trip "Walkabout", a live recording that ventures on to and beyond the realms of classic Pink Floyd and Ash Ra Tempel. Gong and Ozric Tentacles fans may well delight at it too!
1987
introducing: DJAM KARET
NO COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL (HC 002) MC
THE RITUAL CONTINUES (HC 003) MC
Anyone out there longing for a return of real rock music? By rock music I don’t mean songs, I mean good honest rocking - "freaking out" as they used to call it, a vehicle for great, rhythms, multitudes of solos, flair and invention pushed to the limits. You want some pointers as to what I mean? well, take the lengthy improvisations of Man or Quicksilver, the acid space-rock of Ash Ra Tempel or Agitation Free, or as a prime but lesser known example: the legendary (early 1970's) British band Chillum.
It may seem strange then, that after all these years a new band should arise, producing this very special rock music, and of all places from California! The great shame is that while lots of people should theoretically like this type of music, the media has so warped the minds of Joe Public that most cannot understand anything that doesn’t conform to the predictable standard of verse, chorus, maybe a solo, verse, chorus, repeat - yawn, boring!
Hence the title NO COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL is so apt in this case.
This cassette exudes pure energy in the form of three lengthy improvisations: Where’s L. Ron??!! opens the album with abstract percussives and guitar, immediately I’m reminded of New 7th Music & The Exploding Headband, but this goes well beyond their realms, oozing and swelling in power, it becomes really aggressive, rattling along express-train fashion we have a continual foray of solos and interplay that is blisteringly hot. Dwarf Toss opens a bit King Crimson like, offbeat rhythm, guitars and bass all playing solos independent of each other; the structure consolidates, the bass joins the rhythm and away we go... into the land of Man at their best. Blue Fred covers side 2, and at 30 minutes is sprawling yet not the slightest bit boring, in fact for an improvisation it’s incredibly well conceived. Opening spaciously - in the world of Ash Ra Tempel or Quicksilver at their most inventive - building up in rock intensity we’re again treated to some of their express-train riffing, lots of solos, and continual change in the structure. Eventually after 20 minutes or so the mood quietens to a softer pace and a slightly jazzy style, the guitar here reminds me of John McLaughlin in his early days and is a nice recuperative way to end the tape.
THE RITUAL CONTINUES is their new tape, just released so I gather, and coincidentally it arrived in the post half way through reviewing NO COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL, so I’m listening to this first time while reviewing it. First impressions: ah, more tracks - 8 are credited (through there’s actually nine), also the addition of synths and keyboards. So, with this tape there’s more variety in style - take the opener Shaman’s Descent a great piece of techno-rock, really clean and polished like mid-70's Eloy, but with more guts. A City With Two Tales visits both the urban jungle and the chaos of construction, decay and destruction, firstly with a tribal percussive work and secondly with a wild plethora of guitar, pneumatic drills, voices and off-the-wall effects. Technology & Industry is more typical of Djam Karet, except that here we jump in at the deep end, with 5 minutes of the most blistering, brain numbing excessiveness I’ve heard for ages. Contrastingly A Quiet Place shows that they also know how to touch nature with their music, (also proves that being friends Steve Roach seems to rub off on everyone) it's very subtle with environmental sounds, synths, and tinkling percussion. The title track resurrects Popol Vuh circa HERZ AUS GLAS and fuses it with some hard hitting Amon Düül II style rock, at 10 minutes though it's not really quite long enough to get where I hoped it would, but nevertheless it’s very well conceived an executed.
Thus this second tape will be accessible to more people, in fact on second listen it’s probably the best of the two, though be it less cerebral and spectacular. With both these tapes however, you can have the whole range of what is best in instrumental rock music. No cop-outs, no clichés - just purely brilliant rock music, that I can’t recommend too highly!
- From Audion #6, October 1987
Djam Karet - Kafka's Breakfast is currently available as a limited edition CDR reissue
Buy direct here!
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