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Djam Karet
Reflections From The Firepool
Review by Gary Hill
Another Djam Karet CD being reissued on the Cuneiform label, this one is a great album, still firmly in the band's trademark style. Honestly, when you pick up a new album by this group, you pretty much know what you are getting. In this case, that is not a bad thing. The group always delivers plenty of surprises, but in their trademark guitar driven prog style. They never fail to entertain, and I have yet to hear a disc by them that I don't like. The lineup is Gayle Ellett, Mike Henderson, Chuck Oken Jr., and Henry J. Osborne.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: The Early Years Volume 1 at garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-The-Early-Years.
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| Track by Track Review
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The Sky Opens Twice
With a racing sort of guitar sound, almost like a revving engine, this cut is off and quickly takes on a great upbeat funky texture with a guitar sound that is a bit in the mode of modern Rush. As the track winds through this mode, after a time it stops. Then the same sound that began this piece pulls us out of the temporary lull to bring us back into the melody mode, this time complete with a ripping guitar solo. It then gets a bit fusion oriented as it carries on. It seems to end, but then restarts and begins building in a completely new manner with a great melodic rock mode. This segment feels a bit in the style of Pink Floyd. |
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Fall of the Monkey Walk
Looped sorts of textural tones begin this piece. Tribal drums take control after a time. The composition builds from there, becoming a great number with wonderful Floydish textures. It slows after a time, then begins building. The song gets very dramatic and jazzy. After a time the percussion stops, leaving guitar that just seems to wail out. As different percussion begins, the track is reborn in new directions, a bit more straight forward rock oriented. |
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Run Cerebus Run
A slow textural intro ends when the instruments burst forth in a Deep Purpleish tone. The cut rather explodes in a strong '70's oriented prog mode that has some awesome bass work. It then shifts gear to a more Dimeola type segment that takes the composition to its conclusion. |
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Scenes From the Electric Circus
An oddly textured groove makes up the basis for the early moments of this cut, and overlaid jamming moves it in a nearly hypnotic manner. It then drops to a percussive, almost techno, approach. That then turns into a weird sort of jam based on that setting. This segment is rather Crimsonesque. |
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Animal Origin
Echoey bass guitar droning combined with night sounds begin this track. As the music begins to pick up, it starts building on these themes, at first in a Rushish tone, then moving into an adventurous and original type of sound. This one gets a bit Floydish after a time. It features a very tasty guitar solo that leads to a false ending. The composition comes back out in full force, seemingly right where it left off. This jam takes the cut into the outro. |
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All Doors Look Alike
Percussion starts this one, and as the instruments join in it is in a quirky modern Crimsoid sort of texture. Saxophone that calls to mind the wild antics of Hawkwind's Nik Turner rounds out the arrangement for this section. The track shifts gear into a more melodic mode. Weird atmospheric strains take over for a time with melodic acoustic guitar overlaid. A feedback dominated textural mode takes over for a time, then a great acoustic guitar progression becomes the focal point. This gives way to more sound effects that end the piece. |
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The Red Monk
Asian oriented chiming begins this one. The cut starts building on this mode in a percussive direction. Next a Primusish bass line comes in, driving the song into its next movement, hard-edged prog jamming. Odd feedback dominated sounds serve as the overlay for a time, until a fun sounding rather traditional prog fast paced movement takes the piece. It then moves into a funky sort of jam. This part really grooves in a classic rock sort of style. |
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Reflections From The Firepool
Distant bass cries begin this one and the band starts to slowly build upon this foundation. This gradual progression comes across as rather Floydish. A thunderstorm takes the cut for a time, and as it comes out of that, the mode is completely changed. A fast moving, xylophone-sounding segment begins this movement and screaming guitar completes the picture. This is frantic hard-edged prog that really moves. Train sounds take the cut for a few moments. As the music comes out of that, it is with sedate acoustic tones that seem to reek ethnicity all over the place without touching on any specific nationality. |
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 You'll find an audio interview of this artist in the Music Street Journal members area. |
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 You'll find extra content from this artist in the Music Street Journal members area. |
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