This mostly instrumental album is released on Djam Karet’s new label. In fact, Gayle Ellett from Djam Karet guests on the disc, along with quite a few more notable names. The music here wanders into world music styles and movie soundtrack territory. Overall, though, it’s quite close to modern King Crimson blended with Djam Karet. Of course, the Warr guitar lends the group to the Crimson comparisons. In addition to Ellett, other guests include: Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel), Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson), Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree) and Markus Reuter (Tuner).

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2011  Volume 4 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Rather noisy piano leads this off and the track feels at first rather like some jazz meets classical. More ominous layers of sound join after a time and it feels a bit like soundtrack music. It’s a cool way to start the festivities.

This is a cool track. It has some Djam Karet built into it, but comes with a rubbery bass line. It seems at times to combine a gothic metal sound with modern King Crimson. At other times, though, it’s more closely related directly to King Crimson music. It’s a cool cut that works through a number of intriguing changes. It’s quite a thrill ride with a lot of twists and turns and gets into some more traditional progressive rock at times.

Sitar and percussion bring this in with a decidedly psychedelic sound. It builds up by adding more instruments, but remaining organic until it slips into a mysterious sound later. From there it eventually works out to a hard rocking jam that has a lot of fusion in the mix. It drops down at a later point for a killer flute solo. As it rises up from there it’s almost like Traffic meets King Crimson. Then the traffic drops away to be replaced by Jimi Hendrix while the Crimson remains. We’re taken to an acoustic guitar driven segment after that.

The first minute plus of this is extremely mellow and mysterious, while also ominous. It powers out to a killer Crimsonian jam after that and shifts and turns here and there as they continue. Around the three and a half minute mark it slips into a jam that’s got a lot of Yes built in, but still reflects all the earlier sounds. That gets shifted towards the metallic for a while as it works through. Then it goes back to the Yes meets Crimson sounds to take it out.

An acoustic modern King Crimson sort of groove opens this. There are some female vocals over the top as this moves forward. There is definitely a world music vibe to this, but some harder rocking Crimson like sounds emerge later for a time. A smoking hot modern Crimson jam takes it later.