01	No Man's Land						04:43
	02	Eclipse Of Faith						02:43
	03	Web Of Medea						07:04
	04	Demon Train						02:56
	05	All Clear						08:31
	06	Raising Orpheus						06:56
	07	Kali's Indifference						02:28
	08	Alone With The River Man						08:03
	09	Going Home						09:55
	10	Eulogy						02:13

NEW DARK AGE (2001)

1. No Man's Land (4.43)
2. Eclipse Of Faith (2.43)
3. Web Of Medea (7.04)
4. Demon Train (2.56)
5. All Clear (8.31)
6. Raising Orpheus (6.56)
7. Kali's Indifference (2.28)
8. Alone With The River Man (8.03)
9. Going Home (9.55)
10. Eulogy (2.13)

Gayle Ellett - Electric Guitar, Mellotron, Organ, Synths, Field Recordings, Effects
Mike Henderson - Acoustic & Electric Six & Twelve String Guitars, Slide Guitar, Acoustic & Electronic Percussion, Synths, Field Recordings, Effects
Chuck Oken, Jr. - Drums & Percussion, Synths
Henry J. Osborne - Bass, Percussion

Additional Musicians:
Loren Nerell - Oberheim Synth (Tracks 4 and 10)
Dion Sorrell - Cello (Track 6)

Recorded and Produced by Djam Karet

c 2001 Cuneiform Records





Djam Karet - New Dark Age

Released: 2001
Label: Cuneiform Records
Cat. No.:
Total Time: 55:26


Reviewed by: Marcelo Silveyra, July 2002
Djam Karet is certainly not an obscure name in the field of progressive rock anymore. With a load of albums and years to its credit, the band has often been referenced to as a cross-combination of King Crimson and Pink Floyd, but that hardly does the band's style any justice. Djam Karet is simply Djam Karet. There is no better way to describe the band's sound, an eclectic range of instrumental atmospheres that run the gamut from jagged progressive rock to jazzier elements of greater comfort and include plain weird moments in between.

And with New Dark Age, the band continues to pursue its experimental nuances in the way of slowly evolving instrumentals that range from the spacey dissonance of "Web Of Medea" to the stressful fusion arrangements of "All Clear" without forsaking any coherence. Furthermore, Djam Karet remains hardly shy to bizarre noises and samples, which, combined with the band's uncanny ability for creating lengthy thematic and pseudo-minimalist instrumentals, gives this album a uniquely original musical perspective. One that surrounds the listener in layered textures of sound that come floating out of the speakers and seem to reach out for one in enticing waves of sound.

Credit must especially be given to the group's perfectly balanced instrumentation, which will have a guitar line fading out while another one glides right into the mix and thus creates a virtual legato feeling that subdues the music of New Dark Age into a gentle and even flow. And while it is true that some of the material found on the album, particularly the demented groove of "No Man's Land," is progressive rock immersed in a harsh tone, the general mood remains one of instrumental reflection. Even the visceral guitar solos that keep appearing throughout the record seem to interweave with the approach, just like the sparse and atmospheric "Kali's Indifference" does.

You might be wondering why I didn't give the album a higher grade then. Here's why: because something is amiss throughout the course of New Dark Age; namely the lack of a certain element of surprise that deceivingly appears to be there during the course of "No Man's Land," but which soon fades into distant memory. The performance is wonderful, the style unique, and the band is not pining away, but New Dark Age just lacks that spark that etches music into one's mind forever.

Rating: 3.5/5

Similar artists: Kong

[see also Steph's review -ed.]

More about New Dark Age:

Track Listing: No Man's Land (4:43) / Eclipse Of Faith (2:43) / Web Of Medea (7:04) / Demon Train (2:56) / All Clear (8:31) / Raising Orpheus (6:56) / Kali's Indifference (2:28) / Alone With The River Man (8:03) / Going Home (9:55) / Eulogy (2:13)

Musicians:
Gayle Ellett - electric guitar, mellotron, synthesizers, field recordings, effects
Chuck Oken Jr. - drums, percussion, synthesizers
Henry J. Osborne - bass, percussion
Mike Henderson - guitars, acoustic and electronic percussion, synthesizers, field recordings, effects

Contact:

Website: www.djamkaret.com
Note: will open new browser window

Email: info@djamkaret.com

Discography

No Commercial Potential (1985) (Out-of-print)

Kafka's Breakfast (1987) (Out-of-print)

The Ritual Continues (1989)
Reflections in the Firepool (1989)
Burning The Hard City (1991/2000)
Suspension and Displacement (1991/2000)
Collaborator (1994)
The Devouring (1997)
Still No Commerical Potential (1998)
Live at Orion (1999)
New Dark Age (2001)
Ascension (2001)
#1 (2001) (via band only)
#2 (2001) (via band only)
Afghan: Live At The Knitting Factory (2001) (via band only)





Djam Karet - New Dark Age

Released: 2001
Label: Cuneiform
Cat. No.: Rune 149
Total Time: 55:26


Reviewed by: Stephanie Sollow, July 2001
The latest release from Djam Karet, New Dark Age, find the band in a mode somewhere between 1991's Suspension And Displacement and 1997's The Devouring. This is mostly rather moody music, though not necessarily dark. The opening track, "No Man's Land" contains all of the elements that we know Djam Karet for - the intense guitar leads from Gayle Ellett and Mike Henderson, thumping drums and crashing cymbals from Chuck Oken, and solid bass work from Henry J Osbourne. But this is followed up my the atmospheric "Eclipse Of Faith" which is mainly slowly evolving synth washes and a looped vocal snippet, which I can't, even after repeated listenings, quite figure out what is being said (could be the track's title). But then, Djam Karet are a band of mystery -- even on stage, especially Henderson who spent most of their NEARFest 2001 set perpendicular to the audience (that is, facing stage left), and sometimes nearly with this back to the audience.

"Web Of Medea" harks back to material on The Devouring, though there comes a point where the plunking keys seem more than a little at odds with the rest of the instrumentation. Some swirly wind effects and taut drumming from Oken about halfway through this 7-minute plus track create tension, that is only intensified when the tempo changes, even with blurbing keyboard effects added. The mix is so rich, Osborne's bass is clearly heard, and practically felt, but if you shift your attention it's the drums that come the fore, or the keys, etc. This ends with some more abstract vocals, like at train station...which blends right into "Demon Train." Vocal effects, or vocal like effects here, have a decidedly demonic feel about them - harsh and rough, and yet there is a certain element of distance as you can't quite make out the words. Percussion takes the lead here and wouldn't sound out of place on a Steve Roach disc - but for the demonic voice that still swirls about. Like "Eclipse of Faith" before it, this track lasts only about three minutes (2:56 to be exact, "Eclipse" clocks in at 2:43), which seems too short somehow, especially as the other tracks (but for two others also under the 3-minute mark) are well over 5 minutes. Track length, of course, isn't important so much, but there are moments during the shorter pieces where you'd like to see them developed more, expanded.

"All Clear," one of three tracks that Djam Karet played at NEARfest 2001, is very jazzy. Organ takes the lead (Ellett), and yet there is no mistaking the fact this is Djam Karet. Something about the arrangement. This is a jamming, driving number on par with "Lights Over Roswell" (which in some ways has a similar arrangement). Henderson plays the guitar lead here - his style a bit more metallic-edged that Ellett's. In fact, I think the band have a track like this on every album - the balls out jam, a composition ripe for improvisation and tangents live. It has a bluesy break that made me think of Hendrix' "Hey Joe." Osborne gets to play a particular tasty bass line, rich and thick. while searing guitar leads leave scorch marks. Not to be too cutesy, but it should be "all clear" that I really, really dig Djam Karet. And this track is why - instrumental rock that keeps the interest level throughout - it lasts 8:13, but it seems like a short 8 minutes.

Quick impressions of the rest of the album - "Raising Orpheus" is Pink Floyd-esque for the most part, various different elements at different points. I thought of Dark Side Of The Moon but also parts of Wish You Were Here. "Kali's Indifference" is another swirling-synths piece with minimal percussion. "Alone With The River Man" begins as a southwestern acoustic piece - clomping drums, acoustic guitar arpeggios, both playing a gently loping tune, but this gives way to a sinewy electric guitar lead. When percussion joins again, it is almost like something you'd expect from Paul Simon. This then shifts gears again, to something that made me think of the band America, if a little brassier. What you might think of, as I did, was a modern take on "Horse With No Name." It isn't exactly the same rhythm, but there are some similarities. Because of the southwestern feel - of Arizona and New Mexico along with California's high desert - there a little dryness here. Not a bad thing, but certainly you can almost see the bright sun blazing down onto dusty, dry, and cracked earth. "Going Home" is liquid; there's a sense at any moment that a smooth voiced vocalist will soon join in -- the guy who sang that 70s hit "Captain Of Her Heart" comes to mind, or maybe someone like Gino Vanelli. Not that it needs vocals, mind you. There are parts here to that hark back to The Devouring. Again we get searing guitar leads, driving percussion and bass, etc. Typical high quality Djam Karet stuff. "Eulogy" is another piece that is heavy on the vocal effects, here fuzzed and slightly phased. It is the voice of technology taking over, heard through hundreds of cheap speakers. There is a brief musical passage that, again, ends all too soon, but is quite edgy.

Well, Djam Karet have done it again - released an interesting album that I can't help but keep playing over and over and over again. I'll admit that I like the longer pieces better than the shorter ones, as the vocal effects leave me a little cold (as their intended to do, I suppose), but I make no hesitations about recommending this.

[see also Marcelo's review -ed.]

More about New Dark Age:

Track Listing: No Man's Land (4:43) / Eclipse of Faith (2:43) / Web Of Medea (7:04) / Demon Train (2:56) / All Clear (8:31) / Raising Orpheus (6:56) / Kali's Indifference (2:28) / Alone With The River Man (8:03) / Going Home (9:55) / Eulogy (2:13)

Musicians:
Gayle Ellett - electric guitar, mellotron, organ, synths, field recordings, effects
Mike Henderson - acoustic and electric 6 & 12 string guitars, slide guitar, acoustic & electronic percussion, synths, field recordings, effects
Chuck Oken, Jr. - drums, percussion, and synths
Henry J Osbourne - bass, percussion






Djam Karet - New Dark Age
Country of Origin: USA
Format: CD
Record Label: Cuneiform
Catalogue #: Rune 149
Year of Release: 2001
Time: 55:26
Info: Click here
Samples: Click here

Tracklist: No Man's Land (4:43) Eclipse Of Faith (2:43) Web Of Medea (7:04) Demon Train (2:56) All Clear (8:31) Raising Orpheus (6:56) Kali's Indifference (2:28) Alone With The River Man (8:03) Going Home (9:55) Eulogy (2:13).
Djam Karet is a 4-piece band from California, USA, founded in 1984. Their latest album, New Dark Age, is their 11th release.
Djam Karet's music is fully instrumental, and quite anarchistic. For this reason the band is often compared with King Crimson and Grateful Dead. Usually I'm not too fond of instrumental music. I prefer my music to come in songs, not in instrumental improvisations. However, I found this album to be quite good.

The music sounds very adventurous, partly because of the strange soundscapes and sound effects that are used. The band seems to explore the borders of progressive rock, jazz and electronic ambience. Although most of the tracks sound like complex improvisations, this is not freeform jazz by any means. The musicianship is great, and clearly shows a prog rock approach, with lots of interesting rhythm changes.

One of my favourite tracks is Raising Orpheus, with atmospheric keyboard and wailing guitar, reminding me a bit of the first UK-album, Eloy and Floyd. Also quite good is Alone With The River Man, a progressive track in several parts, with some hypnotising eastern rhythms.
A bit more jazzy, but still quite nice are No Man's Land and All Clear, both with exciting prog/jazz-rock rhythm and some nice heavy guitar playing. Least favourite are tracks 2, 4 and 10, which are mainly bizarre soundscapes with no melody, but odd sounds and distorted vocal effects. I'm too conventional for this kind of stuff, I guess.

Final judgement: if you like adventurous, guitar dominated proggy jazz-rock instrumentals, you might give this album a try. It's much more accessable and progressive than their earlier releases, like Reflections From the Firepool. Also check out Remco's reviews of two earlier Djam Karet albums, Suspension & Displacement and Burning the Hard City.

Fans of Djam Karet might like to know the band also released Ascension, New Dark Age Volume 2, a limited edition CD with pieces composed during the New Dark Age sessions.

Conclusion: 7 out of 10.

Rob Michel






New Dark Age
Date of Release May 22, 2001


Four years after their last studio album, Djam Karet released New Dark Age in April 2001. In the meantime Cuneiform Records had reissued most of their out-of-print catalog, helping build anticipation. Well, this one was worth waiting for. The quartet (still Gayle Ellett and Mike Henderson on guitars and keyboards, Henry J. Osborne on bass, and Chuck Owen, Jr. on drums) picked up where it left with the 1997 CD The Devouring and beautifully developed its sound, pushing it to another level. Of course the electric guitars remain at the center of the music, but one can hear more Middle Eastern influences, textural acoustic guitar backgrounds, and most of all field recordings. The latter element eliminates the "jam band" stamp some critics have tried to impose. New Dark Age is a studio album conceived by a studio band: tracks segue one into the other, atmospheres are established and broken, and the musicians toy with the listeners, steering them into different directions throughout this aural journey. Is this progressive rock? Does it really matter? Influences from King Crimson are still distinguishable, but they have been so well-assimilated now they seem to have no relation with what was heard on the band's first album, The Ritual Continues. Some rhythm patterns have progressive-like complexity, but the band's art resides mostly in its inside-outside soloing and attention to atmospheres. The acoustic textures of "Alone With the River Man" will please any fan of good instrumental music, prog or no prog. There are also plenty of hard rock moments such as "No Man's Land" and "All Clear." On New Dark Age, Djam Karet has finally reached the perfect integration of the two aspects of its music: rock jamming and ambient soundscapes. This stage is called maturity. Strongly recommended. - Fransois Couture