Dear readers, we have the pleasure and honour to offer you in this article an interview with a Progressive band active since the early 80s, welcome Djam Karet.
Hi, how are you?
GE (Gayle Ellett): I am doing pretty well, all things considered. And we are all pretty dang happy with how the past two albums have turned out. Djam Karet has just released our 20th album! And it came out really well. I’m also currently playing in 7 bands, and my new side-group: Gayle Ellett & The Electromags has just released our debut album: Shiny Side Up (https://gayleelletttheelectromags.bandcamp.com). So I’ve been very busy! And we are currently discussing making a new Djam Karet album, due out in 2023.
The band was formed in the early 80s, how did the project come about?
GE: We formed together so that we could play totally improvised music, with no predetermined plan or structure, just tune up & play, and that is what we did for the first few years. All rehearsals and performances were totally improvised. Chuck and I went to the same college, Pitzer College. And Henry and Mike lived in that town: Claremont. Chuck, Henry and Mike were playing in another local band: Happy Cancer. And sometimes Chuck and Mike would play in one of my bands, so we were already friends who had played together, before we formed Djam Karet.
You have been active for many years, what are your memories of the band’s early experiences?
GE: Blurry. Smoke-filled. Industrial warehouses. Old hotels. Fun & tension. Smog. Coffee and doughnuts and cheap Mexican food. Claremont California in the 1980’s.
Your sound is a mixture of Prog and Experimentation, where did your passion for this music come from and what were your sources of inspiration?
GE: We are all inspired by the music of our youth, and we are mostly born around 1960 … so the music of the 1960’s and 1970’s greatly influenced us. Also, Chuck owns a GREAT record store, Rhino Records, and he helped keep us informed about the cool music that was coming out of Europe, like on the MUSEA label, etc.
“Island In The Red Night Sky” is an excellent album that shows an evolution and a new facet of your sound, how would you describe this new album?
GE: It is extremely hard for us, as the creators, to see our work objectively. So it is VERY hard for me to accurately describe it. It is a blend of Electronic Synth music, with many Acoustic elements, and other Found-sounds, creating unique vision, special environments of solace and beauty. I used a lot of the concepts and sounds that were inspired by my World/Americana group FERNWOOD https://fernwood.bandcamp.com. And that acoustic element plays a strong role. In Djam Karet we get to become Gods…Gods who can create new entire worlds of wonder! For us, that is the goal and that is enough. We make music for ourselves. If other folks like it too, great, that is even better, but that is not really the goal (popularity). It was never our desire to be popular, and so far everything is going to plan!
The music is a mixture of different genres and styles with an electronic and modern twist, how does it differ from previous works?
GE: These two albums (A Sky Full Of Stars For A Roof, and Island In The Red Night Sky) have a strong Electronic music element, as well as a ton of acoustic instruments. Combined, they make a great blend, a new mix of tones that we all enjoy, so it seems to have worked out well.
You have released 20 studio albums spanning several eras, how has your sound evolved over the years?
GE: We started off playing totally improvised music for a few years. Then we added in some sequencing keyboards and taped effects/sounds, and to use them well we started to add some structure to our music. Then that “structure” became bigger, as each album progressed.
Many Prog lovers wonder if there will be a chance to hear your music live, do you have any plans in this regard?
GE: We rarely play live. I have stage fright rather badly, so I don’t like doing live gigs. I much prefer working in the studio. The other guys like doing shows more then I do, but it is also a huge amount of work (many months of special rehearsals) if we want to do a show. Our music is so complicated that I have to read charts … even for songs I wrote myself! The last gig we did I was playing a 4-keyboard setup, so when I was only playing with one hand … I had to use the other one (while still playing solos with the other hand) to switch the sounds/settings on the other keyboards … like changing the Mellotron sounds, while soloing on the MiniMoog, etc. It is very difficult to do, and it causes me great stress!
This new edition was released to mark the anniversary of the album, do you also plan to offer the other re-recorded albums?
GE: Our current album: Island In The Red Night Sky … is out of print (but still available digitally). Chuck didn’t realize how popular it would be, so he didn’t really press up enough CDs! So, someday it will probably be released, maybe with a bonus track added to the CD. We are talking about that now, but there are no clear plans or dates for this possible re-release.
Your sound has always been on the cutting edge always exploring and experimenting with new sounds, do you have any plans for new releases in the future?
GE: Chuck Oken jr, our drummer, has said that he will make/direct the next Djam Karet album. And I am very happy about that! Usually, who ever owns the studio that we are using at the time … that person becomes the defacto “producer” and main decider. I did the last 4 or 5 albums, and I look forward to taking a break, while Chuck and Henry Osborne lead the charge forward on some new music, as they work out of Chuck’s studio. Chuck mentioned that he was going to begin working on it later this year, or early next year. We’ll see, but I am very optimistic they will make us a new album! It is a ton of work, and it takes us many many months to make a new record, and I am happy to not be in charge of that (for a change).
Music and Prog in particular are constantly evolving, how do you see the future of this genre?
GE: I have no idea where Prog is going! A lot of it is made in honor of the Classic Prog bands from yesteryear: Genesis, ELP, Yes, etc. And much of that Prog is rather “retro” or backwards looking, which is almost the opposite idea behind what Prog music is actually trying to do (progress the music further forward). So I really don’t know! Our own music is so very “progressive” that we probably don’t even
sound like “Prog Rock”.
What advice would you give to a young band approaching the musical world by proposing more refined sounds such as yours?
GE: I would say “Work hard, work hard, and work hard. And when you are done … work harder”. No one should care more about your music, then you. So if you really love what you are doing (music) then go out there and create, all day long, year after year. If you don’t want to do that, then maybe being musician is not right for you. Have a dream, and then follow it. But as my cranky Grandpa used to often say “Yes it is good to be a dreamer, but sooner or later…you gotta get outta bed … and make it happen!”
I would like to thank Gayle Ellett for the interview and the opportunity to listen to and review the new Djam Karet‘s album, wishing them all the best for the continuation of their artistic career.
GE: Many Thanks to you Jacopo, we greatly appreciate the opportunity to talk about our music!! Many Thanks!! And as it says on the CD “For more information about the band and our music, please visit: DjamKaret.com.”
Gayle Ellett
Read our review of the new album here: https://progrockjournal.com/review-djam-karet-island-in-the-red-night-sky/