Djam Karet Burning The Hard City CD

One super-duper barnstormer from the States' finest exponent of post-Pink Floyd space prog. This is a supremely gutsy noise. The guitars are scorched, the rhythms pungent, and the electronics bruising yet burnished with imaginative vigor. All four members of Djam Karet double on multiple instruments, but their individual accomplishments manage to form a stunningly cohesive whole.

Gayle Ellett and Mike Henderson weave a tapestry of gnashing chords and delicate acoustics, intertwining these amidst Chuck Oken's authoritative drumming and Henry Osbourne's smelt-iron bass work. This stuff cooks. It's a veritable feast for your sound system--and an air-guitarist's dream. "Province 19: The Visage of War" is a roaring Viking battle that sees guitars careening about the parched landscape of an emasculated stereo field, burning their way through speaker fabric like a blowtorch through butter. "Feast of Ashes" commences with some spiky synth effects and jazzified percussion before the six-strings kick in to upset your middle-ear canals. Lest the unwary think is a bad case of death metal rearing its ugly head, think again. This is sophisticated, composed, truly progressive rock music from a band that means serious business.

Recorded between July 1990 & April 1991.

Personnel: Mike Henderson (electric guitar, 12-string guitar, keyboards); Gayle Ellett (electric guitar, keyboards, percussion); Chuck Oken, Jr. (keyboards, synthesizer, drums, electronic percussion, programming); Henry J. Osborne (keyboards, electric bass, percussion).

Audio Mixers: Chuck Oken, Jr.; Rob DeChaine.

Recording information: Underground Railroad Studios (01/1991-04/1991).

Illustrator: Dave Druse.

Photographer: Martin Lyon.

Unknown Contributor Role: Mike Henderson.

Djam Karet: Gayle Ellett (guitar, keyboards, percussion, tapes); Mike Henderson (electric 6 & 12-string guitars, keyboards); Chuck Oken (keyboards, drums, programming); Henry J. Osborne (keyboards, bass, percussion).