DJAMRA

Although this is very much jazz based the guitar is far more from the rock area, much more metallic, but this definitely doesn't come across as lightweight fusion. It is possible to view the band's site in English (something unusual for Japanese bands) at www.djamra.com and also listen to samples and I feel that this is one act that does benefit from hearing first. But if you like inventive progressive jazz then this is one of the most interesting releases from Poseidon. www.poseidon.jp

The general style of the band incorporates elements from Jazz,Horn Rock and RIO.There are also elements from Balkan and Eastern Music to be found.This daring mix offers some good moments at a few times,but the album suffers from the lack of even a trace of melody,harmony or atmosphere,who will set the listener into its mood.The technique of the band is undoubtful,but actually this is the main problem as well.Too much soloing leads into an explosion of freaky,noisy musicianship,which becomes unbearable with every listening.The meaning of composition is totally sacrificed in the name of endless improvisation.Trumpet and sax dominate the album and are too high in the mix,buring any interesting ideas by the bass player,who is actually quite good.The final result is an abstract summary of sounds trying to be correctly set in my head,but the only thing I got is a light headache...

The musicians of this act are really skilled,no doubt about it.But I wonder where this album heads to.An aggresive,frightening and cloudy soundscape,which is more of a punch in the stomach than a musical experience.Not recommended at all.

The first (and last) time I could attend to the Baja Prog Fest (2008) gave me some great discoveries, there were a couple of bands I didn't know and loved since then; one is Platurno from Chile, and the other is Djamra from Japan. I remember when I saw Djamra's performance I was astonished because their music was great, and also because they really managed to get involved with the audience. I remember they had some masks of Mexican wrestlers and cool clothes.

Since then I've been following their music. Honestly the only album I bought from themselves in that Baja Prog was their 2003 album entitled "Transplantation", which I should have reviewed long time ago. One of the main things that caught my attention was their mixture of jazz/fusion with some avant-garde elements that would make you think whether they belong to the fusion or RIO scene? the answer is simple, they belong to the progressive rock scene.

This album features eleven compositions and a total time of 61 minutes. It kicks off with "Time Flies like an Arrow (2 hones version)" and I bet you will be interested since the very first seconds. Wind instruments appear first, then drums, bass, and seconds later a super bass sound prevails showing the skill of Masaharu Nakatira, their bass player. The track has some different passages, while one may be aggressive, other is soft and calm.

"Channelling" is a short track that resumes the crazy sound of this band. It is like the introduction of "Assassin in Sin" whose drums work by Akihiro Enomoto is brilliant, always in the right place and moment. The song has again some changes, all together working in order to create a cool, and challenging song. I like a lot the bass sound, though it is repetitive it creates some tension and makes you wait for something, for what is coming next. Then the sound of winds (sax and trumpets) are always amazing.

"Neo Skin" comes again with superb bass notes creating a crazy sound which will be almost silenced after a minute, when it slows down and the wind instruments appear with a delicate touch. Then the drums make its spot, showing once again that these are trained and of course, talented musicians. After the second minute there is a part in which you may feel like in the chaos zone, great!

"Mood" starts slowly with bass lines, little by little the other instruments join and begin to create a sophomore and eclectic trip. This song is not like the previous ones, I would say it is not the Djamra sound that we already know, but it shows that they can create different moods, as the title suggests.

"Nest" follows the previous song path at the beginning, the first minute sounds like that, but then it returns to the crazy sax/trumpet sound shown in the first tracks. The track shares different textures and sounds, once again they took their "different passages" formula because you can listen the craziness first and the softness later, or vice versa. That combination is cool, though in moments it could turn repetitive: warning.

A second part of the CD could be found in this track "Time Flies like an Arrow (3 hones version)" which is like an alternate version of the first song of the album, it is peculiar to see they put it here in this moment of the album. The following track is "Hz" whose first minute sounds like an explosion, but later it stops and a new structure is being started. I like how they put and create different colors, nuances and even atmospheres in one single track, you can also appreciate to some weird noises here and there, cool.

"Pliable Clockwork" is another short track, which actually does not show anything new, it can be synthesized as a short version of Djamra's music. "The Cave" starts with bass and drums creating a cool sound. Later a minor silence and some changes in time and tempo, there is a moment after minute three when a chaos is created and an ambient of tension appears, giving the listener elements to feel excited. This is a very good song, well and cleverly composed.

And finally the longest track, a fifteen-minute epic entitled "To India". As the title suggests, the first minutes have that Indian-like sound where you can close your eyes and let the music take you there. A couple of minutes later drums and trumpet appear and a new sound is being little by little created, provoking some tension and nervousness until it totally explodes, and when that happens I can only say "woooow" and have a big smile, total satisfaction has come to me. There is a significant amount of minor changes in this long epic, but all together are the pieces that comprehend this one body, all those pieces are necessary to enjoy the whole track.

Djamra are a band whose music is great to me, and I am really happy to know them and very lucky to have seen them on stage. They are coming to Mexico City in a couple of weeks, and I do hope to see them again. If you are a fan of crazy jazzy and avant-garde stuff, you should try Djamra, you know, Japan has always good music to offer, you won't regret. My final grade will be four stars.

Enjoy it!

This "Circle Of Circus" is DJAMRA's fourth album, that can notify me they can create and produce this stuff with more relaxed, and with more objective soundscape ... through this objectiveness we can find them growin' up as performers and simultaneously as Osakan Entertainers ... let me emphasize. Namely, there are some tracks (for example, the sixth "Assasin In Sin", the eighth "Komurakaeri", or the tenth "Nest") rehashed their standard numbers previously released or played, and DJAMRA could "easily and comfortably" play complex and eccentric phrases in all of them. And surprisingly, each and every standard should not be out of harmony with the other songs and this theme "Circle Of Circus" itself. Guess they can clarify the proverb that the Osakan people can reuse and reissue old stuffs most cleverly of all Japanese?

Each song has a definite and obvious appearance for what DJAMRA should try to express. A Pierrot (le fou) or a dancer sometimes walks on the stage, sometimes dances with a tiger, sometimes (always?) gives a joke, and sometimes plays a dangerous stunt ... all matters can be expressed much skillfully, as a very amazing show. I'm sure both the players and the audience (that is, the songs) sometimes laugh out loudly, sometimes cry against danger, and sometimes palpitate, get excited & jump up as though they could be racing drivers. This story may be less "catchy" than the previous album indeed methinks, but should be more fascinating and more united, more refined surely ... based on their attitude for a rock suite I imagine.

I'm much immersed especially in the second track "Pierrot's Foot Goes Into Convulsions" and thirteenth "Civilization". "Pierrot's ? " is the rehash of their repertoire on stage "Nagashiuchi" and amazingly they can play so easily such complex phrases. From the very opening - completely along with the rhythm section by Masaharu & Akihiro - Akira's keen guitar, Takehiro's brilliant keyboard, and Shinji's funky-punky alto saxophone can go ahead aggressively and strictly. Playing a complicated and eccentric tune may give a convulsion to their body indeed, but we can never see a dizzy, fuzzy, or cloudy space in them. They could knock precisely our brain with their serious and steady beats. "Civilization" is the longest, and another masterpiece in this album, that includes relaxation, calmness, massive attacks, laziness, risky performances, and impressive actions ? all of them can be represented with five talented artists' music play and rough-tough breathing. This eleven-minute art is just the highlight of the BIG (Dai) Circus Entertainment, let me say.

And yes, DJAMRA gives expression of "humour" via the whole album, not only a song as in the previous albums. Please enjoy The Osakan Taste fully.

It's really not very often you can hear well-balanced musically release somewhere in between. Djamra is one of the few band , filling this niche. "Kamihitoe" is their great release,combining very energetic,in tradition of Japanese brutal avant, music with melodic tunes, very complex musicianship, but very jazzy, never too much dissonant or chaotic.

In fact, music of this album is real modern fusion, based on best European traditions, but very full-bodied,tasty,with light courage of Japanese avant in it!Kitamura's sax is everywhere and gives to whole sound very Elton Dean-like feel. Acoustic piano adds post-bop jazz tradition, but at the same time there are many of modern electronic keyboards. Energetic field comes from heavy fusion , some pieces sound almost as heavy metal (being absolutely jazzy at the same time). Bass is deep and very groovy. Rhythms and tempos are changing similar times during each composition, but there are not even traces of chaos ! Music is mostly improvised, but it sounds as pre-composed one! Free jazz sax over the top of many compositions is a last spice which makes this dish a gourmet one.

Possibly one of the best Japanese modern fusion release from last decade. My rating is 4,5,rounded to 5.

Exactly their third work Kamihitoe is a wonderful chandelier united with their musical brilliancy. They can push strongly their rock flavour rather than jazzy one. Therefore DJAMRA's play is heavier and more aggressive than of another jazz-rock band. The first part or the last one of Alha-Ha has laidback sounds (and they can play naturally and with relaxed), with some avantgarde and eccentricity in the middle part. This musical offense should be their style I consider.

The song formed with their favourable essence (heavy, jazzy, funky, aggressive but serious and strict) is the first track Kamihitoe (in English "Close to the edge"?), their masterpiece. After the spacey opening, all instruments can attack us heavily...the sounds of a bass and drums & percussion are very steady, strict, and ease our mind. On the contrary, saxophone, keyboard, and guitar sounds are very aggressive, eccentric, and violent and rampant (great!). The latter ones can play much with improvised, over the strict rhythm section. In fact the point is that the improvised instruments cannot play wonderfully without the rhythm section, a steady basis.

And the song we can feel the bass & percussion terrific is the second track New Bound. Please listen to the first half. The serious battle with Masaharu and Akihiro is beyond words. We can feel very happy only to hear the battle. On it, in the latter half, a loud saxophone and a heavy guitar join. Suddenly, in the quiet world, eccentric piano sound freeze us. We, completely frozen, will be hit and blown by all of them at last. LOL.

Furthermore, can you pay attention to the song 94k2? 94k2 - KUSHIKATSU - in English, a broiled cutlet on a skewer - is a local special food in Osaka. Various ingredients, sources, and tastes can come one after another aggressively...with loud voices of the shopmaster. This dirty atmosphere and oily flavour we Osakan feel very GOOD...not kidding! Oh, the last is a dessert - FRIED ICE CREAM! hahhaha!

The word "mixture" or "toy box" can remarkably match DJAMRA's style and policy. We cannot imagine what should pop up from the "toy box" until the end.

Ah...well...the last track's title Ahonoko is very good! Who is ahonoko (a fool)? DJAMRA? We listeners? No, both! Crazy, eccentric, and funky, funny sounds can be very comfortable for us fools. Yes, Aho is the greatest! Thank you DJAMRA for your fantastic gems to us foolish fans. Please laugh out loudly!