NEW DARK AGE

OK, I don''t know the band that well but there are two phases (85-91 and 97- today) and I know of only one or two albums from each period . This one seems like Baku, very hard-going heavily influenced by KC and space-prog Ozric-type (but not really Floyd IMO) but these two albums make me think a lot of now-labelmate Nebelnest - not that I am suggesting that one copies from the other. Older style Karet sounded more spacey type Floyd if I remember well.

DJAM KARET have been quietly releasing poignant albums for quite some time now and continue to explore some pretty interesting musical terrain along the way. 2001's release "New Dark Age" is no exception with some pretty tasty all instrumental work highlighting clean drum and bass interplay with oft wild guitar soloing and clever keyboard work. Musically these guys cover quite a range from Floyding-like elements to softer ambient cresendos all influneced all under the guise of a "musical type A personality" who are clearly unhappy staying in a particular time signature, tempo or format for too long... just the personality I love. A great album from start ot finish.

A fine set of instrumentals smartly played with enough variety to remain mildy interesting and at times moody. My only complaint with the band's music is the uncreative sounds of the instruments, which are, honestly, a little boring. The guitar is very straightforward (but well played), and the keys are a little ham-fisted; more effort could have been done to incorporate a broader instrumentation (essential, on an instrumental album!) and to feature more diverse arrangements. Songwriting in general is quite boring; I felt like I got all there was out of this one very early on. But, for those seeking some good, rockin' background music, "New Dark Age" is an acceptable choice.

Songwriting: 2 Instrumental Performances: 3 Lyrics/Vocals: NA Style/Emotion/Replay: 2

Another incredible release from DJAM KARET.This one reminds me of the "Reflections From The Firepool" record, in that it blends beautifully the spacey, psychedelic sounds with the guitar driven passages.

"No Man's Land" is such a great song ! I really like the drum and bass melody with the guitars firing off some blistering solos throughout. "Eclipse of Faith" is a short song of samlings and spacey sounds. "Web of Medea" is another highlight. It sounds like the start of a PINK FLOYD song from "The Wall", before bringing to mind PORCUPINE TREE. The spacey sounds with organ are great. We then hear the wind blowing half way through. It blends into the next song "Demon Train" which has some weird, spacey noises as percussion comes in and never leaves. "All Clear" is led by a drum and organ melody before guitars make their presence felt after 2 minutes, that include some scorching guitar solos followed by some soaring melodies. Fat bass lines too.

"Raising Orpheus" opens with waves of synths as it sounds like the guitars are starting up. Drums 2 minutes in as we get more of a melody. Guitars are soaring beautifully, as the song ends with synth washes. "Kali's Indifference" sounds like we are lost in space and I hope nobody finds us. "Alone With The River Man" opens with guitar as percussion comes in. It all stops before 3 minutes as some ripping guitar arrives with percussion. Synths take over for the guitar, and it's a fantastic sound. "Going Home" is probably my favourite song on this album. It has this laid back,relaxing melody of synths,guitar and drums that is very uplifting at times. This is disrupted 3 minutes in by some aggresive guitar for about 2 minutes. Nice. Mellotron flows as well in this song. "Eulogy" is the shortest song with processed vocals, percussion and a spacey background. Cool song.

After a quick succession of albums in the early 90's, Djam Karet hadn't been releasing much. New Dark Age was only the second album in 10 years. Luckily, they've since increased their productivity again and continued to release particularly inspired instrumental music.

New Dark Age is a very long album packed with instrumental improvisations. Djam Karet occupies a territory in between Pink Floyd's fluid harmonious playing and King Crimson's chromatics. They are often compared to Ozric Tentacles, but the similarities aren't always strong. They're also instrumental and boast liquid guitar solos, but they only have sparse funky moment and do not share the spacey frills of the Tentacles. There's less gloss, more edge, and much more diversity.

The album is an excellent starting point for newcomers to the band because if goes through all the known Djam Karet motions, such as upbeat rocking tracks with ripping guitars solos (No Man's Land), ambient experimentations (Exclipse of Faith), frippertronics (Kali's Indifference), hard-edged jazz-rock (All Clear) and reflective atmospheric pieces (Alone With The River Man).

This album comes recommended for everybody that can appreciate fluent instrumental music in the vein of the Ozrics, Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd or Robert Fripp. Especially fans of tuneful guitar solos won't be disappointed. One of their most diverse and strongest albums.