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This months interview brings you an exclusive interview with
Gayle Ellett: guitar player
and keyboard player from Djam Karet
Prog4you: So how did the group form?
GE:
We started this group in 1984, Chuck our drummer and I went to the same college in Claremont, California. Henry and Mike also lived in the
same town. We had all played together in different groups before we formed Djam Karet, so we were already friends.
Prog4you: Can you take us back in history and give us a run down on the making
of Djam Karet?
GE:
We had all been playing in other more vocal oriented semi-pop/dance
bands, and we started talking about forming a group that would play totally improvised music…Long jams with no predetermined key, melody or
structure…just tune up and play. This is what we did for the first 2
years…All rehearsals and gigs were totally improvised. Some parts came
out poorly, and some parts sounded great. It was a lot of fun and really
taught us how to listen.
Prog4you: Who founded the band?
GE:
We all four founded the band equally.
Prog4you:
Where did you get your vision to play progressive music?
GE:
From the masters like Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Yes,
Brand X, Deep Purple, Led Zeplin, ELP, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Allman Brothers, Beatles, Kraftwork, Fripp&Eno, Jimi Hendrix, and others. We
were all born around 1960, and so we were inspired by the music of our teenage years in the 1970’s.
Prog4you: What qualities do you like to make sure go into a Djam Karet song?
GE:
Having a strong groove, and strong soloing, with floating textures added in. We like jamming, ripping music that is challenging to play. We
like music that sounds a bit weird.
Prog4you: Do you have any personal favorite songs off the new CD New Dark Age?
GE:
I certainly like “Raising Orpheus” a lot, and “Alone With The River
Man” and “No Man’s Land”. Basically, we are all really happy with the
entire album. I think its our best CD we’ve ever made.
Prog4you: Are there any particular inspirations, or stories behind any of the
songs off the new album?
GE:
All four of us were not always present while different members of
he group recorded their parts, and we’re all free to do what we want, so sometimes I’d go into the studio and hear some great and surprising
ideas and tracks that the other guys had laid down while I wasn’t
there. This often turned the tune in a direction I had not expected; yet
it was often very inspiring! So it was a lot of fun!!
We had such a difficult time recording the drums that it took three whole tries. We recorded the drums for every song on that CD and
ASCENSION as well. When we listened to it all, they were not recorded well enough, so we erased the whole entire drums from every
tune on both CDs, and started over. The second time we listened to the drums on every
tune for the two CDs…They Still
we’re not good enough. On the third try
we got it right…But, all in all, this probably took 100 hours or more of
additional recording time. We are patient and stubborn and determined. But we finally got a drum sound that really rocks!
 Prog4you: How did the songs off the new album take form?
GE:
Since we own our own recording studios, we’re free to take our time
recording, and this leads to some unusual approaches to making music. On
“Raising Orpheus” we used one of our typical approaches. We have never
ever played this tune before it was recorded…It didn’t exist until it
was recorded…It was composed As it was being recorded, not before. When
the first few tracks were laid down, we had no idea at all what other sounds we’d be adding in later, or even how long the finished tune would
be. We’d just listen to the initial tracks, and add sounds that seemed
to fit and create some flow. The first sound recorded is the single floating stereo organ chord that plays through the entire tune as
a sound bed. Then Chuck added drums into two different sections. Then we
decided to add electric cello and synths over the drum parts, and weird odd sound effects and treated guitars and birds recorded in my backyard
were added over the more ambient sections. Once it was done, we erased the last few minutes because the tune seemed a little too long. And
that’s how the tune was composed…as it was recorded, not before, as a
normal band would do it. Other tunes are different, like “No Man’s Land”
which we played live as a band before we accurately captured it in the studio.
Prog4you: Are there any side projects that any of the members are involved
with; or will be involved with?
GE: I have two new solo limited edition CDs released under the name THE
MASKIT CHAMBER. These are mostly Electronic and ProgRock with a focus on
analog synths and Mellotron. And I also recently wrote some traditional Japanese, Chinese, and Balinese music for a music library. Mike
Henderson has two CDs released under the name Hybrid Vigor (with Norma Tenega).
These are nice mellow guitar and hand drum excursions that are exotic and peaceful and very beautiful.
 Prog4you:
What do you think of the resurgence of progressive rock in the USA?
GE:
I think progressive rock will always remain small and rather
unpopular here in the USA. Here, it is POP or you’re a Flop. There is very little interest in any other style besides Pop. Even famous jazz
masters like John McLaughlin are not popular here at all, its rather pathetic!! So I think Prog will remain small, even if it gets a little
bigger.
Prog4you: What’s in your CD player right now?
GE:
In my player there is Rammstein, Steve Vai, Bill Laswell, Ween, and
Traditional Chinese music.
Prog4you: Your sound in your music seems to be evolving, what direction is the
band moving into?
GE:
We always keep moving along, although we often do not know where we’re going!! I’m hoping we’ll all agree to make our next CD super
aggressive and heavy metal-like, I want to make a CD that makes our album “Burning The Hard City” look wimpy!! Hopefully the next one will
be dark and crushingly powerful and menacing. I hate the way rock player’s music gets wimpier as they get older, so I want to try to
deliberately avoid this pitfall.
Prog4you: Are there any other bands or musicians you would like to play with?
GE:
Sure!! John McLaughlin, Peter Gabriel, Bowie, Zappa (well that ain’t
EVER gonna happen!), Bill Laswell, and many others.
 Prog4you: This question is for your bass player Henry J. Osborne; where the
hell did you learn to get those moves on stage?
GE:
That was Aaron Kenyon who played bass with us at NearFest and
Knitting Factory in NYC. Henry was home with his new baby and couldn’t
make it to the gigs, so we used our old pal “Aaron The Madman” or “Aaron
The StayPuff Man”. He’s a monster player, and a real maniac on stage.
He’s really fun to play with. He lives in the mountains and doesn’t have
a computer, so I’m answering for him.
Prog4you: This question is also for your bass player; is Luis Nasser your long
lost brother? He plays bass for Sonus Umbra.
GE: I’m pretty sure that after Aaron was born, the authorities didn’t
allow his parents to reproduce again. He’s one-of-a-kind super-freak.
Prog4you:
What do you think of the future of progressive rock?
GE:
It will have a future, if it doesn’t spend all of its time in the
past. We’ll see.
Prog4you:
Is there a message you would like to convey to your fans?
GE:
Have fun & Rock hard. If you’re a musician…get off your butt and
start making your own CDs. Don’t wait for a label to pick you up…form
your own label and make your own CDs…The world needs more independent records, and you’ll learn a lot! Feel free to visit us or write us at
our website www.djamkaret.com where we have over 2 hours of free music to listen to, tour and studio pics, reviews, and photos of bloody
rags.
Check it out!! Thanks!
Prog4you:Thank you very much for letting us interview you.
Thanks and Cheers!
Your friends at prog4you.com
George Roldan & Thomas Connolly
Pictures coutesy of
photographer
Check out the official
http://www.djamkaret.com/
website.
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