The new album Regenerator 3017 is the 17th album released by American instrumental group Djam Karet. Formed 30 years ago in 1984, Djam Karet celebrates this anniversary with a collection of all-new music filled with memorable melodies, wailing guitar solos, Minimoogs and Mellotrons, and more! Featuring all of the original band members, Regenerator 3017 showcases a band at their fiery best!
Djam Karet plays a style of music that ROLLING STONE magazine described as "Inhabiting a unique sector where Pink Floydian dreamscapes intersect with the jagged complexity of King Crimson and the improv-guitar happenstance of the Grateful Dead."
Formed three decades ago while attending college in sunny southern California, this group has consistently been a trailblazer of instrumental music. Their previous albums have received extremely positive reviews in such magazines as BILLBOARD, GUITAR PLAYER, SOUND ON SOUND, ELECTRONIC MUSICIAN, ALL ABOUT JAZZ, etc. Actually, they are the ultimate anti-cult band … a group that music critics around the world love, and the masses ignore.
Fortunately for the band commercial success is not their goal (one of their previous albums is even titled: No Commercial Potential!). Instead they are trying to “someday be the peer of our idols” by creating recordings that hopefully have the same amount of: artistic vision, creativity, individualism, drive and over-all quality, that are present in the music that they admire most.
Regenerator 3017 is a collection of 7 tracks that were recorded with a pristine sound quality, without any compression or computer manipulation. All music is played by hand the old-fashioned way. Punchy drums and fat bass hold down a slowly driving groove, as Rhodes and electric guitars rock on. Interestingly, many of the instruments used on this album have been owned by the band members since the band was formed thirty years ago!
Founding member/guitarist Gayle Ellett said “We wanted to create a melodic album with a classic sound. Most of us were born around 1960, so the 1970’s was the decade of our youth, our teenage years. And the music of that time, and the values it embraced, were very pivotal in the development of our views on how music should sound. This was a time when Fusion, Psychedelic music, Southern Rock and other styles were all quite popular. With Regenerator 3017 we’re not trying to recreate that era, but we are inspired by it.”
This is the best album yet by Djam Karet. It has more melodies, better production and sound quality, and more interesting compositions then any of their previous (16!) albums. As they enter their 30th year together, this release shows a group that is continuing to grow and evolve, constantly improving with age.
Track list:
1) Prince of the Inland Empire 5:35
2) Living in the Future Past 4:50
3) Desert Varnish 7:18
4) Wind Pillow 4:39
5) Lost Dreams 3:49
6) Empty House 6:07
7) On the Edge of the Moon 8:36
total time 41:01
Band members include:
Gayle Ellett: electric guitar, keyboards
Mike Henderson: electric guitar
Henry Osborne: bass
Chuck Oken jr,: drums
Mike Murray: electric guitar
and Aaron Kenyon (not present on this album)
