A NIGHT FOR BAKU
Djam Karet
•Eclectic Prog
From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website
3.27
| 53 ratings | 10 reviews | 17% 5 stars
Good, but non-essential |
Studio Album, released in 2003 Songs / Tracks Listing 1. Dream Portal (5:26) - Gayle Ellett / electric & slide guitars, 8-string lute, organ, Theremin, synths, Fx, field recordings
Artwork: Bill Ellsworth and to Quinino for the last updates Edit this entry |
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DJAM KARET A Night For Baku ratings distribution
(53 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(17%)Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(25%)Good, but non-essential (47%)Collectors/fans only (6%)Poor. Only for completionists (6%)
DJAM KARET A Night For Baku reviews
Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings
Collaborators/Experts Reviews
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
PROG REVIEWER
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog Folk
PROG REVIEWER
COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
I think these guys might be better known, but they don't really tour. They went out of state once for the Nearfest, but that may have been it, as far as I know. I really like their mix of synthesizers and guitars. The two front men are great at both instruments, although Gayle usually handles the keyboards.
"Devourers of evil dreams and nightmares, the Baku are spirits of the dream world."
The album kicks off with the fairly mellow Dream Portal. The album then moves into higher gear with Hungry Ghost, nice spooky synthesizer work, lots of musical changes in this nine-minute number. This is the first time I've listened to this album on headphones and I just noticed Chimera Moon's opening synths have a great 2D presence, also ends with weird voices ala My Life In The Bush of Ghosts. DK gets really heavy with Heads of Ni-Oh, nothing like a good prog instrumental that goes places. More spooky synth stuff in Scary Circus, before the guitars kick in. The Falafel King oddly enough has a cool Middle Eastern flavor to it. Sexy Beast is hard to describe, kind of laid back like Dream Portal. Ukab Maerd, ok, I'm pretty sure they made that up, though Djam Karet is an Indonesian term that means something like "elastic time" or "the hour that stretches". And the album wraps it up with The Red Thread. This isn't the first time they've channeled King Crimson stylistically, although many parts of the song are totally their own. It's the longest track on the album, and they really end A Night For Baku with a big bang.
I don't mind going out on limb a little and ranking this one as essential. It's still my favorite from their discography. If you're going to stretch out an hour with Djam Karet, this is a great place to start. Really cool CD booklet and case artwork, too!
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
The album opens pretty well. "Dream Portal" has a nice melodic lead electric line that repeats nearly continuously with a relaxed synth behind. The voices of children can be heard here and there throughout the song but the voices are manipulated so that you can never quite understand what they are saying, giving it a neat but creepy effect. It reminds me of the little girls voice in Poltergeist when she was trapped in the "other" dimension. "Hungry Ghost" is a loud rocker that could fit in on "The Devouring" but this album has a heavier keyboard presence than does their classic from '97. "Chimera Moon" is a spacey effects number that recalls "Ascension's" weirdness. Some nice guitar soloing begins about half-way through. The ending of this one has the creepy voices again that you can hear but can't understand, this time they are adult voices. "Heads of Ni-Oh" begins with a slow and deliberate rhythm behind lead guitar, then picks up to a much faster pace. During the fast part the synths and guitars will battle each other with some fiery stuff before the pace slows at the end like the beginning. "Scary Circus" is a chaotic free-for-all with everyone getting in their shreds. "The Falafel King" has a cool eastern flavor courtesy of what I believe is the 8-string Lute in the credits. "Sexy Beast" is probably my least favorite, lots of spacey feedback and jamming but little direction or melody. "Ukab Maerd" (Dream Baku backwards) first half is more raucous jamming but the second half goes back to the Ascension style weirdness with nightmarish effects and more of the dreamy voices. "The Red Thread" is the longest track and my opinion a sadly forgettable closer. They really sound like they're just coasting on this track.
In reading about Baku on the Web there are many people who feel this album is DK's finest album. I am not among them. While there are some really decent sections and nothing that is truly awful, Baku just doesn't excite me in nearly the same way as The Devouring. I just love the melodies and feel of the Devouring. Baku is every bit as good technically but it doesn't grab my heart. Despite some good moments, sorry to say I find the experience of this album a bit nondescript. Fans only.
PROG REVIEWER
"Dream Portal" is very pleasant sounding with soaring guitar melodies. Lots of synths as well, in fact there are plenty of synths throughout this record. A childs voice can be heard 3 1/2 minutes in. The guitar continues to soar. "Hungry Ghost" is darker and heavier to start with. Lots of synths again. The guitar sounds great 2 minutes in. A change 4 minutes in as we get some splendid drumming and guitar. It turns jazzy before 5 1/2 minutes before going back to the previous soundscape after 6 1/2 minutes. "Chimera Moon" for me is the most outstanding song on here by a wide margin. It opens with some amazing atmosphere for almost 2 1/2 minutes when vocal samples and drums come in. It gets more powerful as the guitar lights it up. More samples and mellotron 6 1/2 minutes in.
"Heads Of Ni-Oh" opens with soaring guitar and synths as drums beat steadily. A change 1 1/2 minutes in as it gets heavier with some blistering guitar. Nice. Organ 3 minutes in. The tempo slows down 6 1/2 minutes. Great tune. "Scary Circus" opens with carnival-like sounds before the song kicks in after 1 1/2 minutes. Some excellent guitar. "The Falafel King" opens with an almost mandolin-like sound as drums pound away. Guitar comes in and trades off with the other stringed instrument. "Sexy Beast" has a powerful intro but it settles quickly as a heavy undercurrent with synths takes over. "Ukab Maerd" features some electronics and synths early. Lots going on after 3 minutes then it calms down. It gets experimental 5 minutes in and samples come arrive. Steve Roach helps out with the ending with some guitar atmospheres. "The Red Thread" has a good heavy rhythm to begin with. Organ 2 1/2 minutes in. Guitar a minute later. Guitar is back 6 1/2 minutes in as synths follow.
Hard to put a finger on it exactly, but this is an album that I don't want to play again when it's over.
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
Dream Portal is a slow piece that fails to build up to an interesting atmosphere, the melodies are a bit too obvious and repetitious for that. Hungry Ghost is better. The dark mellotron over heavy bass brings Anekdoten's Vemod to mind. Or should I say Magma? As Da Futura is an obvious influence. They dive into a funky Ozrician groove that serves to contrast with the threatening Magma parts. It doesn't work all too well and the jam is slightly predictable.
And so it goes on, while generally enjoyable, the album is just too unremarkable. It serves as a good touchstone for the 3-star rating though.
Latest members reviews
The most eclectic prog-band I have ever heard along with Swedish band Ritual. Most instrumental prog-bands are perfect and, what is more important, individual. Djam Karet is no exception – their sound is very peculiar, divergent and like nothing on earth. A Night For Baku is an excelle ... (read more)
Report this review (#160501) | Posted by Paper Champion | Friday, February 1, 2008 | Review Permanlink
Mediocrity in songwriting disguised in hot-shot improvizational acrobatics. It's a thin disguise, though. You can see right through it. Melodically clumsy in many places where better melodies might have made a world of difference. ... (read more)
Report this review (#19154) | Posted by EMinkovitch | Wednesday, March 16, 2005 | Review Permanlink
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