Monday, November 3, 2008

Covered

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"imitation is the highest form of flattery"


Life without music is simply unacceptable, unimaginable and impossible. Life without notes and harmony would mean nothing. Music has various purposes in each and everyone of us. You may not notice it but it works its magic upon every soul on this planet that we live in. It lifts us up whenever we feel down, it encourages us when no one would, it speaks to us when no one listens, it accepts us when everyone rejects, it understands us in a way that no one can, it gives us hope even though everything else fails, it gives us strength to achieve and move on, it helps us find whatever that is lost and it even reminds us of how beautiful life is and there's never ever a reason to end it. Quite simply put, it's simply miraculous and unexplainable. We all grew up listening to songs that basically molded up the very foundation of our character and outlook in life. Whatever the genre is, you simply connect to the music mainly because it speaks to you. Bands all have their signature and original hits that have shook the whole world upon its release. These are the songs that you would hum to when you wake up, or going to school or while in the shower or while on a cigarette break and so on and so forth. You have to admire the lyrical and musical talent for creating such masterpieces. This achievement however is not done overnight; well unless you're that talented but under normal circumstances, it takes a lot of time, inspiration and patience to finish one decent and meaningful song. Who said that rockstars have fun all day? Not when they're on the drawing board. This is why our next point of discussion is to explain why bands do covers.

Cambojam has been doing covers from the beginning mainly because they wanted to make acoustic interpretations of songs that they love to groove to and of course they haven't really ventured into writing their own stuff at this point; well at least not yet. The band, being the music lovers that they are grew up with various heroes that they love to mimic and play to show their appreciation for their craft. This explains the various flavor of the band. They would normally play music that has an impact on them and sharing it with the crowd and also play music that their audience would appreciate. The reason for doing covers is to try and experiment on various sounds and interpretations and then later on find and apply their own sound. The band admits that there are a lot of great songs to cover and quite simply said imitation is the highest form of flattery. Cambojam owes it to these great bands the very reason why they play music and is only but right that they cover their songs as a straight and simple way of paying homage and respect; besides it might take years to have a great hit so until then the band will keep the love alive through their various cover songs. Do watch out for their original songs to be posted here soon.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Acoustic or Electric?

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"beauty is found in its simplest form"

Bands normally give out their best performance every time during live concerts. People enjoy going to live concerts mainly because they want to feed off the energy from the band. Do you remember bobbing your head whenever you hear a solo guitar rips out killer licks? or whenever the drummer gives you a pound for pound drum solo? do you also remember the time where in you close your eyes and groove every time the vocalist nails a high pitched note or when the bass player gives you slap and sliding beats? For sure there are the moments that you connect with the band. A high octane performance combined with showmanship, stage effects and a good crowd always end up in a rocked out performance. The joys of playing live is indeed one hell of a feeling. It's so good that that you just forget about the world and drown yourself in the music. This is how powerful a live set can be.

Bands always have the tendency to go plugged and rock out with different gadgets and effects that electronically create various sounds and styles. It will always depend on the members on what kind of sound they will produce but in general, bands have always depended on technology to further innovate and fuse different sounds to create music. This is not the case for Cambojam.

Cambojam, from the very beginning chose to play acoustic sets. The reason being is that they wanted to create an atmosphere that is laid back, relaxed and a fitting compliment to the aura of Siem Reap. Despite the bands' previous musical experiences, they have decided to take a shift from their normal sessions and trim it down back to basics. The band has experimented on various song genres and have transformed it acoustically. Why acoustic? When you play a song in its acoustic form, you get to appreciate the harmony, the arrangement and the voice that make you appreciate a song even further. There are a lot of great songs all over the world but truth be told, a lot of them got even better when they had acoustic versions. Breaking a song into its simplest form is not an easy task but when achieved, creates a totally new sound experience. It's a different kind of adrenaline. It's raw and so plain that it gives you musical satisfaction to a new level. This is the reason why the band enjoys playing acoustic sets. It's a different kind of high for them. the band feeds on this type of energy. Living in Siem Reap can be tiring and exhausting and at the end of the day, you need something to chill out to and relax. Try listening to acoustic songs when your tired or just chilling. Believe me it makes a difference.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The Name Game

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"our name is our music"

Call it tradition or a curse but for some reason, it's always hard to find a name for a band. A band's name; as it's traditional purpose is needed to create an identity for the group and for the public to identify them. As generations have passed, band names were simple then became complicated. Over the years, we have heard various band names that are catchy, plain and easy. As time went on, names started to get complex, hard to read and were in foreign languages already. The world would always follow a fad if there's a new trend that is being set and as band names were soon becoming tools of marketing, the more bands tried to create names that nearly sounded like brands or corporate companies. Completely pointless if you look at it but to be able to define a band is more than just names, its a combination of things. In choosing a band's name, it has to basically give the public an idea or a clue of how the band would sound like. International bands from all over the globe have been successful in doing so by associating their music with their names although sometimes the case may not be always like this. There is no real secret in finding a good name for a band. The best way to do it however is to make a list of ideas from every member and then discuss it as a group. Make sure the name feels comfortable and does justice to what kind of music you play.

Cambojam had a long list of names before they settled with their current identity. Truth be told, the band was actually known as Jessie and the Singing Tree Band (to show their appreciation to the place where they all met) in the beginning then eventually evolved into FOURPlay then later on found out that this name was already in use and it was quite hard for them to tell their name to minors so immediately, the band had to replace their name to avoid any confusion whatsoever. The band had various ideas from one another and the list was long and hilarious to be exact. Six Stringed Samurai, Bar Street Acoustics, After Work, Tits Ahoy, Cocks and Rubbers to name a few. Some were good, but most of them were vulgar in a comedic way. So the search continued until it all came down one morning when everyone decided to try out and go for the name CAMBOJAM. The name itself is self explanatory. They are a group of expats currently residing in CAMBOdia and they formed a group to be able to JAM with one another. It's not a fancy name but it works. Local people thought they we're called CAMBODIANS but it just has the same ring to it. Pretty much this is the history of the band's name and how it is connected with their music. Their mission is to jam and create music with other musicians and interpret songs with their own arrangements. How do they sound like? Try to watch them live.

Roots and Influences

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"we are what we play"


Every band needs to create their own sound to be able to distinguish themselves amongst others. Finding your signature sound is just as hard as finding a name for your group. This challenge however, is where the interesting part normally is. How does one define their sound? Basically, you go down to your roots and influences. You have to dig deep within you to uncover what kind of musical genre you are really inclined to. You have to know what kind of music did you grow up with. Be it rock, pop, classical, reggae or just about anything else, it's very vital that you distinguish and pinpoint your very own personal musical taste. The reason being is that if you're playing music that you really like, then rest assured that you're always at your peak performance. If you play a song that really speaks who you are, then people would respond and further appreciate what you're doing and thus being able to really entertain. Influences play a big part in every musician as it basically defines the very foundation of their playing skills and abilities. We've all looked up to our band heroes as we grew up and quite simply they're the very reason why we decided to learn how to play an instrument. Your musical influence pretty much tells you what kind of music you would normally be playing.


Cambojam had to face this challenge in the beginning. The band itself is an interesting mix of culture and sound. Coming from different parts of the globe, the band had to fuse 4 musical tastes into one progressive sound.

To better give you an idea of how Cambojam sounds, let's take a look at their brief musical history:

Jessie is more inclined to R&B, songs from the heart and power ballads that are heavily influenced by American and Filipino artists. Having played with a pop group in the Philippines, her music is more mainstream and has a strong mass appeal. Jessie's sweet voice creates a warmth and mood that is very pleasant and comforting to listen to.

Fabien is a very versatile guitarist. Mainly influenced with European rhythms, he is quite expressive and very impressive whenever he does his solo licks and playful riffs. Having jammed with musicians all over France and across the globe, Fabien was able to create his own distinct style by combining jazz, blues, reggae and classical style that creates an upbeat and positive sound.

Brett is very much into blues and reggae. He is known as the slide master as he uses his bottleneck effectively on songs that you won't expect to hear a slide riff. Having played with a blues / reggae band in Australia, Brett's riffs creates a sound that you can groove and chill out to. In addition, Brett is also a bass guitar player and is very creative with his lyrics that makes him a very well rounded musician. The sound he produces is laid back and relax.

Kilo is pretty much the opposite of the three. His main influences would be punk, rock, gothic, emo and alternative. Having played with a rock / metal band in the Philippines, his sound is more dark and angst driven. He is the testosterone of the group. The typical guy who would jump on stage and do a stage dive if he can. His riffs would be noticeably on minor chords and has a strong inclination to what we call rebel music. The sound he creates are nostalgic and melancholic.

From the above given facts, the band needed to create something out of these musical backgrounds. Being able to fuse sound to create a better or a new one is not an easy task as it should appeal to the preferences of the other members and also keeping in mind the reaction of the listeners as well. In the end, Cambojam is acoustically taking various musical genre and covering it uniquely with their own personal styles creating a sound that is basic and yet melodious. How do they sound like? That's for you to conclude.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

One Fateful Sunday

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"When the music calls, you have to answer"

Cambojam was actually formed at this local garden cafe by the Wat Bo area called the Singing Tree. Fabien, Brett and Kilo all met there - for the first time. It was rather surprising to see them when they met up as the three was an interesting mix of a French, an Australian and a Filipino Guitarist. People had no clue with regards to what kind of music they'll produce. After their short introductions to one another, the three men wasted no time, tuned their guitars and started playing immediately. It was an instant hit! 

They played like they've known each other before. They were surprisingly in tune and in sync with one another. It turned out to be a great and progressive Sunday afternoon that continued constantly. Every Sunday was interesting. The chords and the riffs were all flowing smoothly. It was harmonious. It was clear to them that they needed to form a band sooner or later. The plan was laid out and the practice sessions were ongoing but eventually, the band needed a voice; something to compliment the three's catchy and innovative riffs; and this is where Jessie came into the picture. Brett and Jessie were actually playing a gig at this Irish Pub called Molly Malone's. Jessie was invited to try out and sing for the band one day and just like that, she blended in perfectly and thus the band was formed. This is where it all began. 4 individuals, 4 different influences, 4 different voices, 1 musical passion. They are CAMBOJAM.

The music called upon them. Everyone had their own careers during the day but its the passion and love of music that brought them together to play gigs and share their music to everybody. The band doesn't play the music but it's the music that plays the band (excerpt from Bamboo). It's more than passion. It's an addiction. It's an obsession.