Roots and Influences

"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.