Djevara
Encyclopedia
Djevara is a multicultural hardcore punk
/alternative metal
band, based in North London
but originally formed in University of Warwick
. It started when Bass decided to start a punk rock band on joining university, in the form of the self-depreciatingly named 'Suck' as all the musicians were novices (Bass himself only picking up the guitar just before joining university). Eventually this band became 'Djevara', which Bass explains was taken from an (undisclosed) ancient language, of Eastern or Asian origin, which roughly translates as "a time or place denoting the beginning of justice and the end of intolerance". Djevara were inspired mainly by the alternative rock
phenomena of the early 90s, though the sound evolved from diverse, but very basic, punk rock with hints of Nirvana
, Green Day
and The Offspring
to a funkier sound that included influences from Rage Against the Machine
, Faith No More
and Red Hot Chili Peppers
. Whilst at university the band recorded many demos and were very popular, with success in both the local Battle Of The Bands and the National Student Music Awards.
On leaving university and after some line-up changes, Djevara quickly became dissillusioned with the mainstream industry and embraced the DIY ethic expoused by bands such as Fugazi with the example of their Dischord label, and started the Genin Records / Djevara Music DIY co-operative label, originally to release their debut album "God Is White" which was recorded at New Rising Studio by Mark Daghorn, and eventually released in 2004. The release, though small and independent, received almost uniformly positive reviews including KKKK in Kerrang! and 8/10 in Metal Hammer, and the band received radioplay on Radio 1, despite the fact that the band were completely independent and had no pluggers or PR.
At the same time, Djevara became more pro-active, organising their own tours and getting involved more actively in campaigns and benefits, notably on human rights and third world issues. Bass/Djevara organised the Kerrang!-inspired Scumfest festival in 2002, as well as a series of spin-off events. Djevara also donated (and continue to donate) a percentage of revenue from merchandise and CDs to their chosen supported causes (at time of writing : Oxfam
, Amnesty International
, The Big Issue
Foundation and TOSE Respite Care Home (Zimbabwe).
Djevara's sound also changed as members matured musically and got into more genuinely alternative/progressive bands such as Refused
, Tool (band)
, Kyuss
, Botch
and At the Drive-In
as well as deeper into the UK underground scene, developing a heavier style and more left-field tastes. While most guitar/rock bands in the UK are almost uniformly English and white, Djevara have always been multi-cultural; Bass himself, though born in Scotland, is of African descent, while various members have had ethnicities including Italian, Turkish and Canadian. The influence on the music of this diversity has recently become more pronounced.
Having conducted self-organised tours of both UK and Europe, Djevara returned to the Orange & Blue Studio in Catford, South London, where they had recorded their first demoes, to record their second album. The album Third World War : Cast The First Stone is due for release in early 2007 and the newest line-up of Djevara is due to tour in the Spring. Djevara recently started running an arts/music centre out of a warehouse in North London called The Low Fidelity Disconnect.
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
/alternative metal
Alternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
band, based in North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
but originally formed in University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
. It started when Bass decided to start a punk rock band on joining university, in the form of the self-depreciatingly named 'Suck' as all the musicians were novices (Bass himself only picking up the guitar just before joining university). Eventually this band became 'Djevara', which Bass explains was taken from an (undisclosed) ancient language, of Eastern or Asian origin, which roughly translates as "a time or place denoting the beginning of justice and the end of intolerance". Djevara were inspired mainly by the alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
phenomena of the early 90s, though the sound evolved from diverse, but very basic, punk rock with hints of Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
and The Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
to a funkier sound that included influences from Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
, Faith No More
Faith No More
Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed originally as Faith No Man in 1981 by bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist Wade Worthington, vocalist Michael Morris and drummer Mike Bordin. A year later when Worthington was replaced by keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and Mike...
and Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
. Whilst at university the band recorded many demos and were very popular, with success in both the local Battle Of The Bands and the National Student Music Awards.
On leaving university and after some line-up changes, Djevara quickly became dissillusioned with the mainstream industry and embraced the DIY ethic expoused by bands such as Fugazi with the example of their Dischord label, and started the Genin Records / Djevara Music DIY co-operative label, originally to release their debut album "God Is White" which was recorded at New Rising Studio by Mark Daghorn, and eventually released in 2004. The release, though small and independent, received almost uniformly positive reviews including KKKK in Kerrang! and 8/10 in Metal Hammer, and the band received radioplay on Radio 1, despite the fact that the band were completely independent and had no pluggers or PR.
At the same time, Djevara became more pro-active, organising their own tours and getting involved more actively in campaigns and benefits, notably on human rights and third world issues. Bass/Djevara organised the Kerrang!-inspired Scumfest festival in 2002, as well as a series of spin-off events. Djevara also donated (and continue to donate) a percentage of revenue from merchandise and CDs to their chosen supported causes (at time of writing : Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
, Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, The Big Issue
The Big Issue
The Big Issue is a street newspaper published in eight countries; it is written by professional journalists and sold by homeless individuals. It was founded by John Bird and Gordon Roddick in September 1991...
Foundation and TOSE Respite Care Home (Zimbabwe).
Djevara's sound also changed as members matured musically and got into more genuinely alternative/progressive bands such as Refused
Refused
Refused was a Swedish hardcore punk band originating from Umeå, Sweden, formed in 1991. In total the band released five EPs and three albums, before splitting up in 1998...
, Tool (band)
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
, Kyuss
Kyuss
Kyuss is a rock band, originally from Palm Desert, California. After forming in the late 1980s and releasing an EP under the name Sons of Kyuss in 1990, the band shortened its name to Kyuss. Over the next five years the band released four full-length albums, and one last split EP in 1997 with...
, Botch
Botch (band)
Botch was a four-piece mathcore band from Tacoma, Washington, United States, that formed in 1993 and disbanded in 2002.-History:The band released two full-length albums and a handful of smaller releases including several singles and an EP. Its members went on an indefinite hiatus to form Roy,...
and At the Drive-In
At the Drive-In
At the Drive-In was an American rock band from El Paso, Texas, considered part of the post-hardcore genre and active from 1993 to 2001. They were known for their extremely energetic stage shows which hearkened back to the 1980s hardcore scene...
as well as deeper into the UK underground scene, developing a heavier style and more left-field tastes. While most guitar/rock bands in the UK are almost uniformly English and white, Djevara have always been multi-cultural; Bass himself, though born in Scotland, is of African descent, while various members have had ethnicities including Italian, Turkish and Canadian. The influence on the music of this diversity has recently become more pronounced.
Having conducted self-organised tours of both UK and Europe, Djevara returned to the Orange & Blue Studio in Catford, South London, where they had recorded their first demoes, to record their second album. The album Third World War : Cast The First Stone is due for release in early 2007 and the newest line-up of Djevara is due to tour in the Spring. Djevara recently started running an arts/music centre out of a warehouse in North London called The Low Fidelity Disconnect.
Full-length albums
- "God Is White" 2004 (Genin Records / Djevara Music)
- "Third World War : Cast The First Stone" 2007 (Genin Records / Djevara Music)
- "The Rising Tide (Part 1) : Corsa Al Ribasso" 2010 (Genin Records / Djevara Music)
Singles
- FIREBRAND SERIES: "The Death of Cliff Richard", "Autism" and "The Consumer" (2006) (Genin Records / Djevara Music)