HAM (5)

In the year 1995, out the darkness of the coldest month of the coldest winter Winnipeg, Manitoba had ever seen, the birth of Ham took place. When you're half crazed from cabin fever and half dazed on cough syrup you either go outside and play hockey or stay inside and jam with your buddies. These are the conditions and circumstances, which began their journey. The sound that resulted was original. The themes of their first songs ranged from science fictional Ebonics to subliminal thought manipulation. "Synthetic Thoughts Implanted In The Threads That Weave The Fibers Of My Mind" was a mind numbing instrumental that mysteriously found it's way onto underground college mix tapes and was featured on Ham's first release. The band's debut cassette "Word Up From The Mothership" was done using a four-track recorder over a single weekend. The dent it made on the Winnipeg scene is undeniable. The phenomenon was born and the band could do nothing but support the greatness that it was so they brought it to the stage. Ham quickly established themselves as having one of the most bizarre and energetic live shows in town. Ham is famous for sometimes wearing grass skirts and tribal war paint during their live sets, which helped pave the dreamscape their fable-esque songs painted and not to mention getting a whole audience to accompany them in an improvised oral symphony of chanting. People quickly discovered that going to a Ham show was guaranteed to be a totally unique experience. In 1999, Ham released their debut CD "Boreal Imbroglio" (2Ply/Permafrost) which boasts some of the longest song titles in rock and roll history such as "Call Off The Raids! The Headless Rider Has Now Returned From Dimension X...4:43am" It has been praised by music critics across Canada and the United States and climbed to the top of the charts across Canadian college radio. "Boreal Imbroglio" continues to be a word-of-mouth underground success. Following the release of "Boreal Imbroglio" discussions of recording their next effort in France emerged. After months of planning and hard work Ham landed in Paris, France on November 21st, 2000. Most of the work took place in Nevers, France a modest city of about 50,000 inhabitants with a lot of inspirational value. With the help of highly respected French producer/musician Alban Bouquette, Ham's recording sessions were a success. With Months and Months of hard work their second CD "Embassy De Volcanoes" was unleashed on the masses on october 19th, 2002. The long awaited album immediately climbed to the top of the charts on various collage radio stations around Canada earning them a spot on Earshot's top 200 albums of May 2003. Embassy De Volcanoes continues to receive fabulous reviews by music critics across the country. Ham has played numerous shows with such notable acts such as No Means No, The New Duncan Imperials, Uz Jmse Doma, Tricky Woo, Kittens,to name a few and on April 14th, 2004 in Winnipeg, Ham was granted the opening slot for The Pixies - a sold out concert at the Burton Cummings Theater. Ham's math rock stylings will make you reminisce of the mad geniuses of the past - Polvo, Gang Of Four, Pere Ubu, Heavy Vegetable, Captain Beefheart, Truman's Water. Ham has to be heard to be believed and believed in to be heard; their innovativeness and ability to not take too seriously puts their music in a league of its own.