DJINN
In Islam, the djinn (or jinn) are a race of supernatural beings born of fire, believed to have an ability to change their physical forms as well as having an ability to possess humans. The story of the band Djinn, starting with three young men in a small city in South Carolina, has many parallels to these beliefs. Growing and changing into the Djinn of today has been a long process with many ups and downs but their love of music has been an ever present force throughout each stage of their career. Together they have crafted a unique style of music that combines melodic, intimate moments with bursts of explosive expression. Forming in 1999, the band began creating their own blend of rock. They spent much of their time learning how to work with each other and writing new material, paving the way to the first few gigs at small venues and festivals in nearby cities. The crowds were enthralled by what Djinn had to offer and praise for this new band began to spread quickly. Much like the jinn in Islam, the band seemed to possess their listeners with music. They began pulling crowds who, at times, could only stand in silence and let the deep guitar riffs and emotional lyrics consume them until the show was over. In 2001, Djinn began to change shape. A new member was added to the band to take on the role of keyboards/sampling. This completed the sound as dark and atmospheric soundscapes accompanied the bands moody feel. With this new addition, the bands reputation continued to grow. They began playing more shows and the crowds became larger. Becoming very active in the underground metal scene of Charlotte, Djinn shared the stage with some of the heaviest of local metal bands. They gained a reputation for being the melodic rock band who could hang with any metal group of the time. After the violence of moshing at a show, the crowd could always find their center again when Djinn took the stage. This was a good time for the band but, unfortunately, it had to come to an end. After several years of prosperity, the power of addiction became too great of a burden and their keyboardist made his departure. Djinn carried on as a three piece for a time until it was decided that a change of scenery was needed. On June 30th, 2004, Djinn packed up and headed to the west coast. They settled down in Los Angeles, CA and spent some time gaining familiarity with the city and all it had to offer. After a year of solid rehearsals, they once again became a four piece when another keyboardist from their hometown decided to follow in their footsteps and join the band. At last, Djinn began playing shows and involving themselves in the massive local scene of Los Angeles. In late 2006, one final change of shape took place. Djinn lost another member to the pressures of pursuing a dream and the spot had to be filled with someone willing to carry the torch. They found another musician who shared their dreams and musical ideas and welcome him to the brotherhood soon thereafter. They have spent the past year gaining the respect of new fans and fellow musicians alike with every show they play. With the new additions to the band, the creative ideas continue to flow and the sound is evolving with every song that is written. Djinn is continually trying to take it a step further than what they are capable of and carry their music to the next level. These four men have come together to work towards a single common goal; pushing the boundaries of music, both popular and progressive, as far as it can reach.