Rebelskamp
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Rebelskamp is a band from San Jose, CA that stormed onto the scene in 2011, when they decided to take their “Natasha’s Garage Sessions” (weekly psychedelic improv jam-rock sessions held in a close friend’s haunted Garage) sound to the main stages of San Jose, the Bay Area, and beyond. The core members have remained the same since inception, with a few minor changes through the years. The current Rebelskamp line-up consists of the 3 Huelsenkamp brothers – Jesse, aka Gee Willikers (vocals & guitar), Jeremiah Lee, aka Verse (bass guitar), and Justin (synth/samples/effects), includes Dan Gilardoni (drums), Juan Maserati (keys), and features Kenny Bundy (sax), Jeremy Deneau (lead guitar), whose guitar work appears on their first two releases, and Drew Zwijsen (Droo Zee of FTB) who is known to feature in live sessions on rhythm guitar for the Kamp. Stylistically, their music has a genre of its own, because of its fluid nature. The vibe of the music is known to fluctuate from Funk to Psychedelic Rock to Blues, and into Soul, and while the players also pull from subtle elements of Hip-Hop, Reggae Dub, and Jazz, they manage to seamlessly blend the moods, influences, and sounds smoothly into one. Rebelskamp is known to play off of the energy surrounding them, and to be able to create a sound to suit that environment, kind of like the chameleons of music, you might say. To try to encapsulate the overall musical style with a name, we like to call it “Slump Funk”. Rebelskamp prides themselves on their impromptu unwritten jam style, which is the core basis of their spontaneous songwriting, and is ultimately fueled by improvisation. One member starts a creative idea, the next one plays off him, and so on, and thus the song is created out of thin air, like magic, without much discussion. This format allows for their songs to be free & made up virtually on-the-spot, and to take shape all their own. All members contribute and there is no one songwriter. The result is a timeless, vintage, and inimitable funky sound. With Gee Willikers’ high-pitched, vibrato-laden, haunting falsetto voice lacing over their unmistakable bass riffs and keyboard grooves, with solid drum-beats
and spaced-out sound effects and textures, Rebelskamp has made a huge mark in their local scene, and is now poised to make moves. Rebelskamp first independently released “The Kill” in 2013, to local acclaim, which they immediately followed up in 2014 with their second release, “InTentCity”. This release got them more widespread attention and landed them a slot on the 2014 Vans Warped Tour, as part of the “Yo! Bring It Back” Tour. In early 2017, a third album entitled “Zaeliens” was released, an epic local musical collaboration, featuring over 10 talented guest musicians from their native San Jose, including poet Mighty Mike McGee, Guitarist/Singer/Songwriter Cado Dos Santos, Nehal Abuelata of Sweet Hayah, April Gee of ContainHer, Singer Genevieve Primavera, Singer/Songwriter Adira Shark, Sean Blak, Droo Zee of FTB, Cellist Natasha Littlewood, Mr. Philthy of Philthy Dronez, and Phil Zigler of Relapse.
