New year, new me, yada yada. Chances are that the same shit that troubled you last year will continue to do so during this one as well, unless you do something about it. While I understand the notion of new beginnings and all that can be empowering to some, let it not be forgotten that what goes around comes around, for better or for worse. Coincidentally, today’s premiere aptly reminds you of that as well.
KARLA KVLT is a new and rather novel noisy doom/post-rock trio gearing up to release their debut album Thunderhunter via Exile On Mainstream on February 21, and today we’re glad to present to you the crushing lead single “Karma” off of it, together with its accompanying, eye-catching visual counterpart. So sit tight, prepare to be aurally blasted off from your seat, and hit play from below;
Having been formed by Markus E. Lipka (also of Eisenvater fame) together with his son Johann Wientjes and his daughter-in-law Teresa Matilda Curtens, KARLA KVLT is certainly a family effort yet by no means resembles a sonic Sunday brunch. Or well, depends on whether or not you actually wish to enjoy yourself or not, and in the former’s case I’d imagine having “Karma” play as the backdrop would make that occasion all the more worthwhile for many. After all, a gathering — family or otherwise — rarely suffers from an exquisite soundtrack, and KARLA KVLT are providing exactly that.
Regarding the song, the band says the following;
‘With “Karma”, we tried to create an interplay of driving rhythms, spherical vocals and a dark ambience that oscillates between attraction and unease. The song is accompanied by a handmade shadow theatre, staged by Teresa, in which the mystical figures on the album cover are brought to life.‘
“Karma” opens up with a brooding build-up based on a steady, percussive drum pattern and seeping feedback noises, establishing the musical frame quite well right from the get go. Amassing flesh around its bones constantly, the droning ambiance turns quickly into a quite hypnotic one after Curtens’ vocals chime in, and KARLA KVLT carries the listener to their own musical vortex with ease. The walls of sound cave in towards the end without a clear intent of letting go, concocting a positively torturing mood only emphasized by effected vocals that beckon you to descend somewhere murky and lightless alongside them. The accompanying video is also a breath of fresh air, as the leisurely advancing shadow theatre is both magnificent to look at and unbelievably ominous as it is, providing further punch to the music itself.
As said, KARLA KVLT are releasing their debut Thunderhunter next month, and you can and should pre-order it either via the label’s official shop or Bandcamp. Go throw the trio a follow on Instagram as well while you’re at it.
Promo photos by Aylin Sengül
