Karma Late Night Daydreaming
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Reviews Misc
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Tuesday, 28 November 2006 |

 Anyone who has caught Karma’s early 90’s classic ‘High Priestess’ on Nuphonic’s seminal Loft compilation will know that they displayed a touch for merging latin, folk and electronic formulas with a gentle craft and arrangement skill that marked them out as well ahead of their time. This their fourth album arrives after an extended hiatus during which time they have developed a formidable understanding of new studio recording techniques and provided theme music for a popular German TV series. It is an outstanding musical feat that deserves mainstream cross-over such as befallen artists in a similar laid back soulful vein such as Zero 7 and The Beauty Room.
The new recording techniques adopted by Karma have enabled them to move away from the sample-based productions and into the arena of music with a live feel. Natural comparisons can be drawn with the soft Tropicana of Jobim and Marcos Valle allied to the pop sensibilities of Hall and Oates, Steely Dan and The Beach Boys. This album is very much how ‘Smile’ would sound had Brian Wilson looked south to Brazil and it truly is a compliment to their production nous that parallels to such former studio geniuses are obvious. Fine performances on vocals from Michelle Amadorm on ‘Home’ and ‘Are We?’, Oezlem Cetin on ‘Father, Father’ and Jerome Stokes on the emotive ‘All you ever wanted’, carry the atmosphere and provide a depth that evoke the big band ballad era married to Italian movie soundtrack romances.
The instrumental tracks are sublime also and demand that the whole album is experienced as a whole. Wonderful music.
Rating: 4/5
Karma
‘Latenight daydreaming’ is out now on Compost Records
Words: Mark Steel
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