Today brings the release of one cool cat of a track – an upbeat slice of the best (sonic) life, presented to us on a silver platter by London psychedelic pop artist Black Market Karma andSwedish stellar soundcrafter Joakim Åhlund of Les Big Byrd (also known for his work with Caesars, Smile and Teddy Bears. ‘Heady Ideas’, a BMK fan favourite, is cleverly forged into a groovy drum-led dancetastic remix of the same ilk as Chemical Brothers’ famed collaboration with Tim Burgess (you surely remember that one) and also somewhat recalling The Stone Roses.
Packed with slamming breakbeats, analogue filters and krauty synths, this track is on the band’s eleventh full-length album‘Friends In Noise’, a collaborative album rooted in friendship. Following 2022’s ‘Aped Flair & Hijacked Ideas’ LP, the new record was recorded over nine years and released via London boutique label Flower Power Records.
Revolving around songwriter Stanley Belton, Black Market Karma colourized this world with a carousel of jingle jangle and distorted wobble with flavours of psychedelia, fuzzed out tones and thumping grooves. With a thick and colourful sound channelled through vintage equipment, their music is rooted in 60’s guitar and pop music, other influences include folk, blues, lo-fi electronica, alt pop and soul.
“This remix is one of the earlier contributions to Friends In Noise. We’d just returned from a short tour of Ireland alongside Jocke’s (Joakim Ahlund) band Les Big Byrd when he dropped me a message one night saying “fancy a remix? My answer was an immediate yes because I knew he’d do something cosmic to it,” says Stanley Belton.
“He was digging the then brand new ‘Heady Ideas’ (sort of a BMK classic these days) so I sent him the audio files and he sent me back this absolutely slammin’ remix with a heavy break beat and these arpeggiating synths. I dug it big time and in return I did my own remix of their song ‘War In The Streets’, which also ended up on the record”.
Earlier, Black Market Karma released ‘The Sky Was All Diseased’ with iconic vocalistTess Parks and ‘Aping Flair’ with Ruari Meehan (Tess Parks & Anton Newcombe andBelakiss). This album also involves The Underground Youth andThe Confederate Dead. More recently, Stan completed a collaboration withPete Kember (a.k.a. Sonic Boom) of Spacemen 3, which will be released in spring 2023.
“I loved that tune from the first time I heard it. Reminds me of a Tibetan death chant. Same chord all the way through and that nice droney vocal. I put some quite heavy, almost military marching band drums on it and then put it all through an anologue filter I had back then but lost when I moved studios. Wish I still had that, sounds pretty brilliant to me. That fast arpeggio is a Juno 60. Nice,” says JoakimÅhlund.
‘Friends In Noise’ is out now everywhere digitally, including Apple Music, Spotify andBandcamp. It can also be ordered on 180-gram coloured vinyl, along with their latest ‘Aped Flair & Hijacked Ideas’ LP. Having recently wrapped up tour dates with The Black Angels, the band continues touring throughout March. Tickets can be ordered here.
TOUR DATES
March 15th TOURS, France – Le Bateau Ivre (for No New Fest)
March 18th MANNHEIM, Germany – Alter
March 19th KUSEL, Germany – Kinett
March 21st KOLN, Germany – Sonic Ballroom
March 22nd ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands – Kaapse will’ns
March 23rd EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands – Effenaar
March 24th ARNHEM, The Netherlands – Willemeen
March 25th GHENT, Belgium – Kinky Star
March 28th TROYES, France – Le Message
March 30th MACON, France – Matilda
March 31st PARIS, France – Le Supersonic
Tune in, Light up and Trip out with Black Market Karma
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