we present the latest of many psychedelic offerings served up since launching this magazine, which is always an enticing affair when the subject matter concerns UK power pop / psych rock outfit Black Market Karma, which revolvies around songwriter Stanley Belton. It’s been just short of a year since we introduced our readers to ‘Dead Trajectory’, the first single from their fabulous ‘Aped Flair & Hijacked Ideas’ album, which was released in mid-2022. Definite recommended listening, as is the single that we present to you today.
Their latest single does not disappoint – ‘Wonky’ actually sounds nothing like any of the other tracks on their latest ‘Friends In Noise’ album, which is largely due to the strong presence here by Craig Dyer of iconic psychedelic rock duo The Underground Youth.
“Craig and I became pals during the nascent days of our bands. I remember that the kind of music we loved and wanted to make felt somewhat dead at the time, so it was special to come across groups like TUY and connect in that way. He’s a good dude and a wicked lyricist. We’ve both been at it for over a decade since those early beginnings and it’s really nice to have this collaboration out together. It really is a perfect blend of both our groups. I dunno why we didn’t do it sooner,” says Stanley Belton.
Craig Dyer adds, “In the hazy days during which I started my project, many years ago now, before live shows and a global following, I found like-minded individuals and bands in a small online community. One of those individuals was Stan and his band Black Market Karma. Fast forward to a different time, years have passed and the both of us are still creating music under our long since chosen monikers. In a perfect celebration of that, Stan approaches me with his idea to collaborate on a song. I dig into the vaults of myself to produce something reminiscent of the period in which our bands began and the music that inspired those beginnings. The result was ‘Wonky’, a perfect blend of 50% Black Market Karma and 50% The Underground Youth.”
Black Market Karma adds some much needed colour to this world with a carousel of jingle jangle and distorted wobble with flavours of psychedelia, fuzzed out tones and thumping grooves. The band’s eleventh full-length album ‘Friends In Noise’ – the band’s 11th long-player – is a collaborative album rooted in friendship. Recorded over nine years, it was released via London boutique label Flower Power Records.
Earlier, the band previewed the ‘Heady Ideas’ rework by Swedish cosmic mastermind Joakim Åhlund of Les Big Byrd, packed with slamming breakbeats, analogue filters and krauty synths, the single ‘The Sky Was All Diseased’ with iconic vocalistTess Parks, and ‘Aping Flair’ with Ruari Meehan (Tess Parks & Anton Newcombe andBelakiss). This album also involves fellow LondonersThe Confederate Dead.
‘Friends In Noise’ is out now, available digitally via Apple Music, Spotify andBandcamp, and on 180-gram coloured vinyl, along with their latest ‘Aped Flair & Hijacked Ideas’ LP. In August, Black Market Karma will also release the output from the recent collaboration with Pete Kember (aka Sonic Boom) of Spacemen 3, which can now by ordered at https://bit.ly/3r5BALP
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