Karma Chief US Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Long-faced Boston blues trio GA-20 deliver a swampy, bluesy take on Dolly Parton's classic, 'Jolene'. While the original Parton number's lyrics dealt in the instantly-memorable theme of a queen bee stealing the singer's beloved - "just because you can" - the original song could nonetheless be accused of obscuring the melancholic feel of the lyrics, by lending them an uptempo dance backing. GA-20 might be credited with fixing that problem here, stripping things back to a lilting blues plod, convincingly reworked into a vintage, boxy, sepia-toned context.

Review: Ghost Funk Orchestra are a mystery. Plain and simple. Dirty, soulful production, verbed and fuzzed out guitars, mysterious vocals that feel like a lost score to a Quentin Tarantino film. Here Karma Chief do thorough justice to this elusive troupe's efforts, bringing together two excellent psych-funk encounters, 'Walk Like A Motherfucker' and 'Isaac Hayes'. The A is an incredible take on, well, "ghost funk", evoking a kind of Creedence-via-Khruangbin wash, in which we can only vaguely register the lyrics as a kind of subliminal, unconscious message (they really are that drowned in echo). The B is even more dreamlike, blurring various boundaries between hallmarks of 60s exploitation film music, modern dream pop and what can only be described as math funk.

Review: Building on the success of their A New Kind of Love album back in 2022, Ghost Funk Orchestra ventures further into the realms of film music, exotica, and psychedelic surf rock with new record A Trip To The Moon.' It was written with the aim of creating a richly layered and collaged listening experience with myriad elements waiting to be discovered with each new spin, and they have certainly achieved that. Featuring fuzzy guitars drenched in spring reverb and horns arranged in a studio big band style, it offers a blend of garage rock attitude and big compositions with influences like Eddie Palmieri and Dusty Springfield to be found within. It also features real recorded transmissions from the Apollo moon missions weaved throughout the tracks as a tale is told of a woman left stranded on Earth by her cosmonaut partner.

Review: Pale Jay's latest album, Bewilderment, is once again picked apart for this new single package on Karma Chief. It features two cuts from a record which again showcased his ability to craft rich sonic tapestries that are a mix of pure bliss and deep introspection. If you haven't heard it, you should, and you will want to after hearing these two singles. The A-side is a slow disco gem for extroverts and the flip has a lovely falsetto vocal over some nice and dusty rhythms. It's got pulsing bass but laid back groove and is a perfect soul sound for those who like to dream.

Review: Well on from his startling 2021 debut 'The Celestial Suite', Los Angeles' neo soul production maestro Pale Jay has since gone on to proffer many a 7" record, of which 'In Your Corner' is the latest treat to feast your ears. Both shorn ahead of time from his latest LP, Bewilderment, 'In Your Corner' and 'Bewilderment' are pensive retro soul falsettoers, both of which feature Jay's own, longing vocals, and evince a mood of being caught in between two difficult paths in life. The A uplifts with its surrounded Hammonds and righteous get-through-it lyrics, concerning self-discovery amid self-judgment. The B-side, by contrast, tells the story of the disintegration of a family, and skews more lo-fi, vintage hip-hop.

Review: Pale Jay's latest LP Bewilderment spawns two more treasure here on this new and essential 7" from Karma Chief Records. Up first is an Afro-beat tinged cut, 'In Your Corner' with a subtly uplifting rhythm although listen deeper and you'll get locked in to the lyrics which detail an internal struggle for self-acceptance. On the flip is the album title cut which showcase Jay's signature sounds - silky falsetto over soulful harmonies and dusty hip-hop beats. This one also tell a story, this time about the breakdown of a family and the journey into self that ensues.