I Am Karate

There are some bands you are able to fall in love with in an instant, such is the brilliance of all that plays out on the ear.

Intriguingly named Swedish duo I Am Karate are to be considered as one such phenomena, owing to the wave of rapturous entrancement that came rushing towards me as listened with purposeful intent to new single “Elevate”.

Being that the duo were a completely new listen to me, I have to say out loud these two words about them before I venture any further………NEW OBSESSION!

Totally that!

I’m not entirely knowing what type of music either Erika Soldh Ahlström or Marta Pettersson were into making before their chance meeting at a gig they were both performing at in 2014, but it is abundantly apparent that it was by no fluke that they were brought together from that point hereafter, as a unit.

A higher power was definitely at work here. All will become clear on this, when you hear for yourselves just how fluidly cohesive Erika and Marta’s hauntingly soul-stirring vocal nuances form together, to make utterly exquisite out-of-this-world music magic to savour and become divinely enamoured with. And believe me you will!

Although, the vocal performance is a strengthened one, there is an underlying vulnerability which is especially hypnotically captivating, in a way that is quite intrinsically celebrative of the dark emotional context which is lauded upon with such stirringly witchedy pop conviction.

The mystical musical tundra is given an aesthetically dark arts approached promo clip, leading the enraptured listening ear to take the stimulated visual eye, wandering off into a striking landscape of nocturnal entity steeped culture. Combining with figures of mythological presence that raise a tone of folklore embedded night-time freakishness.

The video is definitely a deliciously dark one, but “Elevate” itself is built upon an intoxicating release of lucidly basking euphoria.