Karmakanic "In a Perfect World"

For Immediate Release

June 6, 2011

KARMAKANIC TO RELEASE “IN A PERFECT WORLD” JULY 26^TH IN NORTH AMERICA ON INSIDEOUT MUSIC

AVAILABLE AS:

SPECIAL EDITION INCLUDING BONUS TRACK WITH 25MIN OF VIDEO BONUS FOOTAGE; DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR REVIEW MATERIALS: [email protected]

KARMAKANIC mastermind / bassist Jonas Reingold isn't out to re-invent the progressive rock wheel with the band's new album, “In A Perfect World”. On the contrary, in a genre that is overpopulated with artists obsessed with often inhuman instrumental fireworks, he has delivered a package that stands out for being organic, warm, and decidedly human. And while lines can be drawn to prog rock greats like Dream Theater, Ayreon and Fates Warning, it's the hints of everything from Styx to Deep Purple to The Beatles to Yes and make KARMAKANIC'S latest outing a seven course feast that will leave the listener hungry for more.

A member of prog rock cult favorites The Flower Kings since 1999, Reingold has released four albums under the KARMAKANIC banner since 2002. The band is his labor of love, where he controls all aspects of the music rather than being a hired hand; a musical release that he couldn't live without.

“KARMAKANIC is always a result of everything that I enjoy in music. I enjoy a bit of pop music, some fusion, I enjoy a bit of classic progressive rock like Genesis and those guys. I don't think much in terms of style; I just try to have fun while I compose the music. It's fun to actually do something on your own sometimes. I love being a part of The Flower Kings or any other projects I get involved with, but to actually be responsible for the whole thing - write the songs, record the album, produce and mix it - is a kick for me to do it once in a while. But, you can also get fed up with yourself if you work too much like that. Having this mix between everything is great.”

“In A Perfect World” is an unexpectedly smooth flow of musical styles from beginning to end. Steeped in an instantly recognizable '70s vibe, each of the seven tracks featured on the album have their own unique personalities without sounding mismatched. Whether it’s the opening romp of ‘1969’ or the smokey blues 10 minute outro of ‘When Fear Came To Town’, “In A Perfect World” never derails itself under the weight of its own creative genius.

“Normally I try to work with a couple themes,” Reingold explains. “The opening theme on '1969', for example, it reappears in the song a number of times in different shapes, different keys and tonalities, a different vibe, but I try not to change the ideas I'm working with too much. I try to keep a core running through the whole song. If you skip five minutes into the song it shouldn't be a different song. That's my main goal; therefore I try to keep things simple in terms of ideas. If I have three melodic themes going on I stick to them. I try not to put in too much information.”

With regards to his varied stylistic influences and the lines drawn between KARMAKANIC and artists outside of the prog rock genre – a box Reingold is quite comfortable in – he feels it’s a natural occurrence as a product of one’s environment. 

“When you're an artist / musician I think you're an antenna to the world, and that will always show. If there's a killer song on the radio that you hear ten times a day and you love it, it will show in your music. Not on purpose, of course, but that music gets stored in your head somewhere. Sometimes you're not even aware of what you're reflecting. I grew up with KISS in the '70s - they were my first main band that I was into - and even today I can hear them in my music sometimes. It’s like, 'Oh damn, that sounds like 'She'... (laughs)'. Music is a reflection of everything around you.”

This time out, however, Reingold’s big focus was on the lyrics for “In A Perfect World’s” seven tracks. As inspired as he was to write the music, without an equal amount of time spent on the lyrics he believes the album would be lacking a backbone. Because of his lyrical focus, fans will find “In A Perfect World” much stronger than any of the band’s previous releases.

“I try to write about things that concern me. We had a suicide bomber here in Sweden last Christmas, and that hit me hard because you see it on television in other parts of the world, and suddenly it was in my backyard. That kind of scared me, so I wrote a song about that. I try to find a subject that is meaningful and write about it. As long as you write something that is meaningful for you, other people will respond to it.”