STRINGS FROM THE EDGE OF SOUND

We, the people who love music, must feel lucky enough to be attached to this art, not only because it is endless, but also because it has so many faces. I am happy to have been introduced to Karmamoi by Mexican fellow music lover Rosy Sánchez, because this band has been creating high-quality music during the last 15 years or so, sharing progressive rock with in which we can find hints of symphonic, neo-prog, RPI, classical music and more.

Karmamoi released in 2023 this magnificent album entitled 'Strings from the Edge of Sound', which features five compositions from their previous albums but re-arranged with orchestra, plus four (at that moment) new and original tracks, so it is a daring blend. The introductory song is 'Black Hole Era' whose first couple of minutes are quite soft, tender, with electric guitar and vocals, then new elements are being added, like percussion, bass and keyboards which also add the orchestral sound. There is the leading vocals but I love the backing vocals, creating a quite emotional atmosphere. The journey continues, the orchestral arrangements provide beautiful atmospheres which wonderfully complement the rock element, which comes in a more evident way in the last minutes in which a heartfelt guitar solo appears.

The first re-arranged song here is 'Nashira', the oldest composition here taken from their 2016 release 'Silence Between Sounds'. Piano, voice and a violin enter in a delicate way and then after the first minute drums join, it is a ballad-like track very charming to our ears and senses, however, at minute two there is a sudden change, tension is implemented and a new rhythm begins. The acoustic guitar and bass make a great job guiding the sound into our veins, while piano, keys and vocals hit us when the time is right. Of course, the work of the drums is crucial for this song's success. As normal in a prog rock band, they deliver different changes in mood and tempo whithin the same song, cutting it in passages, in chapters, which is great. Some Marillion nuances can be perceived not only here, but I believe in several Karmamoi's songs.

'Take Me Home' brings the same formula of the first moments, piano and voice in a delicate way, and then little by little the other elements are being added. The strings and orchestral arrangements are delightful, they bring a new colour palette, so the music is not only that, I mean, here we can see images, paintings, we can hear stories, book pages, so it is a rounded form of art. While the minutes pass, the music becomes more emotional, you can tell by the voice but also by the instrumentation. The work is delicate and dedicate, because with the rearrangement I believe they reached new places, new inner-worlds the band itself might not have discovered before.

'Tell me' is the second new track from this album and one of the let's-say short compositions. Though it might be catchy, I am really impressed by how detailed Karmamoi are with their music, I mean, while listening to it with good headphones you can appreciate the massive nuances and textures they bring, creating a vivid and colorful experience that satisfies the senses and the souls. This is a very good composition indeed. The last instrumental part is beautiful, guitar solo and those emotional keyboards produce a blissful sound,

A step-back to 2021 with their acclaimed 'Room 101' album, now they took that self-titled track to reimagine it with the orchestral arrangements and the result is wonderful. Guitars, strings, a delicate beginning, then vocals, bass and finally drums join and the song explodes at 1:30 adding a kind of gothic or obscure element, which spreads their creativity. More intensity is brought at minute three, one can feel the power and even want to move our heads and body, the guys know how to hit us with their salad of sounds and emotions.

'I Will Come In Your Dreams' brings piano and voice since the very first second, I imagine myself being in a small theatre or bar or cabaret embraced by a sense of intimacy and privacy, where I can close the eyes and let the music do the rest. Karmamoi brings charm here, so it is up to us to take it or let it pass.

A great contrast comes next with the amazing 'Your Name' whose strings arrangements make an impact since the very beginning. We feel the power, the energy, the aura of the track. A neo-prog feeling is released here and to my ears, this is one of the finest compositions (and re-arrangements) of this album, or at least one of my favorite moments. I love the tension created, the sensation of might, how they play with the atmospheres and even create a kind of spacey / psych-rock nuance. Impossible not to feel excited with a song like this one, so challeging, so refreshing, so emotive.

The last part of the album comes next. First it is another look back to their 2021 record, with the rearrangemen of the epic 'Zealous Man'. Yeah, maybe they use to bring the same formula at the start, cause here we can hear piano and voice in the first minutes, just like in previous songs, so why not repeating the formula if it works? Well, a minute later the song makes a first explosion, the great drums appear and also those emotional orchestral arrangements provide once again, colorful textures. I like a lot the voice, sometimes clean and sometimes with an effect that appear to be far, still, sounds very close. Another thing I like a lot is that I really enjoy both, the instrumental passages and the ones with vocals, a balanced stance. The prog element is always present, changes in time and mood, artistic lyrics, great musicianship, among other things.

And this album finishes with its title-track, 'Strings From The Edge of Sound', a two-minute ending with a soft and tender sound that provide a clear sound of goodbye. It flows, let us take a deep breath and then, it vanishes.

Hope you enjoy the journey as well.

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