Soldh Ahlström and Marta Pettersson aka I Am Karate, our favourite Swedish martial arts namechecking electrop duo (ok, we admit, the only Swedish martial arts namechecking electrop duo we know of, but that still makes them our favourite, even if it’s in a list of one) return today with a video for new track Elevate. Rather like yesterday and the video from Låpsley it’s partly another ‘going for a walk in the woods’ film, which makes us wonder if going for a walk in the woods is going to be the next big thing in pop music? However this walk in the forest is a little darker and creepy with references to mythology. There’s masks, dark cloaks, fireworks and a man with a giant birds head; maybe giant birds heads are also going to become a thing in pop music, after all, we’ve already had giant budgie heads (here). Of course odd visuals are one thing, but what we also need is a tune. Thankfully we have one. Elevate (the song) is a rather romantic, accessible and sumptuous piece of electronic pop, some miles away from the oddness of the video. I Am Karate - Elevate (Video)
The martial arts generally get short shrift in pop music. Of course there was Kung Fu Fighting, a number 1 hit single in the UK for Carl Douglas back in the 70’s as well as The Beatles Hey Judo (chortle, sorry it’s the best we could do) but other than that we’re struggling to think of any black-belt combat related tunes or groups. That is until today, as we introduce Sweden’s I Am Karate. The Stockholm based duo have been picking up a small amount of blog coverage over the last few days due to their bewilderingly good Rae Morris channelling song Bloom, which mixes piano keys, soft electronic hues and beats to create something you might just go a bit head over heels for. However, don’t immediately pigeon hole Erika Soldh Ahlström and Marta Pettersson, who are I Am Karate, as just Morris copyists; because their debut EP has more diversity than that, displaying different aspects of their contemporary pop sound. There's vast pop-noir in the form of Moment and another track Starts With A Hit sounds like if it was given to Rihanna and beefed up with some glossy studio production would be exactly what it says in the title. Alongside their music I Am Karate are presenting themselves in a way that at first might seem a bit odd especially if you’re one of the boring ‘real music’ gang who doesn't get the concept that pop is as much about visual representation as it is the songs. For here we find I Am Karate having a dip in the swimming pool. But those of you well versed in everything aquatic will know that there’s been a long history of pop stars taking the plunge, whether it is in the bath (see here) or in the swimming pool (see here). We can only guess that with all these sporting references, I Am Karate are not only providing good musical health for the ears, but reminding us to keep the rest of our bodies in check as well. I Am Karate - Bloom
