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Karnataka - 'The Gathering Light' - A Personal Review - by S

Simon S. Pound | England | 04/05/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been an dedicated fan of and followed Karnataka's music since their earliest days and I have lived with the much anticipated `The Gathering Light' since its release. I have no hesitation in stating that it is their 'Magnum Opus' which rewards each and every listen, revealing as it does layer upon layer of magnificently created and multi-textured music. It is in truth a Labour of Love, perfectly crafted with agonising but tender care over many years and a true testament to Ian Jones' immense courage against the odds, his drive, determination and dedication to his pursuit of creative dreams. Moreover, the oft' poignant, ever passionate 'songscapes' take the listener upon a journey from the melancholic depths of emotional despair to the sheer exuberance of unabashed joyful celebration. I can attest to the healing power of `The Gathering Light' - I've listened to little else after recovering from surgery and this profoundly inspirational album has helped me with the daily grind and rituals of long term convalescence.



I am the proud owner of the gatefold digi-pak with beautifully illustrated 12 page booklet and kudos to Ian for the original design concept and photographs taken by 'light graffiti artist' Michael Bosanko. It's a truly striking and original cover. I must especially compliment the sonic quality of `The Gathering Light' - it sounds fantastic and praise must be given to Ian's and Enrico's production skills and also to Frank Arkwright's work at Metropolis Mastering in London. We live in a label obsessed world - I abhor categorisation and do not like to merely add a meaningless, reductive 'badge' to Karanataka's music - indeed they draw on so many different influences that it is pointless to categorise their music other than to say they are `Creative' musicians.



Deciding whether or not to keep the band and indeed brand name must have been an exceptionally difficult decision for Karnataka's creative genius, Ian Jones, but in my opinion he made precisely the correct decision. Ian is far too modest to ever state this publically but he was and is Karnataka. He chose the name Karnataka for goodness sake - a tilt to one of his favourite places on our Pale Blue Dot. Moreover, he has always been the band's prime mover - he created the band, in effect manages the band, markets the band, promotes the band, writes the songs, arranges songs, produces the albums, plays bass, organises tours et al; for goodness sake even the impressive, corporate quality website is all his own work - every last line of code. This needs to be said - if Ian wishes to keep his name for his band then that's surely his Right. Let us all, therefore, celebrate a band Reborn, phoenix-like from the ashes of yesteryear.



To the music. I cannot imagine a more daring or indeed confident opening to `The Gathering Light' - not one but two instrumental suites. To my mind, this is a band wanting to make a statement. `The Calling' commences the album in contemplative mood offset with a distant but ominous rumble of foreboding thunder followed by the sustained melancholic call and response from Troy Donockley's haunting uilleann pipes set against an achingly beautiful riff. It's a wonderfully melodramatic opening to proceedings and a herald of a new start - and hope anew. The elegiac `State of Grace' showcases what this new version of Karnataka can do with a stirring, muscular riff featuring the glorious guitar of Enrico Pinna, whose work deserves extra special praise throughout the album. At times his work reminds me of the great Andy Latimer of Camel - I can think of no higher tribute. His playing is ever-restrained and as a wiser man than I once stated - it's not how many notes you play but what you do with them that matters - he perfectly understands space and pacing as well as precision - a wonderfully melodic guitarist who possesses quite outstanding technical abilities - a rare and truly precious combination of musical skills. It is, consequently, little coincidence that Enrico is at the very heart of many of the album's standout instrumental sequences.



With barely enough time to gather one's breath after such a monumental opening to the album the sounds of industrial grind and clatter heralds the album's third track - `Your World' on which we can hear Lisa Fury for the first time on a Karnataka album. Her voice is utterly beautiful, crystal clear, perfect of pitch and one senses a great power in reserve. Lisa reminds at least this listener of that underrated English songstress Judie Tzuke. I would tend to agree with the general consensus that `Moment in Time' has the distant imprint of the band's previous incarnation. Lisa hits some incredible notes during the track and I must again especially acclaim the fine melodic slide guitar of Enrico. `The Serpent and the Sea' contrasts a sad lyric with upbeat instrumentation and Lisa's lovely vocal cascades from major to minor and back again - creating great waves of emotion for the listener and check out Ian's bass work - always an under-appreciated element of Karnataka's music - much like the bass playing of one of his heroes - Mr. Michael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford!



The album's emotional highlight is, in my opinion, without question `Forsaken' - I am not afraid to say that this incredible, majestic musical statement has driven me to tears such is the power, passion and sheer emotional content of what I consider Karnataka's finest recorded song to date - perfect in its conception, exploration and execution - it captures the very essence of the indefinable magic and mystery of music's unique ability to move us. Lisa's powerful, passionate vocals sing so eloquently about love, loss but also, ultimately, of hope and jubilant rebirth. The song starts and ends gently with Gonzalo's keyboards providing a platform for the human and musical themes which this Epic track explores and after a lyric of profound grief and sadness literally explodes into an incredible series of immensely powerful, kaleidoscopic instrumental sequences - the drums, keyboards and guitars complementing each other seamlessly as the track surges ever onwards - having seen the track live I must say that it's an absolute showstopper and destined to be a centrepiece of the band's live shows for many many years to come.



`Tide to Fall' showcases Lisa's heartfelt multi-layered vocals and the band's talented keyboardist showman Gonzalo Carrera creates a great wall of swirling dervish Eastern tinged riffs and soundscapes. The title track, `The Gathering Light,' completes the album's story cycle and is an exquisitely crafted, high energy song of reflective optimism, opening with Troy's gorgeous uilleann pipes and melding to a joyous refrain, powered along by Ian Harris' ever-impressive strident drumming against yet another memorable riff from Enrico. The song has a purposeful sense of great confidence, with layer upon layer of lushly blended harmonics and bewitching use of the unforgettable central melodic refrain. To my mind the perfect, exultant live set closer.



This magnificent album has been necessarily a long time in the making and is without question the first essential purchase of the new decade. 'The Gathering Light' is quite simply Karnataka's Monumental Masterpiece.



You can find out more information about Karnataka here:

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The Gathering Light - Karnataka

brotherofmine | Belper, UK | 04/15/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Review of the new Karnataka album The Gathering Light

by Tony Grinney.

For those unfamiliar with the sound of Karnataka, they have been described as a mix of Celtic folk and progressive rock, a mix of beautiful female vocals and melodic lead guitar.

The original band had an iconic vocalist Rachel Jones who moved on to new projects along with rest of the original band. Founder Ian Jones remained both as bassist and more importantly as the main driving force of the band's characteristic sound. Finding himself on his own with a new band to form, he did a remarkable job in finding the right mix of musicians not only to retain the Karnataka sound but also to move the band to the next level.



The previous band reached the peak in the studio with Delicate Flame Of Desire, however the new band has matched and surpassed the achievements of that album by adding new and intricate sounds with the recent release The Gathering Light. The fans mourning the departure of Rachel Jones will find the voice of Lisa Fury slightly less flowery but strong and powerful with a wide vocal range, yet still able to add a gentle touch to the music. Paul Davies's harmonic guitar tones are matched by those of new guitarist Enrico Pinna. Keyboards play a more prominent role in the new band not only through Goncalo Carrera but also supporting keyboards from Ian Jones, adding an additional depth and layer to the music. New sounds included on this album are Uilean Pipes, violins, cello and viola which enhance the sounds and emotions expressed through the music.



To get a full appreciation of The Gathering Light listen with the headphones on, in that way the multiple layers of sound reach the listener more easily. The first two tracks are a sample of what is to come with two instrumental pieces, the first of which is the introduction of the Uilean pipes.



Despite the fact that the album is composed of eight separate tracks, many of the tracks contain a `bridge' (a musical link between past track and the next track) a particularly fine example occurs between Moment In Time and Serpent and Sea where there is a feeling of travelling through space. Serpent and Sea is an epic in true progressive fashion, changes in tempo, mood and rhythm.



Forsaken (a personal favourite) starts with melancholic strings, piano and gentle voice and then the uplifting sound of the guitar solo immediately bringing hope. One of Karnataka's strengths is that even with a sad song there is always a point where one feels uplifted, it's not possible to feel down after listening to this band!



Tide to Fall has a very clever mix of Western style (created by guitar and vocals) mixed with an Eastern style (created by cellos). Uilean pipes introduce the title track The Gathering Light creating a Celtic feel to the song which then subsides to the sound of flutes and a pounding guitar before being replaced by Lisa Fury's voice which on this particular track is reminiscent of previous albums, Lisa's voice has been multi tracked so that Lisa does not only have harmony with other voices in the band but also with her own. Inevitably the searing guitar sound supported by some effective piano enters the song, the piano becoming more prominent before being superseded by strings and then vocals. This track highlights the continual interlinking of the band members and the constant ebb and flow experienced in the music, the variety of musical sounds projected is vast.



This album has been a long time in coming, but it is worth the wait. The only reservation about the album is how the band will be able to surpass this album in the future!

"