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Karin Park
Apocalypse Pop (April 7, 2015)

Karin Park — Apocalypse Pop (April 7, 2015)

  Karin Park — Apocalypse Pop (April 7, 2015)Karin Park — Apocalypse Pop (April 7, 2015) ♣   “... naděje a vášeň znamenají pro mne hodně.” (Karin Park)
♣   Je to jemná sbírka písní, které mají svůj příbytek hlouběji v temnějších koutech elektropopu se spoustou hudebních odkazů. Líbí se mi celková produkce alba. An album that expands the rules of pop — outstanding from start to finish.Born: September 6, 1978, Djura, Sweden
Location: Bergen, Norway
Album release: April 7, 2015
Record Label: Oblivion (SPV) / State of the Eye Recordings
Duration:     46:33 + 26:29 => 73:02
Tracks:
01. Look What You’ve Done     3:40
02. Shine     4:56
03. Life Is Just A Dream     3:25
04. Stick To The Lie     3:56
05. Whipped Cream Silver And Pearls     3:49
06. Opium     3:56
07. Human Beings     3:00
08. Daemons     4:11
09. Hard Liquor Man     4:29
10. Walls Are Gonna Fall     4:07
11. Shake With the Devil     3:53
12. Hurricane (feat. Pandora Drive)     3:11
Credits:
•  A&R — Jeff Powell
•  Design, Artwork — Fredrik Melby
•  Management — Jeff Powell
•  Photography by — Pål Laukli
•  Recorded by [Drums And Additional Instruments]Dan Brown, David Park, Karin Park
Notes:
Exclusive to independent record stores in the UK. Signed copies were available exclusively from the Recordstore website.
Issued in a Digipak, containing a 16 page booklet with printed lyrics. Accompanied by a free bonus 4 track remix CDR, in a clear PVC wallet with sticker on rear.
Editorial Reviews
♣   Since her last studio album ‘Highwire Poetry’; in 2012, Karin has expanded her raw talents even further from her original electro–pop–princess persona down into darker territories. New album  ‘Apocalypse Pop’ delivers just that; gloriously catchy rock–pop–synth tracks laced with deep personal lyrics.
♣   ‘I don’t want forgiveness there’s no–one to blame, like a moth to a flame’ — ‘Demons’.
♣   Karin seems to tell a story from start to finish. Every track feels like a statement and she cleverly accompanies them with a magical combination of sultry beats, buoyant drums, delicate piano, and dabbles with a touch of electronica. With titles such as  ‘Life is Just a Dream’  ‘Shake With The Devil’  ‘Opium’, and  ‘Look What You’ve Done’ the ‘apocalypse’ narrative is present throughout. Each track boasts solo personality going from strength to strength with every listen, teamed together they create a melodically brilliant collaboration of Karin’s effortless vocals and talent.
♣   The individual and intimate nature of the tracks enables an instant connection boldly exposing Karin’s torments, ‘she was the breath of air you needed to feel, whilst I was just the water on your wheel —  ‘Stick to The Lie’. Karin stands apart from other pop artists doing her music her way, the attitude in her voice screams passion and drive yet she sings with an air of untroubled content. Technically her edgy, gothic vibes shouldn’t work as a pop artist and in so many ways she isn’t. But the relation between lyrics, vocals, and beats make ‘Apocalypse’ undeniably addictive.
♣   However it isn't solely Karin who makes this album a success. Her ability to melt easily with other talent creates a recipe for magic as seen on track ‘Hurricane’ featuring renowned film maker and photographer Thomas Knights, the exploration of emotive sound meanders down the alleyways of deep dark dance.
♣   Continuing to create songs that can be released aside of an album, Karin flitters between genres throughout ‘Apocalypse Pop’ We see a variation of different themes, from dance–synth–vibes on  ‘Whipped Cream’ to seductive, basey–rock on  ‘Life Is Just A Dream&’ and progressive, animalistic, bangra influences on  ‘Hard Liquor Man’On.  ‘Let My Love Shine’ it’s Karin’s vocals and lyrical partnership that endeavor to carry the difference in tone from each track. Playfully experimenting with steel drums it leaves you relaxed at the end of an exclusive journey through Karin Park’s mind.
♣   ‘Let my love shine into the blackness of your eyes, at night when you wake up and your heart is running wild, you’ll be alright’.REVIEW
Agatha Cantrill, March 24, 2015
♣   A new definition of ‘Pop’
♣   Opening her fifth album with a powerful beat and heavy distortion, KARIN PARK asserts her authority over this latest accomplishment. Look What You Have Done, released as a single last November, ironically acknowledges in its title the return of the elusive artist. Her work is slowly building an audience and, after this latest release, it’s unlikely that she’ll stay pop’s best–kept secret for long. The entire album is steeped in intense feeling which, rather than detracting from her sound, contributes to it. While it has been created during a tumultuous period in PARK’s life and, as a result, includes some deeply personal works, KARIN PARK still lets her listener into these moments of reflection.
Authority in Artistry
♣   PARK’s beat choices, with the contributions of her drummer (and brother) David Park, are consistent, authoritative and the perfect guide for her lyrics that refuse such attempts at certainty. Her harmonious vocals in Shine are laid over a superbly synthed melody in a way that harks to her fourth album, Highwire Poetry. Placing Shine immediately after her decisive opening track, PARK demonstrates not only her diverse accomplishments but also the diverse ideas within her album. It is a mellow, romantic tune situated within the distorted parentheses of Look What You’ve Done and the despondent Life Is Just a Dream. As the album continues, KARIN PARK continuously defies expectation from track to track. The synth that opens Daemons might anticipate hallucinatory, abstract lyrics but, instead, develops into a raw beat that exposes equally raw feeling. The self–deprecatory claim,  ‘I really wanted to fuck up, like bored people do’, guides the listener through assumptions of synth-pop into a new intensity. ♣   Straight after the complexity of Daemons comes the severity of Hard Liquor Man. Here, PARK’s voice transforms into angry chants, empowering the track’s animalistic appeal. This album is meticulously thought out; while Apocalypse Pop never offers a clear intention to its listener, it is in this uncertainty, in this experimentation, that KARIN PARK exposes her diverse abilities.
A Concluding Crescendo
♣   Just as its title may suggest, her album is full to the brim with juxtaposition that, somehow, provides cohesion throughout. Apocalypse Pop may be two ridiculously contrasting concepts but, when placed side–by–side, they roll off the tongue with ease. This clever linking of contrasts finds its place within every track on the album. ♣   She structures her album in such a way that it is a rollercoaster of altering melodies and emotions. Peaks of power in both beat and sentiment, subsequently, followed by pensive troughs; but the quality is sustained across her range of sounds. ♣   As the album draws to a close, Walls Are Gonna Fall provides these contrasts within a single track. PARK draws the listener in with her isolated vocals that build to a crescendo alongside the synth; but this building crescendo denies the listener any resolution. PARK, once again, ignores and expands the rules of the ‘pop’ genre within which she has chosen to define her music. In a recent interview with NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION, KARIN PARK described Apocalypse Pop as the concluding part of a trilogy of albums. In this sense, it deserves all the accolades that are typically awaiting the final part of a series, but should have, in fact, been awarded throughout (I’m looking at you, Lord of the Rings!). In all seriousness, from operatic passion to fearless instrumental decisions, Apocalypse Pop is outstanding from start to finish. We can only hope that KARIN PARK’s popularity grows and grows along with her musical achievements.
♣   ‘Apocalypse Pop’, KARIN PARK’s impressive concluding album to a trilogy is a truly great rollercoaster of melody and emotions, fully deserving its title. ♣   http://nbhap.com/  Interview, February 4, 2013: Norman Fleischer
♣   http://nbhap.com/interviews/interview-karin-park/
Also:
Katie Hawthorne | 24 Feb 2015 | Score: ***
♣   http://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/reviews/albums/karin-park-apocalypse-pop
By Wil Lewellyn
♣   http://www.treblezine.com/reviews/23536-karin-park-apocalypse-pop-review/
By: Fredrik Schlatta Wik, Score: 8
♣   http://www.releasemagazine.net/reviews/karin-park-apocalyse-pop/
ALBUMS:
♣   Superworldunknown      (2003) NO #11
♣   Change Your Mind      (2006)
♣   Ashes To Gold      (2009) NO #32
♣   Highwire Poetry      (2012)
♣   Apocalypse Pop      (2015)TRACKS IN DETAILS:
1–01 Karin Park Look What You've Done     3:40
Ξ   Producer, Mixed by – Jim Eliot
Ξ   Written by – Jim Eliot, Karin Park
1–02 Karin Park Shine     4:55
Ξ   Producer, Mixed by – Henry Binns
Ξ   Written by – Henry Binns, Karin Park, Sam Hardaker
1–03 –Karin Park Life Is Just A Dream     3:24
Ξ   Mixed by – Neil Comber
Ξ   Producer – Dan Brown, Karin Park
Ξ   Written by – Dan Brown, Karin Park
1–04 Karin Park Stick To The Lie     3:55
Ξ   Mixed by – Andy Chatterly*
Ξ   Producer – Jim Eliot
Ξ   Producer [Additional] – Andy Chatterly*, Karin Park
Ξ   Written by – Andy Savours, Karin Park
1–05 Karin Park Whipped Cream, Silver And Pearls     3:48
Ξ   Mixed by – Neil Comber
Ξ   Producer – Dan Brown, Karin Park
Ξ   Written by – Dan Brown, Karin Park
1–06 Karin Park Opium     3:56
Ξ   Instruments, Programmed by – Dave Etherington
Ξ   Producer, Mixed by – Dave Etherington
Ξ   Written by – Dave Etherington, Karin Park, Tinashe Fazerkeley
1–07 Karin Park Human Beings     3:00
Ξ   Mixed by [Additional Mix] – Neil Comber
Ξ   Recorded by, Producer, Mixed by – Oliver Som
Ξ   Written by – Guy Chambers, Karin Park
1–08 Karin Park Daemons     4:10
Ξ   Mixed by – Neil Comber
Ξ   Producer – Dan Brown, Karin Park
Ξ   Written by – Dan Brown, Karin Park
1–09 Karin Park Hard Liquor Man     4:28
Ξ   Producer – Dave McCracken
Ξ   Producer [Additional], Mixed by – Neil Comber
Ξ   Written by – Dave McCracken, Karin Park
1–10 Karin Park Walls Are Gonna Fall     4:06
Ξ   Mixed by – Neil Comber
Ξ   Producer – Dan Brown, Karin Park
Ξ   Written by – Dan Brown, Karin Park
1–11 Karin Park Shake WIth The Devil     3:53
Ξ   Mixed by – Neil Comber
Ξ   Producer – Dan Brown, Karin Park
Ξ   Written by – Dan Brown, Karin Park
1–12 Karin Park And Pandora Drive Hurricane     3:10
Ξ   Mixed by – Jonas Westling
Ξ   Producer – Nicholas Sheldon
Ξ   Vocals – Thomas Knights
Ξ   Written by – Karin Park, Nicholas Sheldon, Thomas Knights
Bonus Remix Disc
2–01 Karin Park And Pandora Drive Hurricane (Maya Jane Coles Remix)     5:11
Ξ   Remix – Maya Jane Coles
2–02 Karin Park Shine (Hannah Wants And Chris Lorenzo Remix)     5:15
Ξ   Remix – Chris Lorenzo, Hannah Wants
2–03 Karin Park Look What You’ve Done (Wankelmut Remix)     8:31
Ξ   Remix – Wankelmut
2–04 Karin Park And Pandora Drive Hurricane (Booka Shade Remix)     7:32
Ξ   Remix – Booka Shade♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

Karin Park
Apocalypse Pop (April 7, 2015)

 

ALBUM COVERS XI.