Karmic Boldly Declares Their Signature Sound With 'This Is Karmic' [PREMIERE]

image

When somebody mentions Austrian music, most people's minds usually jump to classical composers, not modern indie hits. Well, Karmic is here to change that perception. The Austrian-American band is releasing its groove-packed, inexplicably danceable debut EP This Is Karmic on May 31 and bringing a new movement of Euro-funk with it.

While the five-song project plays well as a collection, maintaining a fluid cadence as one track leads into the next, each of the songs on This Is Karmic possesses its own contagious pulse that will have you humming the hook to yourself long after you've turned off the music.

The album opener "Higher Self" has a plump, elastic low-end that is adorned with glittering synths across the higher registers. Guided by the steely, satisfyingly strident vocals of co-lead singers Laura Baruch and Kylee Katch, the track manifests itself as a fervid, heart-racing anthem.

image

However, if "Higher Self" is the adrenaline-charged intensity that a sprinter feels before a race, the following track "Wisdom Pie" is the warm, gooey high a cross country runner feels when they settle into a rhythm. Over a brew of laid-back drums and syrupy bass, the two singers preach, "You gotta get high with your mother/ She'll give you a slice of that wisdom pie." The steamy, strung-out funk groove is in stark contrast to the opening track, yet, somehow, the two fit together perfectly.

While the first two tracks on the album create an interesting contrast when paired back to back, Karmic also forges paradoxical harmony in the arrangements of individual songs. The fourth track on the project, "With You," is built on breezy vocal leads and Karmic's signature buttery groove that is the common thread throughout the EP. However, the band also utilizes a granular synthesizer that seems as though it would clash with the gentler elements of the piece. In reality, this synth has the same effect as sandpaper. If you lean into the grit, everything gets smoothed out.

True to its name, This is Karmic is an audacious declaration of the band's eclectic pop-funk sound. See for yourself with an exclusive first listen of This is Karmic here:

Related Articles

Fall in Love With Ama Again on Her Self-Titled Re-Introduction [Q&A]

Fall in Love With Ama Again on Her Self-Titled Re-Introduction [Q&A]

July 3, 2026 The album is a vexing combination of honesty, R&B sultriness and perspective unfolds over thirteen tracks highlighted by the smash single, "Need It Bad."
Author: DJ Connor
pop
R&B
Ama
“Don’t be a fig girl, be the tree": Julip on Being a Multi-Hyphenate, Serendipity and Her Literally Hands-on Approach to Making Music [Q&A]

“Don’t be a fig girl, be the tree": Julip on Being a Multi-Hyphenate, Serendipity and Her Literally Hands-on Approach to Making Music [Q&A]

July 3, 2026 ”The concept of only being able to pick one fig, I think that’s very limiting and it doesn’t always have to be the case”, says New York based, multi-hyphenate artist julip.
Author: Daniela Waizel Rule
pop
Brothel In Belize Explore Modernity Through Modular Synths in Album, Machine Machine [Q&A]

Brothel In Belize Explore Modernity Through Modular Synths in Album, Machine Machine [Q&A]

July 2, 2026 The album explores the omnipresence of machinery, and how modern life is intertwined with the mechanics, sonically navigated through modular synths and inventive musical hardware.
Author: DJ Connor