San Francisco Voice

If you haven’t heard of Karmacoda, then you aren’t quite tuned into the live electronic music scene in San Francisco, because this band has been around since 2001, performing throughout the area (and elsewhere).  The band cites as their objective, “to create music to reflect the emotion of a specific time and space in our modern world”.  They go beyond achievement of that objective, not only creating that music but doing so in such a listener-friendly manner so as to elicit emotional reactions from those who hear their songs.

Karmacoda is, at heart, an electronic music band, but what gives the band their infectious emotion is their forays into experience with other forms of music.  With trip hop, pop, rock and even some jazz acting as the icing on their electronic cake, Karmacoda created for themselves a San Francisco following which has eagerly awaited their long-time-coming third album.  The just-released album, Illuminate, brings all of the old Karmacoda to the table and gives it a tinge of punk edge.  With twelve tracks to show off the four piece band’s array of musical talent, Illuminate grabs you from the beginning and demands that you pay attention.

I haven’t yet had a chance to check out a live show, but the impression that I get from what I’ve learned about Karmacoda is that the live stuff appeals to multiple senses.  The group is a highly visual group with music which translates well to the numerous film and television soundtracks that they have been heard on, and as they grow musically, they continue to blend the mediums of music and film.  With Heather Pierce’s vocals being the ear-catching thing that sucks you in and the rest of the band contributing equally to polish off their complete sound, Karmacoda paints a lyrical picture infused with images which your mind wants to wrap itself around.  The band plays again in San Francisco at 330 Ritch on April 7^th, but you can hear their stuff ontheir website or on MySpace before then.

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