Black Market Karma - 'Oozer'
London band Black Market Karma slide their way onto the nostalgic 60s psychedelia pop scene with new release Oozer.
Drawing inspiration from the likes of The Beatles and Bob Dylan, the beginnings of Black Market Karma was ignited by Stan Belton. When it comes to music, Belton is a jack of all trades; he has written, performed, recorded, and produced all of the music for the band, and up until now, has released everything from his own studio. Their new single Oozer will be part of an upcoming album, Wobble (out July 26th). Speaking on what he hopes the album to encapsulate, Stan Belton says, “Sonically, I wanted the album to feel like a collection of discarded and worse for wear instruments came to life, refurbished themselves and started to play. The sound is an attempt to give form to the often formless feeling that is nostalgia.”, and by the sounds of it, Oozer has done just that.
The single begins with strumming of a guitar, sounding as if it’s just been picked for the first time in years and had the dust blown off it; it’s warm and sentimental, perfectly mimicking the nostalgia of the 60s. It’s not long until the track bursts to life with various synths weaving their way in to make for a hearty introduction.
Belton’s voice sounds as if he’s calling from inside a telephone box in a hot country, telling you about the newfound clarity he’s found on his journeys – “Oozer is about being malleable and adaptive to life as it’s coming at you […] It’s also about recycling negative mental states through the pursuit of things you enjoy, and repurposing them as a kind of positive fuel.” The meaning behind this track is something that we can all learn from. Stan Belton’s ability to write about personal yet relatable emotions and situations is what makes Black Market Karma stand out to fans.
The plethora of instruments used throughout form a wholesome and sincere sound, featuring a slight quiver in tone and pitch to truly create that authentic vintage noise. The track feels warm and homely, and truly sounds as if it belongs on the music scene from 60 years ago. It’s the kind of song that can fit nicely into quite literally any playlist, and a staple for the lovers of the 1960s era.
With the release of their new album Wobble on the horizon, Oozer has set us up quite nicely in preparation for an album that we can only imagine will be nothing short of playful psychedelia, reminiscence, and brilliantly raw ‘cassette-ified’ tracks.
Black Market Karma begin their ‘Most Perfect Solitude’ tour on May 2nd, kicking off in the Netherlands, and stopping by in the UK for 4 special dates in mid-September.
Words by Matthew Caslin
