Alternative Press said:
“Karuna Khyal are an altogether more psychotic proposition, quite capable of inducing frontal lobe fatigue in those lacking a hardy constitution. Great monolithic slabs of damaged, half speed Beefheartian swamp dirge, replete with squawking, overblown mouth harp, collide with undulating waves of Throbbing Gristle-esque electronic distortion, as the group stridently trudge across your neuroreceptors and eroding your sanity. Attempting to reconcile the contents of those disparate dispatches is a losing game. If there ia any thread connecting these excursions, it’s in the mantrically intoned vocals that wend their way through both of these outings; though the volatility of the vocal delivery on Alomoni 1985 renders even these ties tenuous. Suffice to say, both of these forays into the outer reaches of sound are perched near the zenith of radical innovation (Eric Lumbleau)”
From Julian Cope’s Japrocksampler:
“Karuna Khyal is a highly obscure futen street ensemble who made one outstanding limited edition LP, entitled Alomoni 1985, which was released in 1974. Karuna Khyal sounds like an exotic union between Exuma the Obeah Man, Faust, the Residents and a Foghorn Leghorn take on STRICTLY PERSONAL-period Captain Beefheart. Their sole album appears at number 19 in the Japrocksampler Top 50.”
From the Freak Emporium Catalog:
“Behold: a true hidden treasure. Buried deep in time, this obscure artifact is something of a revelation. No group information was ever given, and no production date or location is indicated, however, it would seem that this record and the “Brast Burn” LP (also reissued by Paradigm) are both by the same group of Japanese nutters and that they were both recorded in the mid seventies in Japan. But all you really need to know is that it is stone cold fantastic, a wild and manic trip full to the brim with hypnotic jams constructed from all manner of eclectic instruments. The tribal blues sound is augmented with fascinating tape experiments, electronics, environmental sounds, moaned (howled) vocals and a host of musical delicacies, as dangerous as they are delicious. The influence of German bands such as Can, Faust and Guru Guru is evident throughout, so too is the influence of the good Captain (Beefheart that is) whose gut wrenching blues dirges find compadres in this unearthed swamp. Deranged psychedelic music for anyone with a passing interest in Kraut rock, the new Japanese psychedelic scene (most of whom owe these pioneers a great debt) or great music from the edge of the solar system. This CD reissue will hopefully bring the band some deserved attention, but with a hand numbered pressing of a mere 500 it is just as likely these issues will soon become artifacts in themselves. Highly Recommended.”
Karuna Khyal
Alomoni 1985
(Voiceprint, 1974)
MediaFire DL Link
Side A (24:32)
Side B (22:30) [Edit]
