LISTEN: Karate Boogaloo’s “Head First” Is Refreshing Funk With Raw Emotions

Making up the rhythm section of long-time Melbourne soul favorites The Cactus Channel, ​Karate Boogaloo remind us of the beauty of coloring outside the lines; their unconventional funk is guided by a steadfast commitment to bending the rules. 

The quartet spent their early 20s recording in moldy home studios and sweaty attic recording spaces, reimagining deep funk and wonky soul into an off-kilter sound that leans heavily on cinematic themes, classic breaks, and library music. A sound delivered with a highly refined sense of inelegance, tongue-in-cheek humor, and a sometimes jarring dose of zany 21st-century surrealism. 

Soul has had a revival, jazz is ushering in a renaissance, and Karate Boogaloo is pushing a new wave of forward-thinking funk. Their latest single, the unassuming yet intoxicating “Head First,” is the definition of saying a lot with a little. Finding an instrumental band that can convey the same emotions as a revered balladeer is hard to come across, but luckily, we all just did. “Head First” is an emotional journey through subdued highs and palpable lows, with the four-piece twisting the complexity of life’s most recognizable emotions into acid-drenched guitars and swaying tempos. Picture a lone character in a vast desert as the sun rises and tints the sky with alien purples, contemplating deeply with no one to share their findings with, yet still looking over the barren land with a content smile. That is where “Head First” could take one if they surrender themselves to these intrinsic grooves, as Karate Boogaloo makes their triumphant return with an unforgettable tune.