{"id":21112,"date":"2016-06-19T11:31:45","date_gmt":"2016-06-19T10:31:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=21112"},"modified":"2016-06-20T08:59:40","modified_gmt":"2016-06-20T07:59:40","slug":"rocket-from-the-crypt-80s-indie-band-khartomb-resurface-after-more-than-30-years-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2016\/06\/rocket-from-the-crypt-80s-indie-band-khartomb-resurface-after-more-than-30-years-away\/","title":{"rendered":"ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT – ’80s Indie band Khartomb Resurface After More Than 30 Years Away"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Indie
That was then – Khartomb in 1983<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are plenty of artists who’ve had long gaps between releases – Kate Bush, David Bowie and ABC to name\u00a0but a few.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

But indie groovers Khartomb are in a class of their own, having just\u00a0reemerged with their first new release since – wait for it – 1983.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Originally part of a scene, which included a\u00a0young\u00a0The\u00a0<\/strong>Jesus and Mary Chain<\/strong>, Khartomb recorded a four-track session for\u00a0John Peel<\/strong> back in 1982, with the late\u00a0Dale McGriffin,<\/strong> drummer with\u00a0Mott The Hoople,<\/strong> on production duties.<\/p>\n

The following year they put out a single on The Television<\/strong>\u00a0Personalities<\/strong>\u2019 singer-songwriter Dan Treacy<\/strong>\u2019s Whaam! Records <\/strong>label.<\/p>\n

The single’s twin tracks,\u00a0Swahili Lullaby <\/strong><\/em>and\u00a0Teekon Warriors.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>garnered the band some music press attention and Peel continued to be supportive.<\/p>\n

But despite working on new material and recording several demos, the band failed to release any follow up material and the Khartomb name was destined to be consigned to cult history.<\/p>\n

That is until their solitary single release had a new lease of life after being rediscovered by\u00a0the new fangled world of social media.<\/p>\n

\"Indie
This is now – Khartomb today<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Blogs began picking up on the single,\u00a0founder members\u00a0Caroline Cakebread\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Ian Christie <\/strong>got back together and, after a mere 30-year gap, Khartomb were making music again.<\/p>\n

The result was a six-track EP featuring two brand new compositions\u00a0Shut It Down<\/strong><\/em> and\u00a0Cabbages and Kings<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

So after all these years, was it all worth waiting for?<\/p>\n

Well, surprisingly, yes! Ian and Caroline share a strong songwriting connection and are clearly keen to make up for lost time.<\/p>\n

Shut It Down<\/em> kicks off with their trademark jungle drums, \u00a0Caroline’s voice soaring above Ian’s chunky, choppy guitar chords.<\/p>\n

It’s a fine, well constructed single, that betrays nothing of the intervening years between their last release.<\/p>\n

Cabbages and Kings\u00a0<\/em>is an altogether more contemplative affair, with Caroline’s vocals recalling\u00a0Harriet Wheeler\u00a0<\/strong>of The<\/strong>\u00a0Sundays <\/strong>–\u00a0another band long overdue a new release.\u00a0The perfect soundtrack for\u00a0lazy Summer afternoons.<\/p>\n

The rest of EP is made up of remixes of both tracks, including radical dub electronica reworkings by\u00a0Leftfield<\/strong>-influenced Bolton-based producer\u00a0Mistrust<\/strong>.<\/p>\n