Genre/Influences: Dark-Wave, Shoegaze, Dream-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Italian formation Karma Voyage strikes back unleashing their debut full length which has been released as a collaborative production between Shyrec (Italy) and Icy Cold Records (France).

Content: Just as for their previously released and self-named EP the band mixes different influences together. From Dark-Rock/Wave to Shoegaze and Dream-Pop the songs are driven by impressive guitar play, now and then injecting a Psychedelic touch to the work. The vocals create a heavenly sensation which is perfectly matching with the sound production.

+ + + : Karma Voyage has seriously improved most details of the production. The album takes off in a terrific way featuring a succession of great, accomplished, songs. The guitar injects a true spirit which is merging 80s elements together with a Dark-Wave touch. I even got the sensation to get in a trance when listening to “Em”, “Circles Sides” and “New Foundations”.

– – – : Just the very last part of the album can’t convince me a similar way; the songs becoming a bit more predictable for being linear.

Conclusion: Karma Voyage brings a great and creative work of 80s influences they adapted into a personal production.

Best songs: “Em”, “Circles Sides”, “New Foundations”, “Shine”, “Branches Of An Old Ash”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/Karmavoyageband

Labels: www.shyrec.it / www.facebook.com/Shyrec / www.facebook.com/icycoldrecords

About Karma Voyage

Karma Voyage is a dark-wave and shoegaze project from Venice, Italy, formed at the end of 2019 by Luca Castellaro (guitars, vocals) and Giuseppe Brunetti (guitars). Alvise Scarpa (bass), Leonardo Sebastiani (synth) and Stefano Anoè (drums) joined later, and the band mixes 1960s-rooted psychedelic textures with 1980s dark-wave. Karma Voyage released a self-titled EP before signing to Shyrec (Italy) and Icy Cold Records (France) for the debut full length “Lights In Forgotten Places”, issued January 27, 2023 on CD, vinyl and digital formats.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Shoegaze, Dream-Pop.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Karma Voyage is a new Italian duo, which by the end of 2021 unleashed their self-titled debut EP. It rather looks like a mini-album of five songs.

Content: The debut part of the work sounds devoted to Shoegaze mixed with Dark-Wave influences in the background. The songs are progressively built up till a powerful final part. The third song sounds like an intermezzo for both last cuts, which are moving into Dream-Pop. I noticed one song featuring female backing vocals. 

+ + + : Karma Voyage avoids any kind of innovation, but let us discover an enjoyable production. I like the evolution in the tracklist from Shoegaze towards Dream-Pop. There you’ll discover “Untold Desires” characterized by an impressive, elevating guitar playing, which sounds a bit psychedelic.

– – – : This is an enjoyable debut, but without major songs. This band has a basis to move on with.

Conclusion: Karma Voyage has achieved an interesting debut revealing some potential, which they now have to elaborate and improve.

Best songs: “Untold Desires”, “Eclipse”.

Rate: 7.

Listen to “Karma Voyage”:

Artist: www.facebook.com/Karmavoyageband

Label: www.facebook.com/icycoldrecords

About Karma Voyage

Karma Voyage started in Venice, Italy at the end of 2019 as a project by Luca Castellaro on guitars and vocals and Giuseppe Brunetti on lead guitars. Alvise Scarpa on bass, Leonardo Sebastiani on synth and Edoardo Dotta on drums joined in May 2020. The band describes its music as neo-psych and experimental with strong new wave influences.

The single “Untold Desires” preceded the self-titled debut, which Icy Cold Records released on 18 October 2021. Its five tracks are “The Old Man”, “Eclipse”, “The Spell”, “Untold Desires” and “Venera”.

With Stefano Anoè on drums, the band recorded “Lights In Forgotten Places” at Velvet Studio between August and November 2022, produced by Luca Castellaro and released through Shyrec and Icy Cold Records in 2023. The self-released LP “Lands Beyond Eden” followed in 2025.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com