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Karnataka are a Welsh
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
band formed in 1997 by Ian Jones (bass/acoustic guitar), Jonathan Edwards (keyboards) and Rachel Jones (vocals). The band started as a project to record songs in Ian's home studio, that had been written and performed by Jonathan, Rachel and Ian in earlier bands. The project was augmented by additional musicians, Paul Davies (electric guitars) and Gavin Griffiths (drums), who had played with other members of Karnataka in earlier bands. At the end of the recording the decision was made to continue the project as a band. The name Karnataka was chosen by the band, from a suggestion by Ian, following his trips to that state of
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.


Debut album

The five-piece recorded what would become their debut album, ''Karnataka'' in 1997. In the beginning, the band had no thought of actually releasing the album – they made the recording for their own pleasure. As they started to play live shows in their new configuration, however, word of mouth ensured that an increasing number of people started asking for copies. It was recommended to the band that they send a copy of the album to Martin Hudson at the
Classic Rock Society Classic Rock Society, also known as CRS, was founded by Martin Hudson in 1991 in Rotherham, England, at the Florence Nightingale public house, and quickly progressed to become a large and well recognised organisation helping to forward the cause o ...
. Martin gave the band their first break by positively reviewing the album in the society's magazine, and then offering them a gig for the Classic Rock Society in Rotherham, supporting the
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
tribute band
ReGenesis ''ReGenesis'' is a Canadian science-fiction television series produced by The Movie Network and Movie Central in conjunction with Shaftesbury Films. The series, which ran for four seasons from 2004 to 2008, revolves around the scientists of No ...
in 1999. The show was a success and Karnataka were offered another support with Jump in October 1999. Encouraged, the band had already started writing the material that would eventually appear on their second album, ''The Storm''.


''The Storm''

''The Storm'' was recorded between August–November 1999 in Ian's studio. The album was then mixed at
Rockfield Studios Rockfield Studios is a residential recording studio located in the Wye Valley just outside the village of Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Wales. It was originally founded in 1963 by brothers Kingsley and Charles Ward. Facilities Rockfield is a two- ...
in Mounmouthshire, Wales—a studio used by such notable bands as
Rush Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...
,
Hawkwind Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...
,
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
and
Clannad Clannad () is an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, including f ...
. Further live performances brought the band to the attention of record company Voiceprint through whom they are now distributed. The band toured the UK extensively with the new album, culminating in a show before an audience of die-hards at London's
Mean Fiddler The Astoria 2, subsequently known as the LA2 then the Mean Fiddler, was a nightclub at 165 Charing Cross Road in London, England. History The venue was originally a ballroom in the basement of the London Astoria theatre and connected by stair ...
, which was filmed and subsequently released on DVD under licence to Classic Rock Productions. The DVD, entitled simply ''In Concert'', was well received by fans but frustrated the band, who still felt that the results did not fully reflect their acclaimed live performances.


''Delicate Flame of Desire''

The ''In Concert'' DVD did, however, feature some new material the band was working on for their third album, although the songs were destined to change a little before they were recorded in the sessions for what was to become the band's breakthrough album. ''Delicate Flame of Desire'', the band's third album, was recorded with producer Steve Evans and mixed by Joe Gibb. The album brought the band's music to a much wider audience with Radio 2 airplay and widespread media coverage. This album was the only Karnataka studio album to feature new member,
Anne-Marie Helder Anne-Marie Helder is a British singer and songwriter, best known for fronting the UK rock band Panic Room. She has also performed internationally as a solo artist and with various bands since circa the year 2000. In 2005 she supported Fish o ...
, on flute and backing vocals. She had previously appeared on the band's ''In Concert'' DVD as one of three guest backing vocalists. An in-depth interview with Ian Jones, Jonathan Edwards and Rachel Jones was conducted by Jon Hinchliffe in 2002, shortly before the release of. 'Delicate Flame of Desire'. In the interview, all three talk extensively about the origins of the band, the writing process and the dynamics of how the band operates.


''Strange Behaviour''

Shortly after the release of ''Delicate Flame of Desire'', Karnataka were invited to play their first shows overseas: indeed one of their first shows in the US was filmed and released on DVD as ''Live in the USA'', again through Classic Rock Productions. The band were also working on more new material, some of which was premiered over the course of 2003 and 2004, as the band continued to expand their fanbase and received increasingly positive reviews. A double live album, ''Strange Behaviour'', was released in mid-2004 to accompany what was to be the band's final tour with the existing line-up. The live album is particularly notable for containing two previously unreleased new songs - ''Talk To Me'' and ''These Dreams Are Over''. Although another tour of the UK was in the early planning stages, in August 2004 the band's website was updated with a notice that due to unforeseen personal circumstances, the band had decided not to continue. There followed a period of inactivity, during which the members of the band embarked upon new musical projects. Ian Jones joined forces with songwriter Steve Evans and guitarist Ian Simmons to record an under the moniker Chasing The Monsoon and would be joined later by Lisa Fury performing vocals. Rachel Jones decided to take time out from the music business and returned to college, although she appeared on recordings from other bands and occasionally took to the stage as well, most notably with
Mostly Autumn Mostly Autumn are an English rock band. The group formed in 1995 and have built their reputation through constant touring, never signing to a major label. They produce music heavily influenced by 1970s progressive rock. According to the BBC, M ...
. She subsequently joined Cardiff-based rock band, The Reasoning, as a vocalist in late 2006. The remaining members of the original line-up of Karnataka, Paul Davies, Jonathan Edwards, and Gavin Griffiths, along with
Anne-Marie Helder Anne-Marie Helder is a British singer and songwriter, best known for fronting the UK rock band Panic Room. She has also performed internationally as a solo artist and with various bands since circa the year 2000. In 2005 she supported Fish o ...
, formed
Panic Room ''Panic Room'' is a 2002 American thriller film directed by David Fincher. The film stars Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart as a mother and daughter whose new home is invaded by burglars, played by Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, and Dwight Yoaka ...
in 2008.


''The Gathering Light''

Karnataka was then resurrected as a band when Ian Jones started writing with keyboardist
Gonzalo Carrera Gonzalo Carrera is a Spanish keyboard player who has performed in several progressive rock bands. He is best known as a former member of the British progressive rock bands Landmarq (2002–2005) and more recently Karnataka (2005–2010). Carrera ...
. The new Karnataka featured a line-up consisting of Jones and Carrera along with vocalist Lisa Fury, drummer Louie Palmer, and guitarist Enrico Pinna. This new line-up of the band toured in Spring 2007 playing a selection of fan favourites and four or five new songs to provide a flavour of the work in progress. Following Palmer's departure from the band later in 2007, Karnataka were joined by Ian Harris, who had previously played with a multitude of acts, including
Chris Rea Christopher Anton Rea ( ; born 4 March 1951) is an English rock and blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, fie ...
,
Mica Paris Michelle Antoinette Wallen (born 27 April 1969), known professionally as Mica Paris (), is an English singer, presenter and actress. Paris was born in Islington in North London, but moved to Brockley, South London, when she was nine. She rel ...
and
Nitin Sawhney Nitin Sawhney , D.Mus (; born 1964) is a British musician, producer and composer. A recipient of the Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement award in 2017, among multiple international awards throughout his career. Sawhney's work combines Asian ...
. Work on the band's fourth studio album ''The Gathering Light'' continued in 2007 although started in 2005 with all three writers; Ian Jones, Lisa Fury & Gonzalo Carrera. The band continued to tour. This time the old favourites took a back seat to a slew of new material, showcasing the band's confidence in their post-split writing. The tour was very well received, resulting in strong voting for the band and the individual musicians in 2008's
Classic Rock Society Classic Rock Society, also known as CRS, was founded by Martin Hudson in 1991 in Rotherham, England, at the Florence Nightingale public house, and quickly progressed to become a large and well recognised organisation helping to forward the cause o ...
awards, even though the band had yet to release any recordings with the new line-up. The fourth Karnataka studio album, ''The Gathering Light'', was finally released in February 2010, although fans who had pre-ordered a special edition of the album received their copies slightly earlier. The band embarked on a string of live dates to promote the album, which had already received some exceptionally positive reviews. It also featured in many music magazines - Classic Rock Society, Get Ready To Rock, Fireworks Magazine with a featured track on the accompanying cd, Dutch Progressive Rock Page, Powerplay Magazine, Musical Discoveries & Where Worlds Collide, inc front page of Classic Rock Society Magazine. The Gathering Light also Winner of Best International Album at the Prog Awards. ''"The Gathering Light stands true to Karnataka's heritage, yet illustrates significant artistic growth since the former lineup's Delicate Flame of Desire release six years ago. progressive rock influences are more apparent ..While their fans have waited a long time for this release, the care taken in the writing, recording and production of The Gathering Light has delivered an outstanding progressive rock album..."''"Musical Discoveries review of Karnataka's 'The Gathering Light'"
musicaldiscoveries.com, 2010.Retrieved on 16 February 2010.
In May 2010, Ian Harris, Gonzalo Carrera and Lisa Fury announced on their websites that due to personal reasons they would be leaving the band. It was announced in October 2010 that Ian Harris would be replaced by former Karnataka drummer Louie Palmer, and in October 2010 multi-instrumentalist Colin Mold was revealed as having joined the band in a new role. In February 2011, it was announced that Hayley Griffiths was the new lead vocalist for the band replacing Lisa Fury. Hayley was previously a lead vocalist with global phenomena Riverdance and Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance. The band's new lineup was completed in March 2011, when Cagri Tozluoglu was announced as the band's new keyboard player. In September 2011 the new line-up announced an extensive 15 date tour of the UK would take place early in 2012, subsequently named the "New Light Tour". Following the departure of Palmer, the band were joined by Matt McDonough on drums. Following the completion of the 2012 tour, Mold departed the band, and was not replaced. The band filmed and recorded their show at The Met Theatre in Bury on the New Light Tour. The show was enhanced bylights and lasers, and filmed in high definition. The live DVD and was released in late 2012. The band continued to tour this show into 2013.


''Secrets of Angels''

The band revealed in August 2013 that they were working on a new album. It was revealed on 31 May 2014 that the band had hired drummer Jimmy Pallagrosi following the departure of Matt McDonough. The long-awaited album was released on 7 March 2015, with the first copies being available at the concert in Derby and preorders shipped the next week. The album contains 8 tracks, including the title track, a '20-minute epic opus'. Other tracks on the album include Forbidden Dreams, Poison Ivy and Feels Like Home, which were previewed on the Forbidden Dreams tour in 2012/13. The band went on a UK tour starting on 28 February, playing every track from the new album each night.


Dissolution of ''Secrets of Angels'' line-up and the future

The band continued to tour the ''Secrets of Angels'' album through 2016 and 2017, both in the UK and Europe. A DVD was recorded in London in 2016 and was released in December 2017. 2017 also saw a tour entitled 'End II End', which saw the band perform the albums ''The Gathering Light'' and ''Secrets of Angels'' in their entirety. Keyboard player Cagri Tozluoglu decided to step down from the band towards the end of 2017, with guitarist Enrico Pinna also indicating he was likely to leave the band to pursue other commitments. Following a concert at the Robin on 3 December, band leader Ian Jones announced on Facebook that the current line up of the band had come to an end and it would likely continue with a new line up. In February 2018, Ian Jones announced on the band's website that Gonzalo Carrera had rejoined the band, and that they were working together on new material. In August 2018, the band announced new drummer Filippo Galli, and in November 2018 the band announced new vocalist/pianist Sertari and guitarist Luke Machin. In 2022 both Carrera and Galli left the band, with the latter being replaced by Chris Allan. In 2023 new keyboardist Rob Wilsher was recruited to the line-up.https://www.karnataka.org.uk/introducing-new-keyboard-player-rob-wilsher/


Members

;Current members *Ian Jones - bass, acoustic guitars, keyboards, bass pedals (1997–present) *Luke Machin - guitars (2018-present) *Sertari - lead vocals, piano (2018–present) *Chris Allan - drums, percussion *Rob Wilsher - keyboards ;Former members *Paul Davies - guitars (1997–2004) *Jonathan Edwards - keyboards (1997–2004) *Gareth Griffiths - drums, percussion (1997–2004) *Rachel Jones - lead vocals (1997–2004) *
Anne-Marie Helder Anne-Marie Helder is a British singer and songwriter, best known for fronting the UK rock band Panic Room. She has also performed internationally as a solo artist and with various bands since circa the year 2000. In 2005 she supported Fish o ...
- flute, backing vocals (2003–2004) *
Gonzalo Carrera Gonzalo Carrera is a Spanish keyboard player who has performed in several progressive rock bands. He is best known as a former member of the British progressive rock bands Landmarq (2002–2005) and more recently Karnataka (2005–2010). Carrera ...
- keyboards (2005–2010, 2018–2022) *Bob Dalton - drums, percussion (2005-2006) *Nick May - guitars (2005-2006) *Lisa Fury - lead vocals (2005–2010) * Louie Palmer - drums, percussion (2006–2007, 2010–2011) *Enrico Pinna - guitars (2006–2017) *Ian Harris - drums, percussion (2007–2010) *Colin Mold - guitars, keyboards, violin, backing vocals (2010–2012) *Hayley Griffiths - lead vocals (2011–2017) *Cagri Tozluoglu - keyboards (2011–2017) *Matt McDonough - drums, percussion (2011–2014) *Jimmy Pallagrosi - drums, percussion (2014–2017) *Filippo Galli - drums, percussion (2018–2022)


Lineups


Timeline


Discography


Studio

*''Karnataka'' (1998) *'' The Storm'' (2000) *'' Delicate Flame of Desire'' (2003) *''
The Gathering Light ''The Gathering Light'' is the fourth studio album by progressive rock band Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It wa ...
'' (2010) *''Secrets of Angels'' (2015)


Live

*''Strange Behaviour'' (2004) *''New Light Live in Concert'' (2012) *''Secrets of Angels Live in Concert'' (2018)


Video

*''In Concert'' (2002) *''Live in the USA'' (2003) *''New Light Live in Concert'' (2012) *''Secrets of Angels Live in Concert'' (2018)


References


External links


Official websiteOfficial MySpace pageOfficial Reverbnation page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Karnataka Welsh hard rock musical groups British progressive rock groups Musical groups from Swansea Musical groups established in 1997