Black Market Karma

BLACK MARKET KARMA – British Psych Force Share 60s Influenced Title Track Of Their New Upcoming Album ‘MELLOWMAKER’

Posted on by JL

Daily electricity to load your batteries

1 March 2025


Photo by Holger Nitschke

Band: BLACK KARMA MARKET
Who: London-born, Dartford-based unit.

Track: MELLOWMAKER

The first single and title piece from their new, upcoming album. Following
last year’s Wobble full length it’s the second chapter in the Black Market
Karma’s two-part album series on Fuzz Club.

Crafted entirely by Stanley Belton —who writes, records, and produces everything himself— the record embraces analogue imperfections and tape wobble, splicing them with modern techniques to create a “cassette-ified” lo-fi psychedelia blending ‘60s pop, ‘90s neo-psych, and crunchy hip-hop breakbeats.


Album artwork

Belton: “The best of us often struggle with self-doubt, while the worst of us exude unwarranted confidence. The ones who crave power are usually the least suited for it, while those who would wield it wisely often shy away. I see so many talented, special people crippled by self-doubt, while louder, less impressive individuals dominate spaces and climb to the top. This song is a message to those who deserve more but hold themselves back. It was inspired by a compilation of iconic hip-hop breakbeat samples from the 1960s—I looped one, layering Mellotron flutes, guitar melodies, and vocal lines before replacing the loop with my own live drums, re-amping and doubling them for a rich thud and crunch.”

TUTV: The title track confirms (once again) the psychedelic strength and appeal of BKM.
It’s as if Belton got into his time machine, flew back to the swining 60s to get inspired by transcendental bands such as The 13th Floor Elevators, Love and early Pink Floyd, wrote Mellowmaker and returned to give the song a 21st Century treatment.

It’s a starry-eyed jam with repetitive, hypnotizing flute (that timeless psychedelic
instrument) vibes, busy drums, terrific riffs and Belton‘s hallucinogenic vocals.

WATCH

STREAM


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Instagram – Linktree

BLACK MARKET KARMA & TESS PARKS Together On Hypnotic Track ‘THE SKY WAS ALL DISEASED’

Posted on by JL

New striking stuff

2 November 2022

London’s psych mavericks BLACK MARKET KARMA launch their new longplayer, named FRIENDS IN NOISE on Friday the 13th of 2023. Pre-order info via Flower Power Records.

The album features collaborations between Black Market Karma and friends:
The Underground Youth, Les Big Byrd, Joakim Ahlund, Tess Parks, The Confederate Dead & Ruari Meehan.


The album’s artwork

Stanley Belton (BMK’s maestro): “Tess and I first met in 2014 when she reached out and sent a very kind message about my music. I dug what she was doing too so, upon her arrival to the UK, we met up and became friends, touring a fair bit together in the following years around Europe. During the downtime, we would often hang out at my studio. 

“I’d had the groove and music to this song floating around in my brain for a while, but had no lyrics or vocal part. I happened to play it one time we were at the studio together and I noticed Tess scribbling down lyrics. She started humming a melody to herself and I loved what she was doing so we went with it. I added in one more verse with an different vocal melody and a few lines at the end of the song and there it was.”

Tess Parks: “I guess this was written in 2014? 2015? While I was living in Dartford, a few
doors down from Stan. We had a few very nice sessions at Stan’s studio, where we pretty
much instantly wrote a few really cool songs. It’s been 8 years and the time has finally come!!! I’m excited to share this. This song seems to be a reflection on the weather at the time.”

TUTV: This collaboration is a perfect fit. The ghosts of the Velvet Underground float all around this jangling jam with the wonderful Tess Parks on vocals instead of Nico. I actually love Parks‘ enigmatic voice more than Nico‘s hoarse, nicotine-infused one. It’s back to the future with these psych experts and their wonderful friend in noise. Hypnotic stroke.

Press play here…

BMK: Facebook – Instagram
TESS PARKS: Facebook –

BLACK MARKET KARMA Display Their Love For 60s Psychedelia With ‘IN MY CHILD MIND (From A to E)

Posted on by JL

Daily electricity to load your batteries

21 September 2022


(photo by Dan Briston)

Band: BLACK MARKET KARMA
Who: Psych rock unit hailing from London and now
residing on the South coast of England, the brainchild
of frontman Stanley Belton.

New single: IN MY CHILD MIND (From A To E)

Second taster, following lead track Dead Trajectory, from their upcoming
10th longplayer, named Aped Flair and Hijacked Ideas, out on 29 September.
Pre-order info here..


Album artwork

Belton about the album:“The album’s title is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the idea
that nothing is truly original. Influence is an infinite web connecting all art and I think
that’s a beautiful thing that should be embraced. I often see people getting too hung
up on the pursuit of some kind of idea of total originality that doesn’t exist. It’s all in
the blend.”

TUTV: With an ongoing familiar jangly riff Black Market Karma display their love
for iconic NYC darlings The Velvet Underground. It carries this new cut throughout
its ongoing psychedelic progression and rotates in your head faster than you can
say Run Run Run. Also the echoing vocals have a 60s timbre. On the other hand
In My Child Mind wouldn’t be out of place on a Brian Jonestown Maasacre album.

Check out the vibe…

BLACK MARKET KARMA: Facebook – Instagram