Blawan and Pariah's Karenn project drops debut LP, 'Grapefruit Regret'
Karenn’s debut LP comes a whole eight years after the thwapping techno outfit, made up of Blawan and Pariah, dropped their first release. While eight years in electronic music tends to feel more like 80, Grapefruit Regret falls among the exclusive field of albums that end up being well worth the extended wait.
Grapefruit Regret is eight tracks of menacing techno glory, chock-full of purring basslines and whirring synths ranging from 100-150 BPM. At the highest end of the spectrum is the blistering “Strawbs,” a modular jungle in its own right that shows the duo’s dedication to dancing to the beat of their own drum(s).
Ultimately, the album is a testament that techno isn’t tied to the slow-burn nature of the genre that people either love or hate it for. Central to that argument is “Crush the Mushrooms,” the LP’s lead single, which manages to be as effective of a ravenous club destroyer as it does a stylistic statement. A plethora of bass, as expressive as it is guttural, walks the strangely appeasing line between abrasive and melodic from play to pause, but the real success of the track is really in its ultimate flexibility, appeasing the underground technoheads while also sounding like it would find its way into a Boys Noize or even Dog Blood set.
Karenn will be closing out the year with a European tour of their esteemed live sets. Find the full tour schedule below.
Karenn Tour Dates:
Nov. 15 – Big Bang, Paris, FR
Nov. 16 – Fabrik, Madrid, ES
Nov. 17 – Le Sucre, Lyon, FR
Nov. 22 – Hidden, Manchester, UK
Nov. 23 – Smolna, Warsaw, PL
Nov. 24 – Fold, London, UK
Nov. 28 – Lux, Lisbon, PT
Nov. 29 – Reaktor, Amsterdam, NL
Nov. 30 – Nitsa, Barcelona, ES
Dec. 6 – Index, Dublin, IE
Dec. 7 – Blitz, Munich, DE
Dec. 14 – Magnetic Fields, Rajasthan, IN
