Kula Shaker - K

2011 LP Reissue on 180 Gram Vinyl with bonus 7" Single Sided, Purple Opaque vinyl 

Year Released: 1996

Genre: Britpop, Psychedelic Rock, Raga Rock

Description:

K is the debut studio album by the English rock band Kula Shaker, released on September 16, 1996. The album arrived at the height of the Britpop movement but carved out a unique space for itself by blending the anthemic rock and catchy hooks of the genre with a deep and overt influence from 1960s psychedelia and Indian classical music. The band, led by charismatic frontman Crispian Mills, was known for its eclectic aesthetic, incorporating Hindu mysticism, Sanskrit lyrics, and Eastern instrumentation into their sound and imagery.

The album's sound is a vibrant and energetic mix of styles. It is built on a foundation of classic rock-and-roll guitar riffs, but it is heavily decorated with elements of raga rock, most notably the use of the sitar, played by Mills himself. The album features a number of singles that became hits in the UK, including the psychedelic-folk-pop of "Tattva" and the driving, high-energy rock of "Hey Dude." The band's biggest hit, the soaring and mystical "Govinda," is a true outlier, with its lyrics sung entirely in Sanskrit and its chorus based on a Hindu mantra.

K was a major commercial success, debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart and becoming the fastest-selling debut album in the UK since Oasis's Definitely Maybe. The album's distinctive sound and spiritual themes set it apart from its Britpop contemporaries, who were often focused on a more working-class, "lad-rock" aesthetic. While the band's fusion of Eastern spirituality and Western rock was praised by many as innovative, it also drew some criticism and accusations of cultural appropriation. Despite this, K remains a landmark album of the Britpop era, a bold and colorful work that brought a unique spiritual dimension to British rock music