Bass playing in my listening experience is not always, but usually distinctive to a specific player. Mick Karn, I can identify within a few seconds of his playing. For one, he plays a fretless bass, and the way he treats melodies is like containing water by cupping your hand. It will slowly leak out, but the essence of the taste of the cool water will stay with you. Karn's playing works in the same fashion. It throbs with sexuality, and it is almost like hearing someone crying. Karn was a member of the band Japan. His bass playing for that band was essential to their overall sound. David Sylvian the lead singer and writer for Japan never really changed that much in his solo recordings, except maybe be more experimental in its overall sound. Still, when I hear the Sylvian solo release, I think, where is Mick? And when I listen to Karn's solo recordings, I think "where's David." In truth, or whatever their problem was, they needed each other. The original band should have never broken up, even though I do enjoy the solo recordings by both artists.
"Titles" is the first solo Mick Karn album. One would not expect that much because he's not known as a composer or songwriter, but still, the bass playing is the essence of everything he did. The truth is "Titles" is a very good album. Ambient in parts, and totally exotic sounding throughout the record. It reminds me of David Bowie's "Low," in that Karn gives in to the instrumental side of the world. The album features members of Japan (except David of course), but it's mostly Karn doing all the overdubs and it's great noise. Spiritual in a pop sensibility way, the album is Karn stretching out his muscles and brain. His death from Cancer was a terrible tragedy. As I mention, the bass playing is very individual practice, and with him out of the picture, we lost a unique and brilliant musician.
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