Dalis Car - "The Waking Hours" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1984 (Paradox Records)

Dalis Car is truth in advertising.  Mick Karn from Japan and Peter Murphy from Bauhaus.  Both talented musicians from bands with the worse names.  Dalis Car is just as bad as a name for a band, but if we ignore that little fact, the music is quite awarding.   Both Murphy and Karn have/had an aesthetic that is very much based on East European or Asian sounds.  Listening to their album "The Waking Hours" is very much like going to a great metaphysical bookstore that covers spiritual practices not only in the West but also other parts of the world.  Murphy as the vocalist moved from the goth/Bowie world into a figure that's exploring other worlds.  I think of the relationship between Karn and Murphy such as Jean Cocteau's two main characters in his film "Orpheus."   Murphy playing the Orphée role and Karn as Heurtebise.  Leading one to another world.

The Waking Hours" (very Cocteau like) is very much Mick Karn playing all the instruments, including the magnificent fretless bass, that he mastered with sparse instrumentation to give Murphy a lot of room for his vocals.  It's interesting to note, as a Japan fan, to notice the differences between the David Sylvian (Japan's main writer and vocalist) and the Karn solo/project works.  Sylvian opens up his recording where there's a lot of space, but Karn sounds like he's working in a very small room which contains the sound.  It's not Mono, but the sound comes from one direction. Like in Japan, the bass is the lead instrument, and Karn had the knack to make his instrumental skills very punk-like (although not in sound) in that there is a DIY mentality in his recordings.  Dalis Car is not a band, but Mick Karn doing all the music and Murphy adding the vocals. 

I don't know if Dalis Car was meant to go on after this album, but for me, I don't think there was a need for another album from the Karn/Murphy duo.   This is very much a great listening experience and I miss the late Mick Karn greatly. 

Mick Karn - "Titles" CD, Album, Reissue, 1990/1982 (Caroline)

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.