THE WORLD'S BEST NEW MUSIC

Over the course of the past decade Naarm/Melbourne stalwarts Karate Boogaloo - comprising Henry Jenkins, Hudson Whitlock, Callum Doig, and Darvid Thor - have become pivotal figures within Australia’s soul-funk resurgence. Emerging out of the College Of Knowledge imprint alongside labelmates Surprise Chef, the quartet built their reputation on a raw, stripped-back aesthetic. Their signature sound centers on a mix of Booker T. & the M.G.'s-inspired Hammond organ flourishes, crisp rhythm work, and tremolo-drenched guitar lines delivered witha  "Library Music" aesthetic. While this tightly focused sonic palette defines their identity, it also anchors them in a vintage realm distinct from the wider synth-explorations and atmospheric jazz-fusion of Naarm peers like Mildlife or Glass Beams and the broader-still options available to fellow travellers like The Putbacks, Cookin' On Three Burners and The Bamboos.

Access All Areas traces a subtle evolution in Karate Boogaloo’s trajectory. Shifting from the lively, stripped-down grit of KB's Mixtapes No. 1-3 (2019 - 2021) and the slightly fuller, more experimental arrangements of Hold Your Horses (2024), this release streamlines their groove into a simpler, highly executed framework: the band's maxim during recording was that the tiunes should be "hummable." Consequently, the performance across the album's 11 tracks is remarkably clean, uncrowded, and pocket-focused. While their trusty Hammond-and-tremolo combination remains both their structural backbone and primary limitation, the record shines in its quiet nuances.

It's an elegant new portfolio of new tunes, however the choice to simplify (a technique that sometimes surprises and re-defines, such as Clapton's slowed-down version of "Layla" or Jeff Buckley's "Hallelulia") seems here more like a logical conclusion. Perhaps the true revelation arrives on the album's elegiac closer, "We've Lost Something We Can't Replace." Decelerating into elongated instrumental swells, the track echoes Matthew Fisher’s organ work with Procol Harum and David Gilmour’s Meddle-era guitar textures, offering (perhaps?) a tantalizing glimpse into a far more expansive, cinematic horizon for the group.