Track By Track: Karate, Guns & Tanning – Krisis Genre

We’re big fans of Indianapolis psychedelic / shoegaze / dream pop groovers Karate, Guns & Tanning, so when we had the chance to get an in-depth breakdown of new album Krisis Genre, we couldn’t resist.

Over its eight songs, Krisis Genre goes from kosmische to garage rock and back via some intriguing cultural diversions (I’ll let the band talk about them), all the while filtering those diverse sounds through a dream-like production and a rhythm section that is focused, fierce, and full of life.

Occasionally, electronic elements make themselves known, but it all serves to put some memorable guitar riffs and ethereal vocals front and centre. This is one of those albums that allows you to drop out of the world for a while, something we could all do with right now.

Glassy

There’s this idea that time is a superfluid — it moves without friction, so the past reaches the present untouched. This song reflects on how our inner world is shaped by experiences and the struggle to keep going despite everything life throws at us.

You have to keep searching, keep running toward the mystery and keep the fire burning within. Harnessing time by holding onto your passions and still finding fulfillment in creating art amidst the chaos of life – that’s a powerful thing.

Widowmaker

This is the most literal track on the album. A couple of summers ago, Valerie was thrown into a surreal true crime situation involving a mysterious death, a young Russian widow, identity theft, robbery, secret lives, and a whole web of deceit.

It was like living inside a real-life episode of a true crime show, and being so involved as it unfolded was quite traumatizing. This song was written to lay that time to rest and as a gift to the widow at the center of it. Musically, the drum breakdown and shimmering synths echo the heart-fluttering anxiety and cinematic drama at the core of the piece.

Loons

Hunter S. Thompson called the poet Ron Whitehead “crazy as nine loons.” We’ve always been inspired by Thompson’s work, and the symbolism of the common loon is so alluring. Erik even has a tattoo of a loon.

Layering in bird calls was a natural move for a track detailing a fantastical look at the Great Northern Diver, but also the evolution of dinosaurs into birds. It’s a constant pulse of mystery, transformation, and maybe even danger. We love the work James Aparicio, our mixing engineer, did on this track. The clarity we were striving for on this album really shines for us on this one.

Charmer

Charmer expands the world introduced in Badlands, the second track off our debut album, Concrete Beach. Where Badlands was a chaotic, colorful, psychedelic trip through the desert (think Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas), Charmer picks up where it left off, imagining that same landscape after dark.

It’s a portrait of the aftermath of a manic episode, the desolation, both physical and emotional, the wreckage of broken relationships, the weight of disappointment, and the sting of experiencing something deeply meaningful slip out of reach. The guitar pre-chorus interplaying with the synth is one of our favorite moments on the album.

One Thousand Bats

This instrumental track began as a psychedelic musical experiment, closely linked to Badlands and Charmer vibe-wise. It was a test —breaking musical rules, stepping out of the boundaries and song structure we’re inclined to work within.

It was freeing to throw sounds on the timeline and weave them together like a bizarre puzzle. Erik’s drums impossibly held the track together like glue, while Joy’s guitar riffs brought a world music flair and mystique that we fell in love with. The working title was Trip, and hearing it come to life, especially live, captures that spirit.

Diamond Sized

The concept for this track had been evolving for some time. After exploring various styles, a dark surf rock sound emerged. Lyrically, it tells a dark story—a hike through the woods, the discovery of a body, and the mystery of a death haunting you over time.

The guitar riffs keep the track moving with a call and response with the vocals, while the fuzz bass and drums drive it breathlessly further. One of Valerie’s favorite lyrics on the album is in this song: “The clouds were heavy then; they shook and burst open,” capturing a raw, emotional moment within the story.

Hall of Horrors

There had to be an outlier on the album—and this dance-y, psych-leaning number about dinosaurs made the cut. This whole album is heavily influenced by the natural world, and the concept for this song was sparked by a trip to Joshua Tree, one of Valerie and Erik’s favorite places.

The prehistoric-looking landscape feels otherworldly and carries a strange weight and stark vibe. The Hall of Horrors—an actual spot in the park—is a claustrophobic passage between two massive boulders.

With cartoonish Joshua trees, towering rocks, and spiky cacti everywhere, the whole place feels surreal—something you have to experience, not just see. The synth samples and the eerie tremolo guitar tone with disco-driven drums gave the track the feel of a vintage science class film strip gone completely off the rails.

New Tropic

The album ends on what we feel is an intense cliffhanger with New Tropic. Another lyrical concept that was waiting to be finished, New Tropic tells a story over about 15 years. It started out as a love song but evolved into themes of conflict and change that are still relevant today. Relationships can have a darkness, even a hidden violence of sorts, underneath.

It’s the first song we collectively worked on, and brought with it more experiments into the psychedelic. It’s heavily influenced by Turkish music. Blistering guitar riffs, dark synth layers, tambourine and tom breaks create ominous momentum. We leaned into dynamics here—starts, stops, shifts—it’s a trip through a strange world, and it’s definitely our favorite track to play live.

The music video Andrew Knives made for it takes everything over the top – like a full-on psychedelic fever dream that brings the chaos of the song to life in a way we couldn’t have imagined.

Krisis Genre is out now and can be streamed on all major digital platforms, including YouTube Music, Spotify, and Apple Music. For other listening options, make your way to the band’s Facebook and Instagram socials. The album is available to download on Bandcamp and on vinyl via the band’s webstore.

Header photo by Paige Mullins, artwork by Andrew Knives