Karnataka

In the beginning…

Karnataka did not so much start as evolved – an evolution that has continued over the years. The band began life as a recording project started by Ian Jones in 1997. The initial idea was to record some demos of songs written in earlier bands Angel Heart, Dream Circle and The Big Pink.  And that’s where we’ll begin…

Angel Heart

Angel Heart was formed in 1988 and was the first collaboration to feature Ian Jones (bass, acoustic guitar, Roland TR707 drum machine), Rachel Jones (vocals) and Jonathan Edwards (keyboards). The band’s stripped back melodic indie-pop sound drew on influences from the Cocteau Twins to Madonna but also saw them incorporate less mainstream influences such as folk.

In order to recreate their sound for live performances the band used a four track tape recorder synchronised to a drum machine to provide additional backing. Each song required a new tape to…