HANS KARL: JAMES BAMA: American Realist

Hans Karl

JAMES BAMA: American Realist

© 2006 Hans Karl

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

SPECIAL: 20% discount if you buy more than one copy of it today!

This instrumental soundtrack release, from the documentary of the same name, is a mostly orchestral styled score with dashes of Americana, Native American, Gothic and Adventure music. Includes several epic music themes inspired by the character Doc Savage

notes

The CD release for the documentary score JAMES BAMA: AMERICAN REALIST is here and ready to order. READ TWO REVIEWS OF THE SCORE BELOW AFTER THIS INTRO. This instrumental release is a mostly orchestral styled score with dashes of Americana, Native American, Cowboy, Gothic and Action/Adventure music! The score is the 3rd release in the Illustrator Music CD Series, preceded by the Shag and Ragnar inspired CD's. Lastly, expect another CD album of relaxing and orchestrally tinged music from instrumental composer Hans Karl sometime in the fall or Winter of 2006/2007.

__

JAMES BAMA: AMERICAN REALIST-CD SOUNDTRACK 'FILM SCORE MONTHLY' REVIEW FROM 10/13/06:


James Bama: American Realist *** (3 STARS OUT OF FIVE)

HANS KARL
Hans Karl 005
27 tracks - 43:56

James Bama is mostly known by fans of sci-fi pulp for his paperback cover illustrations for the Doc Savage series. He also provided art for Coca-Cola and Chrysler. Paul Jibert’s documentary on Bama was released on DVD last spring, and this album showcases Hans Karl’s score for the project. Several other Karl albums have been inspired by artwork, so he was a suitable choice to tackle the hour-long documentary.

Karl’s album is a largely synthesizer-based music derived from Native American, Gothic and Americana sources. The writing is an intriguing blend of styles that follow the film as it progresses through various stages of Bama’s creative life. Listeners who are not immediately put off by synth strings will find much to admire here. Some of the writing is superb, and one wishes the budget would have allowed for the inclusion of some acoustic instruments. Outstanding pieces like “The Influence of Alex Raymond’s Flash Gordon” in particular cry out for a live orchestral treatment. Similarly, “The Adventures of Doc Savage,” one of several “action” tracks, would have been well-served by live players.

Karl does employ a series of unusual musical effects to create additional sonic interest given the restricted circumstances. Despite its shortcomings, this release shows that Karl excels at writing for the medium of film. It’s also an interesting subgenre he’s working in, composing ambient music related to existing works of visual art.
This CD is available through the composer’s website, www.hanskarlmusic.com, where you can also hear sample tracks. —Steven A. Kennedy

Review and All Contents © 2006 Film Score Monthly Magazine Online. All Rights Reserved. Copying/Lending Prohibited.

__

JAMES BAMA: AMERICAN REALIST-CD SOUNDTRACK SCORE REVIEW FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (7/19/06):


Orange Pop: He turns pictures into music

Anaheim composer Hans Karl lends his music to a documentary on artist James Bama.

By ROBERT KINSLER
Special to the Orange County Register (Southern California)


With this weekend's arrival of Comic-Con International 2006 in San Diego, the largest comic and pop-culture show in the U.S. once again shines a spotlight on the world of comic book superheroes, anticipated sci-fi, fantasy and horror films, and forthcoming DVD releases.

However, before franchise winners such as Superman, "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" gained respective followings, superhero Doc Savage paved the way on the printed page with his pulp-fiction exploits.

Anaheim-based composer Hans Karl is part of a significant effort to honor James Bama, the Wyoming-based artist responsible for illustrating 62 Doc Savage book covers in the 1960s and '70s. Bama, who turns 80 this year, is now equally known for his fine paintings of the Old West.

Hans Karl has composed music for the upcoming hour-long documentary, "James Bama: American Realist." Karl also composed additional music and has issued a full-length score that is being released on CD in connection with Comic-Con and a screening of the documentary at the show.

The superb original soundtrack for "James Bama: American Realist" is Karl's most cinematic work to date, with the 27-track collection inspired by an artist whose work Karl has admired since he was a boy.

"I very much enjoyed composing this score directly inspired by Jim Bama's artwork," Karl said in a recent interview. A 160-page hardbound book penned by Brian Kane, also titled "James Bama: American Realist," will provide a look at Bama's long career and be published by Flesk Publications on Oct. 1.

Readers can view a selection of Bama's paintings and illustrations at www.fleskpublications.com.

"Bama's paintings have inspired some very heartfelt and deep emotions in my music," Karl said.

The highlights on Karl's disc include themes built around Bama, as well as that artist's fictional and real-life subjects. "The Adventures of Doc Savage" is fittingly dramatic in keeping with the action hero, whereas "Painting Bobby Kennedy" is weighty. The haunting "The Aurora Monster Model Paintings" composition is also a standout on the disc.

"When I was a kid, I loved building the monster model kits put out by the Aurora Co. in the early 1970s," recalled Karl, who said he would display the striking box art for the models of monsters such as Frankenstein and the Mummy next to the models in his room.

"Back then, I didn't know James Bama was the artist of those paintings, and little did I know that some 30-plus years later I would be composing original instrumental music inspired by those paintings."

Despite the amazing depth and wide-ranging mix of styles on the disc, the music came quickly.

"In December 2005, the director called me. I worked on the score from December to February, and sent him the final masters in early March," Karl said.

From April to June, Karl worked on getting rights to use Bama's artwork with his CD. Karl said while some of the logistics of completing the project were challenging, a recent phone conversation with Bama was wonderful.

"He says, 'No problem. I'm dying to hear your music.' "

Karl has carved out a special niche writing music inspired by established artists (including "Shagxotica!," a 2002 musical tribute to artist Shag) that has also led to his composing for film and television projects. His original score for "James Bama: American Realist" blends his love of art with his love of film that resonates clearly in vividly painted orchestral themes.

"To me, the people who populate Bama's paintings, whether they are in his earlier illustration work or in his later Native American and Western art, never lie to you," Karl said. "Their faces, eyes and occasional grand gestures are often sublime, while at the same time conveying deep truthfulness and a down-to-Earth quality."


Information: www.hanskarlmusic.com.

Freelancer Robert Kinsler has written about pop music for the Register since 1992.
CONTACT US: rockwrite@yahoo.com

Review and all contents (c) 2006 Robert Kinsler and The Orange County Register. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized Duplication or lending prohibited.




___


HANS KARL-KEYBOARD MAGAZINE AWARD WINNER:

Keyboard Magazine's
Unsigned Artist of the Month - Hans Karl (MAY 2001)


When we threw wide the gates to the Unsigned Artist competition, you really responded! We've had an avalanche of amazing contributions. The quality of your work is inspiring and encouraging. There's some really great stuff being done out there -- keep it up. And about that avalanche: Don't let the idea that we're buried keep you from sending us your music. So long as there are synths or keyboards in it (either electronic or acoustic), we want to hear it!

This month's winner is Hans Karl (from Santa Ana, California), who sent us excerpts from his score to the independent film Boneshakers. The medley of cues starts tentatively, with some ethereal textures following a vaguely electronic gong. Then the rhythm kicks in, full of metallic banging, hollow textures, and strange little electronic noises. A shamisen-like guitar note sounds and shatters, and the bottom drops out, leading us into another space, underpinned by an ambling hip-hop beat and spooky, quasi-orchestral textures. The music conjures images of its own; we can only imagine the impact they had on the movie's visuals.

Hans recorded the piece with Syntrillium Cool Edit and Sonic Foundry Acid. Since the composition includes somewhere between 120 and 160 tracks (he's lost count -- can you relate?), the limitations of Cool Edit forced him to resort to submixing and bouncing tracks. Careful attention to gainstaging and output levels resulted in a track that doesn't reveal its mega-stacked nature. Hans's hardware list is relatively humble, proving again that it's not what you have, but how you use it, that matters: An E-MU Proteus/1, a Korg T3, and a Roland D-50 were employed, along with a handful of sampling CDs to create this edgy, evocative track. Excellent work, Hans.
Email Hans Karl at MusicByHKarl@aol.com.


Copyright © 2001 by United Entertainment Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
A Music Player Network Publication. Reproduction of material appearing in Keyboard
is strictly prohibited without written permission. Keyboard and Music Player
Network are registered trademarks of United Entertainment Media, Inc.
___

HANS KARL OC REGISTER FEATURE INTERVIEW (2001):


He's got the keys to succeed


April 27, 2001

By ROBERT KINSLER
Special to the Orange County Register

The increasingly common bridge between instrumental composition and popular music used in film and television couldn't come at a better time for Hans Karl. The Santa Ana musician, who excels as both composer and keyboardist, is following the lead of artists such as Danny Elfman, Sting and Moby, able to combine pop song craft and a classical sense to score music for the big and small screen.

Indeed, Hans Karl has been selected as Keyboard Magazine's Unsigned Artist of the Month for the May 2001 issue of the publication, which will hit newsstands at the beginning of next week. He was selected for the honor after editors at the magazine heard a medley he completed that was based on music he scored for the independent film Boneshakers.

"I try to approach scoring by letting feelings and emotions come out first. As the process of composing evolves, I like to let the gut level combine with the intellectual to shape the music I am creating," said Hans Karl, who teaches piano by day and writes and records music at a professional home studio by night.

Hans Karl has his hands in both worlds; he is trained in classical theory, having begun his study of classical piano at age 7, and studied music theory for 2½ years at Cal State Fullerton. But he also loves the contemporary world of electronica and various other styles of instrumental music.

"I've always been into movies since I was a kid," said Hans Karl. "Being into film was a way to escape my daily mundane routine when I was growing up. In some ways, I felt like I didn't connect with the world around me.

"Being into music and film, I could escape into my own world; through music I gradually began to express who I was and find more of my own voice as an artist."

As Hans Karl became more interested in the art of films and movie music, he began to notice the work of several composers, but was particularly impressed by the work of Ennio Morricone ("The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," "The Mission," "The Untouchables," "Cinema Paradiso," "Malena").

"His music makes even average films seem much more interesting," Hans Karl said. "I've always loved the whole discipline of film."

Although Hans Karl's main goal is to score films, his most recent success has come from composing music for jingle and CD-ROM projects.

The CD-ROM music was used for Canon's line of digital scanners introduced last summer, while he also wrote an industrial jingle for Network Music, a music library company based in San Diego.

Hans Karl has also scored two television interviews, one used in a piece about visual artist SHAG on the "Real Orange" news program on KOCE-TV and the other about film production designer Syd Mead ("Aliens," "Blade Runner") shown on the Orange County News Channel (OCN).

"My method of composing is a combination of old and new school thought, as I am open to any and all tools that will help me get my ideas across," Hans Karl explained.

"I do often use pencil and paper to notate my compositions, but I also use samplers and synths to assist me in my composing. Some composers have an aversion to electronics and sampled music. Not me; I love sampling and the opportunities it affords me in fleshing out the varied musical ideas I hear in my head."

Hans Karl views the world of electronic music as another palette to complete his musical pieces. He noted that while there are certain compositional techniques that can only be achieved by using a real orchestra, there are also textures, ideas and sonic colors that can only be created by using synthesizers and samples.

"Electronic music is fascinating to me, but a great player or players performing a part that should be played by a live instrument is often an even better choice. ... I have to say that I think I will always enjoy composing music that is a combination of both live and electronic elements."

For more information on Hans Karl, visit his official Web site at http://www.hanskarlmusic.com.

___

HANS KARL BIO:

ABOUT HANS KARL



Hans Karl was born in the Los Angeles area in the mid-sixties. He has two brothers who are gifted in the musical and creative arts as well. His mother plays piano and has a strong artistic sense. His father played big band style trombone in a local group when he was younger. His dad is also a man of many other talents, one of them being that he is a skilled businessman with a strong gift for financial planning and management. Both parents liked to listen to big band music while Hans was growing up, and his mother also enjoyed classical music. The house often had some type of music in the air, and his brothers were both strongly into the rock 'n' roll of the 60's and 70's. About those early years, Hans says, "when I was growing up, my exposure to varied musical genres definitely influenced my musical palette, and very early on it gave me a language to draw upon that now comes out in my composing. That exposure also gave me a direct love of and appreciation for all types of music."

Throughout his childhood, and into his adult years, Hans has had a fertile imagination. At different points in time, he has developed original creative works using the design mediums of photography, computer graphics, painting and music. When he was younger, much of his artistic zeal was expressed through creative photography. As he grew in years, he discovered that musical composition was a very strong passion.

This wide variety of experiences led Hans to appreciate film, and the music that goes with it. "To me, cinema is the ultimate creative expression, being that it brings together so many artistic and technical disciplines and then proceeds to house them under one collaborative roof. Through film images and visual music, I often escape the mundane, and I might learn something new by living behind the eyes of a film. Most of all, with a good film, like any great piece of art, I have the chance to reinforce what is really important in my life-a spiritual relationship with God and others." Hans is the consummate movie lover, and he enjoys film music to the extreme. Hans Karl also loves animation, comic books, and video games. On any given Wednesday, you might find him in his favorite local comic book shop buying more comics than he can read!

Hans Karl lives in the Los Angeles area in his "studio loft". Here he maintains his project studio where he does all of his composing and most of his pre-production work. His digs are full of eclectic furniture and bric-a-brac, mixing up design elements and furniture pieces from the 50's to the present. He also regularly employs the services of his talented Engineer and Producer J.D. Stewart, who owns and operates Stewart Music Production Studio, a full service music production facility in Lake Elsinore, CA. Hans has sold or licensed several of his instrumental compositions and has scored various other film projects. Most recently, he completed the documentary score for JAMES BAMA: AMERICAN REALIST, in early 2006. He also released the instrumental album entitled "Ambient Chair Music-New Music Inspired by the Artwork of Ragnar" in 2004. In 2002, Hans released the instrumental album "Shagxotica!-New Music Inspired by the Paintings of Shag." Currently, Mr. Karl has animation and other scoring projects in the works for 2006.

Composing music is Hans Karl's biggest passion, and he continues to achieve his dream of writing and selling "visual instrumental music."

Visit Hans' website:www.hanskarlmusic.com

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

email

Please log in to email this artist.