'Karim Fanous is a songwriter with a difference, mixing classic song craft with an experimental funk edge more readily associated with the likes of Frank Zappa and Captain Beef heart. 'Perfume' is the obvious highlight, with an infectious melody and a sinuous groove. Karim FaMous is clearly one to watch!'Liz Harvs, Whisperin & Hollerin
'Singer-songwriters these days are usually shoegazing acoustic artists longing for some past love, but Karim Fanous is a stark contrast with his creative guitarwork that embraces blues, rock and simple pop to create some tight, irresistible tunes.'Jo Vallance, Room Thirteen
When the Riyadh born Karim Fanous cites AC/DC as one of his truest musical loves, you could be forgiven for neglecting the fact that he is a classically trained musician, with a history in the clarinet, who didnt actually get into playing the guitar until he was 16. With influences ranging from the aforementioned heavy rock heroes, to folk icon Joni Mitchell, Karim has had a very broad schooling in popular music - and it shows. The forthcoming release of his debut album Stir Crazy sees him flirt with sentimentality in the delicate Cliches & Candlelight and then charge home with the chorus led pop dream of Ship is Sinking.
Unlike most artists that are solely influenced by their musical peers, Fanous song Perfume is a take on Patrick Suskinds book of the same name and is a tale of being a prisoner of ones own desire. As a former philosophy student, he certainly has an interesting perspective on what he wants his music to achieve. In a live environment is where this is most notable, of which he says, To connect with the crowd is the most important thing. When the audience associates with what Im singing about its the biggest rush in the world and so beautiful because it is so inclusive. The real excitement for me is the connection with people and creating a feeling between yourself and the crowd, so the song can do what it was written to do.
August 31
Yo peeps! Thought you might like to know that 'Perfume' has been played a couple of times on BBC Radio 6 music, on Nemone and George Lambs' shows.
Time to celebrate - although this time I will try not to disclocate anything! ;)
Keep the faith.
Luv Karimo
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July 23
Yo Peeps! From now on I will be posting my blogs in full at vox.
I have put up the whole process of recording my debut album 'Stir Crazy'. It shows the highs and lows I went through!
www.karimfanous.vox.com
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February 5
Well i'm always going on about 'biloo' or 'Maribelle' or other funny names so it's time you knew. This blog will grow so keep checking back but for now here is a summary:
Biloo:
My beautiful K Yairi baritone guitar. I had to phone all over England and eventually go to Leiciester to find this guitar. And even then I just tried one that had aready been sold. I knew as soon as I played it though that it was perfect and put an order in for a new one. It took three months to arrive but was worth the wait. Made in Japan and beautifully crafted this is my main writing and live guitar. I need a baritone to suit the lower tunings that I like to use. I use lower tunings so that I can use the full range of my voice with the chord shapes that I like to play. For example playing a G shape chord on a guitar tuned to C Sharp puts my voice in just the right place. And I love the sound of a G shaped ring!
Maribelle:
The sweetest sounding guitar I have ever heard. A Martin D35 that was love at first hear for me and trouble ever since! It is a bit of a lady and a throuroughbread so needs tender playing and looking after. I've had intonation problems with it and the neck moves a lot. My playing is a bit brusque so I often loose my tuning on this guitar. But I tell you what - when I get this guitar right I have never heard a sweeter tone. It is a studio guitar and is worth every penny when I get these golden takes from it. I spent a while mucking around with different string weights, would have liked to use heavy, but this thing fought back. I need to use light's to get the most out of the sweet treble tones it has. At the moment it is in high strung Nashville tuning, and when layered over Biloo combines for a brilliant and huge acoustic guitar sound.
Cassie:
Spent two intense weeks trawling London's electric guitar shops to find this Telecaster. I've wanted a tele for about ten years, but never had reason to buy a good electric guitar until I got into recording my recent songs. What a gorgeous deep red colour! This was playing like a pig when I found it in the shop, but something about the way it sounded and the range of great tones I got from it on trial showed enough potential and I knew that a good techie could pull it into shape. It felt like it had been neglected because of the way it played and had been in the shop for quite a while. A rough diamond certainly, and it has rewarded me because it sounds so good!
Yamzin:
A Yamaha FG461 which was my first normal sized acoustic steel strung guitar. This guitar has aged beautifully and is my reserve low tuner in case Biloo develops a problem. A great all rounder, it has mellowed really nicely with age.
Sinbad:
My second guitar and the one I played live and took on tour for many years. A Simon and Patrick 6 Cedar Cutaway, the top is varnished really lightly so the wood is open and has been scratched pretty heavily over the years and the look has a lovely tale to tell! Somehow it has remained in ok shape and has become a valuable studio weapon. It has a really warm, and not very bright 'strummy' sound so sits back really nicely in a mix when you need the acoustic guitar to be there but not dominate.
Baby T:
A really cute little Baby Taylor made of mahogany that I bought to travel with. You know what, this guitar might just be worth more than all the others put together because I have written so many of my songs on it, everywhere from sandy beaches, to Frisco bay, to gardens in France and cold but cosy cottages in Scotland!
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September 5
Very happy to announce the launch of my Perfume page. It will tell you all you need to know about the story and book by Patrick Suskind, the song and film!
Please go have a look and immerse yourself in the story of the song! Get to it via the links page on my website or follow this link straight to it
http://www.karimfanous.com/perfume.html
Enjoy
Kreemo
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September 5
It is with great delight that I can announce to you the launch of my music video for the song Perfume. The video was filmed at the Clerkenwell house of detention over a crazy and wonderful 21 hours on a cold but atmospheric December day! It was shot on 16mm film and made possible by a lovely and hard working crew, directed by hotshots Duncan and Pearson and produced by Mark Surridge / Step Productions. Add to all that the grace and beauty of FM model Marija Matic and it was an amazing experience - I think you'll like it! Go play it at my music profile here:
http://www.channel4.com/apps26/userpages/UserPage/bands/viewUserPage?resourceId=224537EZV
Let me know what you think!
Kreemo
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AVIVA
Totally love perfume and the video is sooooo cool! Are
you going to release it?!? What to purchase!
posted Sep 05