KARMA SHE explores self-liberation through dance and sensual self-expression during lockdown in their newest visuals for ‘Sauna’ and Sherø‘s ‘Sauna’ remix. ‘Sauna’ is the fifth single from KARMA SHE’s visual album ‘My Naked Devotion’ released March 7th on Berlin-based label Martin Hossbach. Accompanied by a disco house bassline and a sassy saxophone, KARMA SHE’s soft pop vocals flirt with camp erotics while the closing rap verse voices reassurance and self-worth. “This is my favorite song from the album because it’s all about stepping into your power and vibing on your own flirty energy even when your reality is bleak and it seems like everyone around doesn’t believe in you,” explains KARMA SHE. “I wrote it shortly after I moved to a foreign country and had to rebuild my personal life and career from scratch, it gave me the optimism I needed at that time and I hope it can do the same for others.”
Created with the help of smartphones and a zoom dance rehearsal during the lockdown, five personal portraits of unprofessional dancers around the globe perform their hearts out to the ‘Sauna’ choreography from their living room. Multiple layers of stock footage frames transform these familiar spaces into a psychedelic low tech peep show. “I created this video in reaction to the isolation restrictions, screens have become the main window of communication yet I feel we are trapped in them, my refuge is utilizing this technology for creating new music and online dance experiments,” says KARMA SHE. “This video aims to morph these distorted online peeping holes one step further through the screen into the beyond.”
While the original track heads more into the disco-house-pop galaxy, Sherø stripped it down to the essence of KARMA’s sensual vocals riding the deep club wave. The two met at Brenn, a sweaty underground queer party in Berlin and have been working on some exciting projects for Sherø’s KlubKid Record label for a while now. Sherø’s Remix of ‘Sauna’ is the sixth self-directed ‘do it yourself’ music video from KARMA SHE’s latest album shot during Berlin’s lockdown. Smooth like this house remix, this video is a wink to vintage porn, autoeroticism, self-care rituals and home studio sessions while reclaiming the portrayal of contemporary female pleasure.
“I may be far from perfect but at least I reached the point in life where I can have fun with myself in a bubble bath and I’m not ashamed,” says KARMA on the clip. “The original video idea was to make a big shoot with lots of sexy queer people in a sauna but then COVID-19 happened and I had to readapt. This video happened very spontaneously, my close friend and collaborator Niko Simkin came over, it felt very natural to splash around my bath, we worked our magic and the result is probably my most revealing video to date.”
Sherø (fka D’Steph and D’Stephanie) has been a steady fixture in the club scene for more than 25 years. Her style as a DJ, often described as deep, sensual, sexy and energetic, combines the best of both worlds. A mix of old skool underground house classics and b sides topped with some contemporary new gems. In 2020 she started her own label KlubKid Records, based in Berlin, with a focus on queer artists and friends. Music-wise the imprint will cover a range of genres, going from acid house to EBM, deep house to Afro house or whatever feels exciting. As a producer, she released several tracks on Ransom Note Records, Sonar Kollektiv, Jalapeno records, Chez, Hed Kandi, Broadcite, PUMA and many more.
Berlin-based (and Jerusalem-born) multi-disciplinary artist, producer and performer Carmel Michaeli has constructed the vessel named KARMA SHE to transcend the stage and create extra-sensorial musical experiences. KARMA SHE’s bass induced alternative pop productions are complemented by a soft twist of explicit vocals. Together with her creature crew, KARMA SHE creates a highly visual live-set that combines choreography and ecstatic ritualistic elements that lure you into her universe — a universe inspired by Michaeli’s Jewish heritage and subcultures. She is the writer, composer, producer and vocalist for KARMA SHE’s music and self-directs all of her performances and music videos with a punk attitude, collaborating with other artists from her community. The project is an ongoing deconstruction of pop conventions; the result is both mystifying and seductive.
‘My Naked Devotion’ is out now. Get here it: fanlink.to/mynakeddevotion
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