Kula Shaker
Named after a 9th century Indian saint and poet king, Kula Shaker seemed to have always existed in an alternate reality. Emerging in the midst of Britpop’s lad-culture swagger and retrograde cool, Kula Shaker appeared like a luminous anomaly — flooded with Sanskrit and sitar-drenched feedback. Fronted by the spiritually restless Crispian Mills, the band carved out their own mystical counter-narrative, fusing British psychedelia and eastern mysticism that felt less like a gimmick and more like an invocation.
After a stream of inspired hit singles, like ‘Tattva’ (the inconceivable, simultaneous oneness and difference of reality) and a personal invitation from Noel Gallagher to perform at Oasis’s legendary Knebworth concert, Kula Shaker’s debut album ‘K’ exploded onto the UK charts, debuting at Number 1, a remarkable feat for a band whose most famous single (Govinda) was sung entirely in Sanskrit. But beyond the novelty, there was a striking musicality, with soaring Hammond Organ lines courtesy of Jay Darlington, Thunderous rhythms from Paul WinterHart, and Alonza Bevan’s melodic bass lines grounding the cosmic swirl.
With iconic cover art by ‘Watchman’ illustrator Dave Gibbons, ‘K’ blended Kula Shaker’s love of classic British psych-rock, pop culture, and spiritual imagery, resulting in a heady mix often described as a concept album rooted in Indian mysticism, which placed them outside the steady crush of guitar bands transiting the post-grunge Britpop era.
Named after a 9th century Indian saint and poet king, Kula Shaker seemed to have always existed in an alternate reality. Emerging in the midst of Britpop’s lad-culture swagger and retrograde cool, Kula Shaker appeared like a luminous anomaly — flooded with Sanskrit and sitar-drenched feedback. Fronted by the spiritually restless Crispian Mills, the band carved out their own mystical counter-narrative, fusing British psychedelia and eastern mysticism that felt less like a gimmick and more like an invocation.
After a stream of inspired hit singles, like ‘Tattva’ (the inconceivable, simultaneous oneness and difference of reality) and a personal invitation from Noel Gallagher to perform at Oasis’s legendary Knebworth concert, Kula Shaker’s debut album ‘K’ exploded onto the UK charts, debuting at Number 1, a remarkable feat for a band whose most famous single (Govinda) was sung entirely in Sanskrit. But beyond the novelty, there was a striking musicality, with soaring Hammond Organ lines courtesy of Jay Darlington, Thunderous rhythms from Paul WinterHart, and Alonza Bevan’s melodic bass lines grounding the cosmic swirl.
With iconic cover art by ‘Watchman’ illustrator Dave Gibbons, ‘K’ blended Kula Shaker’s love of classic British psych-rock, pop culture, and spiritual imagery, resulting in a heady mix often described as a concept album rooted in Indian mysticism, which placed them outside the steady crush of guitar bands transiting the post-grunge Britpop era.