British Cinematic Psychedelic Art-rock
Capturing the angst of the 21st Century with Karen Langley’s sharply observed lyrics, laced with the manically haunting guitars of Rob Williams and Jon Sharp on drums (plus guest musicians), BABAL deliver a thought provoking, barbed performance that defies categorization.
BABAL reveal a dystopian, offbeat view of life; their cinematic, psych/art-rock approach calling up comparisons with Talking Heads , Zappa, Beefheart, Hendrix, Primus, Bent Knee and Patti Smith among many. The band have gathered great responses around the UK and Europe and have also played live soundtracks for Alternative Cinema presentations.
Karen Langley’s’ dark edged lyrics and powerfully fluid vocals soar over groove-driven soundscapes and changing moods, enmeshed with blistering guitars from Rob Williams.
Existential, esoteric and serving up innovative avant-garde symphonies of beauty and passion between slices of rich vocals and stunning guitars, BABAL’s music is underpinned by great bass and drums. BABAL switch easily between dark, light, grey and dazzling.
The band move seamlessly through improvisation, taut accuracy, poetic fusion, political satire, eccentricity and authentic raw power.
Each BABAL member is a virtuoso; united they create a critical mass of presence that is unlike any other band.
Karen Langley
(Vocals/lyrics)
(aka Mimi Vogel)
Karen has sung the blues, jazz, rock, folk, accapella choirs, mass choirs, fun funerals and flash mob sing alongs….she has performed her poetry and prose at events at Edinburgh Fringe, Bath Fringe, Avon Poetry society amongst many others and has danced with Bristol group The Cauldron of Colours. She also toured the UK with South West Arts funding with a group of musicians re-energising the alternative Jazz world of the legendary Albert Ayler. She has also worked with many natural voice practitioners and shamanistic teachers to access the inner voice.
As a member of BABAL, Karen uses the voice as an instrument and route to the soul of the music, incorporating short and tall tales of a world alternately viewed with clarity and through veils of misunderstanding.
Rob Williams
(Guitars,/Synthesist/Composer)
Immersed in an aural cauldron at a very early age Rob’s career has followed many diverse and strange paths. He has played in far too many bands and individual artists to mention in the UK and Europe.
Maverick guitarist, synthesist and composer, Robs unique style forms the centrifugal force of BABAL’s sound, ranging from the darkly mournful to the acerbic and elegantly eccentric, whilst never losing touch with the spine of a song.
Jon Sharp
(Drums)
The perceptive and taut backline of BABAL. Jon’s drum journey began when, aged 10, he queued overnight to buy his first drum kit in a music sale!
Jon has worked with the Rita Lynch Band, The Skull Academy (musical psychotheatre) and pop band The Delegates. He has worked with Rob and Karen in various collectives (including Wise Children prior to BABAL) and is at the driving core of the music.
Chris Gill
(Bass)
Chris Gill is a self taught guitarist who has recorded 8 original and critically acclaimed albums with his Band of Rain formed in 2002. He went on to develop his recording skills and started to collaborate with many musicians ultimately resulting in a further 20 albums with a vast range of artists ranging from Folk to Electronica.
Live, Chris first played bass with a band based in Bedford UK in 1968 called Eyes of Eleanor, progressing to lead guitar via his love for Jimi Hendrix. There followed years of playing around the UK in various bands before moving to Texas in 1975, where Chris developed a taste for blues music.
On a mini tour of the college circuit in 1976, Chris was involved in an accident in Arizona, and broke both hands. Unable to play the guitar his involvement in music faded until 1985 when a friend was selling a guitar; Chris bought it, and got back up to speed.
Back in the UK now, there followed a long period of setting up, and learning how to record music at his home studio in Wales UK where he started to record under the name of Band of Rain. The first album Deep Space was released in 2004.
More recently, Chris has joined Art Rockers Babal as the Bass player and has been busy rehearsing with them, and at the time of writing, Babal with Chris have started gigging June 2023
Chris now lives in Dorset UK with his wife Katrina and 3 dogs
GUEST MUSICIANS
Zoie Green // Keyboards
Ben Balsom // Bass
BABALOGRAPHY
Life is Always Wild – (2023) Limited Edition CD, Digital & Streaming
Lets Get Lucid – (2023) Limited Edition CD, Digital & Streaming
Who Will I Be When I Leave? (2022) CD, Digital & Streaming
Spirit In A Meat Suit (2021) CD, Digital & Streaming
Dreams For Imaginary Puppet Shows On The Radio (2020) Limited Edition CD, Digital & Streaming
Hellish Interlude (2020) Limited Edition USB
Frank’s Lament EP (2020) LP, CD, Digital & Streaming
The Big Everything EP (2019) CD, Digital & Streaming
The Glacier EP (2018) CD, Digital & Streaming
The Circle of Confusion of Tongues (2018) LP, CD, Digital & Streaming
LATEST RELEASE
SINGLES
Life is Furniture (2024) Digital & Streaming
The Best Restaurants (2024) Digital & Streaming
There Is No Path in the Sky (2024) Digital & Streaming
Radical (2023) Digital & Streaming
Corkscrew Rider (Single) (2022) Digital & Streaming
Zombie Diary (Single) (2021) Digital & Streaming
PREVIOUS RELEASES
REVIEWS
Big Beautiful Noise
Big Beautiful Noise
Carnival Records
Music Is a Journey
Progressor
Power of Prog
Prog Archives
Carnival Records
Prog Archives
Big Beautiful Noise
Carnival Records
Prog Archives
Sea of Tranquality