Karpel turns Israel on to electro-pop

February 13, 2009 - 9:11 AM by Harry · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Israeliness, Music, Pop Culture 

Emily KarpelSince releasing her debut album Nemashim (Freckles) this past summer, singer-songwriter Emily Karpel has been more than preoccupied with the whirlwind that is Israel’s pop machinery, with the disc’s success even raising eyebrows in some unlikely places abroad.

One of the greatest accomplishments of Karpel’s work is the manner in which it has yanked Israeli pop out of complacency. The artist’s ironic-new wave-gogo-girl persona and edgy yet sparse audio aesthetic represent major refreshment in a scene dominated by teenybopper emulators, guitar-folk dinosaurs and club culture postures.

The Jerusalem Post’s Asi Gal recently had the honor of meeting up with Karpel for coffee in Tel Aviv, and he reported on the experience in his typically casual and wry manner.

So what’s with the synth-happy sound? Karpel explains that she’s not alone:

“It’s not a question of choice,” she says earnestly, “this is simply music that I love and that I want to do. I only do things I believe in. Besides, the music I enjoy the most – Asaf Amdursky, The Ivrit and Marioneta Sol – is played by bands that make a different, more ’80s style electro-pop type sound. And they’re succeeding, aren’t they? Change is in the air – I am only one element of it.”

And what next?

“There will definitely be shows, but right now I’m much more interested in getting back into the studio to record my second album. The first was sort of about a lost kid wanting to grow up. I know the second is going to be more mature, but the pop sound is going to stay.”

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Karpal and Lobel snag a Nevada Lulu

November 17, 2008 - 2:40 PM by Harry · 1 Comment
Filed under: Israeliness, Movies, Music, Pop Culture 

Emily KarpalPart Canadian, part Tel Avivian, pop singer-songwriter Emilly Karpal released her debut studio full-length album this past August. A collaboration with Tomer Adam Lenzinger, whom she met while working together on an Air remix, Nemashim (Freckles) has served Karpal’s career well, earning her considerable local airplay. One of the album’s key singles, the title track reached number 14 on the Reshet Gimmel radio station’s charts for Israeli music.

Now the cheeky, 80s-style bubblegum-electro retro-fest video clip for that single, below, has earned the performer some accolades from an unlikely source. Held in the low-key Nevada town of Pahrump, probably best known for being home to the Sheri’s Ranch brothel, the third annual High Desert Shorts International Film Festival has awarded $100 in cash prize money to Ofir Lobel for his work on the “Nemashim” video. The music video category’s competition was as stiff as can be expected from a community film festival, but Lobel’s slick work deserves kudos no matter what the scale of the context.

In addition to his music video work, Lobel, who has also spent lots of time in North America over the years, has served as a web-based news reporter and as a TV actor. He also has his own budding career as a musician.

In comments to the Israeli music video TV channel 24, Lobel has indicated that he hopes this award, nicknamed the Lulu, will open up career opportunities for him overseas. Karpal, on the other hand, said, “It’s fun that we’ve reached all the way to Nevada, since I’ve never even been there.”

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