reax music magazine :: music + culture » Reviews » Bela Karoli - Furnished Rooms

Going "old-school" with electronic music typically means busting out a vocoder or a Linn drum ... the trio known as Bela Karoli busts out the accordion. Given their instrumentation – accordion, cello, violin, "soft instruments" – it's not even technically accurate to refer to the music that Bela Karoli makes as "electronic," but there's a distinctly downtempo feel to the trio's chamberpop. Gently processed vocals add to the effect, and the occasional use of programmed percussion (such as on "Invertebrate") is a definite pointer, but what makes Bela Karoli feel like 21st century cafe music is more in the overall vibe they exude. While a string-focused group like Rasputina goes to great pains to make themselves seem archaic-but-hip, Bela Karoli is more concerned with making elegant, dreamy music that's contemporary but timeless. - Jason Ferguson