Delerium

Karma (Nettwerk)
by Clarendon Lavorich

Over a year ago, Delerium released Karma, and I loved it. But did you listen? Nooo! It faded into obscurity, until, by some chance, überfrau Sarah McCauly-Culkin (McLachlan, McBane, McCloud, McDonald, whatever) became a huge success with her “Lil’ Liz Phair” tour (wait, that’s not right… where’s the bio when you need it…). Anyway, anything she ever did is now in resurgence, and luckily, Karma was noticed. Okay, now for the facts you missed when it was played on the radio and in clubs: 1: Delerium are the guys from Front Line Assembly, Rhys Fulber and Bill Leeb. When I interviewed them a couple years ago, I asked them about Delerium and Synaesthesia (an ambient side project). They said they didn’t want to talk about it, it wasn’t important, it was just a side project. Well, guys, that “side project” has done better than you ever did! 2: Sarah MacLaddieLand only appears on one track. There are other vocalists, and all but one of them also have whacked-out names. They are Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance), Kristy Thirsk (Rose Chronicles), and Jaqui Hunt (Single Gun Theory). 3: Rather than having the questionable honor of being upstaged by a guest, Delerium should be more impressed by the quality of their samples. Their Moroccan and North African chants and rhythms fill Karma out into a much richer album than mere electronic warblings. 4: Yes, they spelled “Delerium” wrong (It’s “Delirium,” or so says Webster’s Ninth).
(8730 Wilshire Blvd #304 Beverly Hills, CA 90211)