Nobody can accuse Karl Wolf of standing still. Since the last time he came to Yorkton, Wolf has recorded a new album, a new TV series, and toured around the world. He's back in the city on September 25 at the Ukrainian Orthodox Auditorium.
Wolf says he's excited to get back to the city, and he says it's going to be a different show from last time, but still going to be a high energy party atmosphere.
"New material, new energy, good vibes, it's going to be crazy. We're going to party it up, it's going to be fun," Wolf says.
The new stuff is an evolution of Wolf's style, taking things he loves into different directions.
"I've still got my staple '80s chorus and dance hall touch, with an R&B Hip Hop feel. That's never going to go away, that's just the kind of music I love to make. But I'm starting to mess with house music and house DJs... People want faster... I don't know why, people want that faster pace right now, so I'm going with the flow with my own artistic twist on it," Wolf notes.
Wolf's new album is self titled, and will be released on November 1. The new album is a more collaborative effort than previous work, featuring artists such as Kardinal Offishal and Three 6 Mafia.
"The music industry is small, we all know each other. It's one of those things where once we can work with each other, we work together," Wolf notes.
"Every album is getting harder and harder, which is in a way a good thing, since that's directly proportional to my time. The less time I have is a good thing, because that means I'm busy," Wolf notes.
The album will feature work from producers around the world and a variety of other artists.
"There's a lot of good people who are helping me out, whereas before I would do it myself completely," Wolf notes.
He says it's not always easy to work with others, though sometimes it can add something to the album that wasn't there. He notes it depends on the track and the chemistry between performers.
"It's not a science, it's an art," he notes.
While a more collaborative album, Wolf says that there are some things he won't let others handle, such as his main vocals.
"I do all the vocals myself, I don't want an engineer there I don't want anybody. I do it alone, I do it in my boxers, I take off all my jewelry, everything's gone, I strip down. I know it sounds weird, but I do that because I want to be one with nature, one with the world. It's like magic, the inspiration's got to come to you when you're writing and recording," Wolf says.
Even with work from others, Wolf notes that the mixing and other steps in the final product are all his doing, and he puts himself in the album.
"It's still my baby," Wolf continues.
Wolf's trademark '80s influenced sound is something which has caught on with other artists, and he's proud of being ahead of the curve in that respect. He says that the decade is connecting to people again because some of the best things in that era's music are hard to find.
"For me, that whole decade was a little more emotionally free. People were able to be more melodic with their music. Today, people are trying to stay away from that for some reason... Melody is disappearing and we're just trying to bring that back. Fans who are younger will appreciate that in their own genre," Wolf says.
Wolf says that he loves remaking '80s tracks because it lets the youth of today connect with the old songs.
"If you played the actual song to them, like Glory of Love from Karate Kid or Africa by Toto, they would think this is cheesy and they won't get it. You've got to bring back the beat for them, it's all about the rhythm section," Wolf says.
One of the big projects Wolf has undertaken in the past year has been filming a reality TV show, expected to launch early next year.
"It's going to be amazing. The cool thing about this show is that people will finally know what I go through, what my every day is like, as a musician and as a struggling musician. Even though we're doing really well now it wasn't always this easy, and still there are times when things are rough," Wolf notes.
Wolf says he refused to do the show for two years, but he warmed up to the idea as he thought about the things they do and how it might be interesting to watch and make people realize the work that goes into things he does.
"They become invisible, and you start to not even notice the cameras are there, and you get back to the reality of things in your life," Wolf notes.
Wolf will be at the Ukrainian Orthodox Auditorium at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $25 and available at Booster Juice and Cab Clothing. The show is for all ages.
