See all 17 pictures

Play Mick Karn Radio

Mick Karn

56,002 plays (5,277 listeners)
In your library (0 plays)

Listening now: mochzman

11 shouts

Add to my Library Share

Get Ringtones

Mick Karn (born July 24, 1958) is an English musician, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, most noted as the bassist for the 1980s art rock band Japan, from 1974 to 1982.

Karn was born Anthony Michaelides in Nicosia, Cyprus before emigrating to London, England at the age of 3. He has worked with noted New Wave artists Gary Numan, Kate Bush, Midge Ure and Joan Armatrading as well as being a member of Dali’s Car with Peter Murphy of the gothic post-punk group, Bauhaus. In the 1990s he worked with artist David Torn as well as a number of Japanese musicians, including the band NiNa.

He has a distinctive playing style and sound on the fretless bass guitar which makes his playing immediately recognizable not to mention highly influential. With his contribution Japan is often considered one of the most unique and greatest groups of the late glam rock to new wave era. After Mick’s first solo release Titles in 1982, Pete Townshend claimed that “Mick was by far the best bassist in the UK”, and so invited him to join him in a super group to celebrate the engagement of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

Karn played the aluminium neck Travis Bean bass in all Japan albums up to Gentlemen Take Polaroids. In 1981 he moved onto the renowned Wal basses and bought two fretless mk1, one with Tulipwood facings and the other being a Cherry solidbody. Mick recorded Japan’s last studio album Tin Drum with the Wal and has continued to use them, helping further their popularity worldwide. Today Karn is also using a Klein ‘K Bass’.

It is interesting to note that Karn’s mastery of the fretless bass,with his own unique sound,eclectic voicings,and oft strange intervals,belies the fact that he has little to no knowledge of music theory.

Tagged as:

progressive rock, experimental, bass, fretless bass, fusion
See more…

Similar Artists

Top Albums

Dreams of Reason Produce Monsters
Mick Karn
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $6.99
- 7digital $7.77
- iTunes $7.92
- Buy Album
- Amazon $70.01
- eBay Search
More Better Different
Mick Karn
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes $8.91
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
Titles
Mick Karn
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $6.99
- 7digital $7.77
- iTunes $6.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon $29.99
- eBay Search
Bestial Cluster
Mick Karn
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon $15.00
- eBay Search

Top Tracks

1	Buoy full track	19
2	When Love Walks In full track	17
3	Land full track	16
4	Tribal Dawn full track	14
5	Passion in Moisture full track	12
6	Atyan B-Boot	10
7	Sensitive full track	9
8	Bestial Cluster	8
8	Back in the Beginning	8
10	The Jump	7
10	Saday, Maday	7
10	Dreams of Reason full track	7
10	Piper Blue full track	7
10	Thundergirl Mutation	7
15	Beard in the Letterbox	6

Shoutbox

Leave a comment. Log in to Last.fm or sign up (it’s free).

OptionalToaster wrote:
last month

10 shouts, really?

View Profile | Leave OptionalToaster a shout
berimbaus wrote:
September 2009

New album out at mickkarn.net!!

View Profile | Leave berimbaus a shout
Slit_Your_Guts wrote:
May 2009

sick bassist

View Profile | Leave Slit_Your_Guts a shout
concretica wrote:
April 2009

Join group electronic guitar in new electronic music!

View Profile | Leave concretica a shout
rogdavies wrote:
February 2009

I loved the Titles album

View Profile | Leave rogdavies a shout
Babs_05 wrote:
January 2009

WOW!! Last time I looked, there were no streamable tracks. This is amazing!! :D

View Profile | Leave Babs_05 a shout
concretica wrote:
December 2008

!!! 0||0 !!!

View Profile | Leave concretica a shout
kittenonthekeys wrote:
September 2008

i thought i had lost this song forever.....happy to hear it again....

View Profile | Leave kittenonthekeys a shout
dunkelengel wrote:
June 2008

D:

View Profile | Leave dunkelengel a shout
Gyron5 wrote:
March 2008

oh la la...

View Profile | Leave Gyron5 a shout
Vladzik wrote:
December 2007

wowowowow

View Profile | Leave Vladzik a shout

See all 11 shouts

Videos

Listeners

Old_Samurai
Listening now
to The Wrong Truth
See_Emily
Top Listener
sadams_s
Top Listener
infactable
Top Listener
Edska
Top Listener
dzee
Top Listener

Recent Activity

added Mick Karn to their libraries. Wednesday evening
021489 uploaded 628984913_l5 to Mick Karn’s images. Monday morning
021489 linked Mick Karn to 628984913_l5. Monday morning
021489 linked a deleted file to Mick Karn. Monday morning
021489 linked Mick Karn to a deleted file. Monday morning
MontanaSacra tagged Mick Karn with alternative, electronic, avant-garde and 2 other tags. Sunday morning
MontanaSacra, ulrikrasmussen, MushroomRazor and 5 other people added Mick Karn to their libraries. Sunday morning
joe_niemand tagged Mick Karn with fretless, art rock, soundscapes and 10 other tags. last month
xtcdukes, vbgaudiolabs_1, Areskelian and 6 other people added Mick Karn to their libraries. last month
americanpsych01 tagged Mick Karn with ‘peter’. last month