Karate Boogaloo

Season Three, 598 Stanley St, Woolloongabba QLD 4101, Australia, 4101 Brisbane Directions

Fri 28.08.2026 19:30

Sitting at the core of Melbourne’s burgeoning movement of cinematic instrumental soul, Karate Boogaloo’s roots go deep into the fabric of the DIY soul idiom. A mainstay of the Melbourne underground for longer than a decade, their now sought-after three-volume ‘KB’s Mixtapes’ series, two original LPs and collaboration with US singer Danielle Ponder are evidence of their long-standing contribution to the city's cinematic soul sound. This four piece seeks inspiration from the great small combo instrumental bands à la Booker T & The MG’s and The Meters. Coming off of a booming tour of Europe with College Of Knowledge labelmates Surprise Chef in 2025, 2026 will see new music from Karate Boogaloo released via Colemine Records (US) and College Of Knowledge Records (AU) as well as some relentless touring!

Performers

Karate Boogaloo
Making up the rhythm section of long-time Melbourne soul favourites The Cactus Channel, Karate Boogaloo remind us of the beauty of colouring outside the lines; their unconventional funk guided by a steadfast commitment to bending the rules.

The quartet spent their early-20s recording in mouldy home studios and sweaty attic recording spaces, reimagining deep funk and wonky soul into an off-kilter sound that leans heavily on cinematic themes, classic breaks and library music. A sound delivered with a highly refined sense of inelegance, tongue-in-cheek humour and a sometimes jarring dose of zany 21st-century surrealism.

KB consistently sit in their own lane – their combination of raw musicianship and sheer time on the clock playing together in the studio and on stage gives them a glowing presence rarely seen. Making records, they follow their own rules; recording and mixing on tape with no plugins and no edits, releasing exclusively in mono. It’s not about anachronism, it’s about the KB manifesto: a chosen set of limitations forcing a specific outcome, an outcome best appreciated through their “KB’s Mixtape” series of LPs.

2018’s KB’s Mixtape No. 1, a self-produced and released collection of interpretations of hip hop samples done in Karate Boogaloo’s immediately recognisable wonky style is fast becoming a cult classic amongst Melbourne’s diggers, selling out in local record stores through word of mouth alone. In 2019, KB’s Mixtape No. 2 was released in September through Hopestreet Recordings. Their KB's Mixtape No. 3 is due out April 2, 2021 through College Of Knowledge Records.