LA-based Karter AKA got his start playing in various short-lived L.A. punk bands. He is also a longtime member of the indie-rap outfit Manic Carbon, and in addition to his musical endeavors, Karter is a published sci-fi writer and fish biologist.
‘Dangerous Creatures’ – his third solo album – was mostly written in one furious session in August 2024 (with a good chunk of 2025 spent recording and refining it). It was inspired by the 1994 PC edutainment game of the same name.
Karter says that ‘Dangerous Creatures’ is a field guide to predators and prey, and describes his sound as ‘folktronica’ or ‘sub-tropical rock’. I love that because it perfectly conveys the sultry fusions to be found in this album.
‘Sea Wasp’ – A chaotic burst of animal noises gives way to a smooth, mellow folk-rock groove to open the album. Karter’s vocal melts away into the track, embossing the subtle melody onto the full & open mix. It’s a very calm indie-pop sound from years gone by. In fact, it made me feel quite nostalgic – until the final minute, which takes a strange, dark turn. It’s like we’re suddenly back in the jungle – predators circling.
“clip my claws, file my fangs, pull my stingers out”
‘Danger Brain’ – There’s another cacophony of sound in the intro before the crisp flow takes over once again. I really liked the freshness of the sounds – delicate acoustic guitars and a boomwhacker or pan-pipe sound – it’s a kind of hollow, tribal sound that gives it a wonderfully bouncy texture. With a melody that feels lighter than air, for some reason, it gave me flashbacks to ‘So’ era Peter Gabriel.
“my creature eyes
I’m thinking more and more in symbols
at ease at times
at an attack reacting
don’t come outside”
‘Create An Oasis’ – Despite the programmed beat, this feels like a straight-up indie-pop-rock song, with its self-assured harmonies and the gentle melody that gradually draws you in.
‘Regulatory Capture’ – Bongos and a hushed vocal combine with distorted electrical buzzes and crackles before a disturbing, industrial atmosphere appears – and disappears. Like stumbling across some secret ritual hidden deep in the forest, this perfectly captures the aforementioned ‘sub-tropical rock’ feeling.
‘Ugly Gang’ – A trap-tinged beat and a halting rhythm mean this is a darker, more menacing track. After the huge guitar in the intro disappears, it’s all bubbly textures, filtered synths, and hushed hooks. Another darkly themed lyric, I took it as a tale of power, exploitation, and inequality.
“I was pretty fine on my cage floor
I was even okay
now they got me running shore to shore
until my core is sore”
‘Piranha’ – The unpredictability continues – there’s a throwback energy here – like Coldplay from the 00’s. It doesn’t feel out of place, though, and the stadium-sized sounds with their shimmering, metallic hook seem like a natural progression.
‘Flow On Kin’ – Back to a more intimate sound. Slow & soulful, I loved the closeness of the mix and the squeaks of the guitars. It also contains one of my favourite lyrics so far: “kin, it’s a vermin shower”.
‘Everything Strange About Me’ – I loved the complete handbrake turn when this track started. Spoken samples, a trip-hop beat – even a rap – help to add totally new timbres. It feels like a DJ Shadow track with extra vox. Shout out to guests Rita Rumproast and Moral Reef. Despite the complete change in tone, it still retains the album’s melodic warmth and tactile character.
‘The Law’ – It’s always nice to hear a prominent cowbell. Also, Gregorian chanting and brooding, film-score atmospherics. It’s like a sci-fi country & western soundtrack with a guest vocal from Daniel Talton.
‘Reasonable Creatures’ – Karter’s vocal takes on a different personality here, and the fractured, lop-sided track manages to be hypnotic and slightly menacing at the same time, with a crazily jarring interlude. The bass sounds fantastic, and once again the serious message of the track is softened somewhat by clever imagery and poetic nuance.
“recently been peeling my lips back
showing teeth at this guy so he knows what I’m like
don’t go thinking this is my first shipwreck
this is Tuesday to me”
‘Dangerous Creatures’ – Like channel surfing on a TV, it’s a disorienting start. The sung vocals are set quite far back this time, and with only a few lyrics, the story is relatively straightforward. The outro gives way to a visceral rhythm section that’s satisfyingly groovy.
“they hide in plain sight
they pick out the slow ones and circle in
hit ’em right on time
in broad daylight
they pick out the weak ones and drag ’em down
hit ’em dead on”
‘A Brief Hot Struggle’ – The album closes with densely layered sound – solid and chunky with a punchy bass, a pretty melody, elegant pianos, and metallic glockenspiel.
“I feel like feeling the heat for a little while
until we sink down beneath that glacier sun
I feel like feeling the heat for a little while longer”
Blending off-the-wall electronica with earthy acoustics, and mixing folk with pop and rock (even flashes of hip-hop), ‘Dangerous Creatures’ prowls restlessly between the light-hearted and the thoughtful, the playful and the profound. In fact, it covers so much ground and offers so many details to explore, you might need a map!
Surprises and sudden mood changes are always just around the corner. Found sounds, tactile percussion, and smooth-as-butter vocals wrap around delicate hooks and soulful chord changes.
Karter writes that, “at its core, ‘Dangerous Creatures’ is about survival. Many of the tracks offer direct narratives of predator/prey relationships – whether in a literal sense, a societal one, or a spiritual one”.
Throughout it all, though, this doesn’t feel desperate or hopeless. It’s a commentary on some of the more uncomfortable aspects of reality – the brutal truths of life – but it’s both cathartic and empowering. In other words, these tales of survival aren’t purely violent or tragic. This is survival born of strategy, resistance – even tenderness.
Most of all, ‘Dangerous Creatures’ is packed with enough hooks to reel listeners in. Teeming with inventive combinations, each track feels like it visits a different place and time, making this an album that will sink its teeth in and not let go.
Written by Grubby
