Kula Shaker to launch K‑Reinkarnate tour with Cardiff show
The Britpop pioneers will perform their debut album in full, backed by newly unearthed tracks, as they hit Cardiff on 18 March 2027.
Britpop veterans Kula Shaker have announced a UK and European headline tour centred on a full live rendition of their 1996 debut album, K.
The band will record the performance in analogue, cutting the set to two‑inch tape at Middle Farm Studios before releasing it as the album K‑Reinkarnate on 5 February 2027 via Strange F.O.L.K. Records.
K‑Reinkarnate will feature the original track list plus three songs – “Shower Your Love”, “Hush” and “Drop in the Sea” – that were recorded during the original sessions but omitted from the 1996 release.
Most striking is the inclusion of “She’s So Free”, an unfinished piece recovered from a forgotten master tape and completed with new instrumentation in 2026.
Frontman Crispian Mills explained the concept, saying the project is “not about replicating K but summoning its spirit by playing it live and giving it ‘new flesh’”.
“Govinda has been with us since day one.”
He added that the track’s kirtan roots gave the band a distinctive identity during the Britpop “bunfight”.
“Without doubt, it gave us our own unique identity and sound during the Britpop bunfight, with all the bands vying for attention, and in hindsight, it was way ahead of its time, with kirtan,” he continued.
Mills recalled the influence of George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” and the guidance of Himangsu Goswami, whose family has performed kirtan for fourteen generations in Bangladesh.
“We gained a much deeper understanding and appreciation,” he said, noting that kirtan was then confined to temples and ashrams.
The band’s decision to re‑record the album came after earlier suggestions to re‑issue the Columbia catalogue with new masters, an idea they felt would be inauthentic.
Working with producer Peter Miles – who mixed the 2025 Wormslayer album – and Ash Howes, the group embraced an all‑analogue approach to capture the live energy of the original material.
“That’s the whole meaning of the word ‘reincarnate’ – it’s not about replicating K but summoning its spirit by playing it live and giving it ‘new flesh’,” Mills reiterated.
Kula Shaker’s tour will open in Luxembourg on 26 February 2027 and will conclude at London’s Troxy on 20 March.
Among the dates, the band will perform at Cardiff University’s Great Hall on Thursday 18 March, marking a rare Welsh stop on the itinerary.
The set will see the original line‑up – Crispian Mills, Alonza Bevan, Paul Winter‑Hart and Jay Darlington – deliver the album in sequence, allowing the songs to evolve naturally after three decades of live performances.
Fans can expect a fresh take on classics such as “Tattva”, “Hey Dude” and the Sanskrit‑sung “Govinda”, alongside the newly restored tracks.
“What you hear now is the band of 2026 playing along with its previous incarnation, thirty years before.” It was a wonderfully weird experience,” Mills said of the newly completed “She’s So Free”.
Originally, K propelled British psychedelia into the mainstream, blending Indian musical influences with Britpop sensibilities and reaching number one on the UK Albums Chart.
The upcoming release and tour aim to celebrate that legacy while offering listeners a contemporary reinterpretation of a landmark record.
K‑Reinkarnate will be available on vinyl, CD and digital formats, with the analogue recordings promising a warm, authentic sound.
The Cardiff concert is expected to draw a sizeable crowd, reflecting the enduring appeal of Kula Shaker’s fusion of rock and spiritual motifs.
Tickets for the tour have been sold through official channels, with the Cardiff show listed as a highlight for Welsh fans of the era‑defining band.