New Karla Sax Track

Vancouver musician Karla Sax has just released a new track in collaboration with a singer and a producer from Europe, with an aim to “bring the world together through music”. With 15K streams on Spotify, we chatted with Karla to learn more. —Noa Nichol

Karla! Please tell us a bit about yourself to start.

Hello! I am a professional saxophone player living in Vancouver, British Columbia. I was introduced to the sax in a high school jazz band and continued playing through university where I obtained a Bachelor of Music from the University of Victoria. I’ve been playing ever since and enjoy a full calendar of performances.

You recently released a new track that’s a collaboration with a singer and a producer from Europe. Can you tell us what the song is called, who you collaborated with and what the impetus/inspiration for this partnership was?

I’ve always wanted to delve into composing and was drawn to tropical house for some time now. Melody ideas tend to pop into my head often! I had transcribed and recorded a cover of Deep Chill’s song, ‘Waikiki’ and his label, Atlast, noticed it online a few years ago. They reached out to me, and teamed me up with a producer named, B’Bach. Contracts were signed, and our first track, Crete, was born. Our newest song, One Day, is my second collaboration with B’Bach, and my first time working with the singer, Ynnox who lives in Austria. Since working with B’Bach, I knew we were creatively on the same page as artists. B’Bach sent me the track, I wrote a sultry saxophone part and it was then sent to Ynnox who composed the vocal lines. Atlast then mastered the three parts and voila, a summer hit was created!

Where can people listen to the song?

One Day can be heard on streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music and iTunes as well as all other digital stores and platforms. It has reached over 15,000 streams within the first week and a half!

What do you hope to convey to listeners through this piece?

Vocalist Ynnox describes the song as “overcoming a hardship in a relationship, so it’s positive and uplifting, yet emotional”. The Atlast label calls the song “an extremely tropical house song that makes you feel like summer”. I can envision our song being played at a beach club in Ibiza, or at one of our beautiful beaches here in Vancouver! I hope our song evokes a sense of happiness and sets the mood for your summer activities.

How else did Covid impact you as an artist? Challenges? Benefits?

Covid was an interesting time for me as an artist. My corporate, overseas, private and wedding gigs were halted, but somehow, I found creative ways to still perform! I took to the streets of Vancouver and brought my music to the people. I was either down at Kitsilano Beach, on the False Creek Sea Wall or in Yaletown. The Kitsilano Business Association hired me to perform up and down 4th Avenue, a major thoroughfare of Vancouver, during the Christmas holidays, and I was their resident musician at the new Kits Common Plaza. I recorded shows from home for companies that held their galas online, and released a bi-weekly YouTube video to my channel.

What’s next for you?

I have a new track coming out on June 10 called ‘Mallorca! This one is close to my heart, as I have a family connection in Mallorca, Spain, and spent many childhood summers on their beaches. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for B’Bach and I’s next release on June 10!