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Two previously unreleased recordings culled from the personal archives of Karen Mantero & Dennis Genovese. The duo began a lifelong songwriting partnership in early-1960s New Jersey, recording together consistently across four decades. After featuring their song “Get Free” (released under the name Karen Ghee) on our recent compilation Neon Castle, Dennis entrusted us with the keys to his vault. Digging through the tapes, we uncovered dozens of off-kilter pop recordings spanning nearly forty years.

One track immediately stood out: “Up Down” (1971). A haunted candlelit swirl of orchestral psych folk tinged with arpeggiated harp and eerie electronics. The song feels like its drifting somewhere between The United States of America and Broadcast.

“It’s A New Day, Jodi” (1966) captures an earlier side of the pair’s sound: homespun pop psychedelia filled with youthful warmth and melancholy. Potentially the earliest surviving recording of Dennis & Karen together, the track offers a glimpse into the beginnings of a creative partnership that would continue for decades.

Together, these tenderly lo-fi recordings document two distinct moments in the evolution of an overlooked songwriting duo — from fragile mid-60s psych pop to exploratory early-70s experimentation.