Malmo, Sweden-based psychedelic/prog outfit, AGUSA, will unleash their sophomore full-length, Agusa 2 later this month via Laser’s Edge.
Boasting over forty minutes of new material divided over two tracks, AGUSA delivers a wide array of seamlessly-executed, organic rock. The band’s tranquil output blends tripped-out psychedelic and progressive rock structures, driven by folk-inspried occult influences. The otherworldly results instill visions of nature, the cosmos, and dreamlike passages, meandering into realms of a possibly supernatural or parallel existence. While not a fully instrumental recording, backing vocal mantras only seep in through purposeful cracks in the construction of these immense movements, adding an even more spacious feeling to the overall flow of the album.
As a precursors to its impending release, today The Obelisk offers up the twenty-minute opening hymn, “Ganglat Fran Vintergatan,” elaborating eloquently and accurately, “Agusa 2 further gels the chemistry AGUSA showed on their debut into two extended pieces – side A’s ‘Ganglat Fran Vintergatan’ (20:22) and side B’s ‘Kung Bores Dans’ (18:17) – rife with progressive complexity, accomplished melodies of guitar, organ and flute, and quick-turning rhythms driven by a classic sense of movement that fits smoothly into AGUSA‘s method. As one might expect, both cuts offer plenty of sprawl, but the band operate from a sense of purpose as well, and it’s not merely exploration for its own sake, but an expression of a naturalist instrumental ideal, and one gorgeously conjured and languid in its flow but not at all sonically lazy. Both ‘Ganglat Fran Vintergatan’ (‘Marching Tune From The Milky Way’) and ‘Kung Bores Dans’ (‘King Winter’s Dance’) unfold gradually, with the organ as a figure no less prevalent than the guitar, and engage in a crisp but progressive bounce. There’s no mistaking a heavy sense of groove, but they’re also capable of jazzy turns when called for, adding a sense of spontaneity to the proceedings and allowing the band to shift fluidly from one movement to the next while also expanding the context of the album overall. Not bad for two tracks on their sophomore outing, and by that I mean Agusa 2 offers both proggy substance and a psychedelic aesthetic that makes their work eminently listenable.”
Trip into the sounds of “Ganglat Fran Vintergatan,” at THIS LOCATION.
Agusa 2 Track Listing:
1. Ganglat Fran Vintergatan
2. Kung Bores Dans
AGUSA was formed in the Springtime of 2013, when Tobias Petterson and Mikael Ödesjö, former members of Kama Loka, recruited Dag Strömqvist and Jonas Berge for their early ’70s progressive rock project. In the Summer, the outfit ventured out to the countryside where Dag lived, to a place called Agusa – virtually only a loose gathering of homes deep in the forest. Within these secluded surroundings, and the most amazingly sunny, warm Summer day, the new collective had an extensive, extremely inspired jam session which somewhat solidified the direction of their sound, so of course, the name AGUSA was simply perfect for the outfit.
In the Autumn of 2014, the band went into the studio to record their first album, Högtid, which was released on vinyl and digital media in early 2014. After a handful of gigs during the Winter, Dag decided to leave AGUSA to travel around India, and following a number of auditions, Tim Wallander, also a member of blues trio Magic Jove, joined the band. In the beginning of 2015, the refreshed lineup went into Studio Möllan once again to record their sophomore full-length, this time having asked a close friend of theirs, Jenny Puertas, to play flute on the recording. The match was so perfect that the band instantly invited her into the band on a full-time basis, expanding their lineup once again. They began performing with this new arrangement weeks later, and have not looked back.
Laser’s Edge, will release Agusa 2 on CD and digital platforms on July 24th, while AGUSA will issue the album on vinyl through their own Kommun2 label.
AGUSA:
Tobias Petterson – bass
Mikael Ödesjö – guitar
Tim Wallander – drums
Jonas Berge – organ
Jenny Puertas – flute
For review links and interview requests contact liz@earsplitcompound.com.
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