Covert International Edition: The Holydrug Couple, Gösta Berlings Saga & Waclaw Zimpel
By Aaron Stein Jan 18, 2017 • 8:58 am PST
The Holydrug Couple: Soundtrack For Pantanal
While the new year isn’t so new anymore, there are still some great releases from 2016 that are worth a listen. This week I’ve got three new records from around the world that kind of snuck under the radar toward the end of the year. First up is Soundtrack For Pantanal by frequent RecommNed The Holydrug Couple. The Chilean psych-rockers put this one out in the fall and, frankly, without learning Spanish, I can’t find a ton of concrete info on this. Described as a “soundtrack for a film that doesn’t exist,” I believe these tracks are from a recording session a couple years back. Whatever, they are super-smooth, psych-groovers with a couple holy-shit!-good tracks along the way. Air-meets-Tame-Impala atmospheric mood music. Enjoy!
Gösta Berlings Saga: Sersophane
Several years ago, I was fortunate to be in Stockholm for a work trip and naturally looked to catch some live music in my free time. The best option turned out to be a show by Gösta Berlings Saga, a local jazz-rock unit that seriously impressed that night. They made a new fan that evening, but didn’t come out with a new record until Sersophane was issued in the last couple weeks of 2016. It was worth the wait, with adventurous jamming and interesting instrumental contrasts – acoustic and steel guitars meshing with analog synths and the like. Funky and fun fusion, I pass on my discovery to you.
Waclaw Zimpel: LAM
Finally, we head to Warsaw, Poland the home of another recent discovery for me, the clarinetist Waclaw Zimpel. One of two great albums he put out last year is LAM. The record consists of three parts, each with a different feel, but all of them requiring a patient listener. The music builds from simple, elegant, ambient, almost droning minimalism to serious, fiery peaks somewhere between jazz and instrumental rock. If you enjoy this one, check out Lines, which is quite different, more electronic, but equally engaging.
