"Konkret Musik" is the name of the sixth studio album of the instrumental dervishes of Gösta Berling's saga. Concretely this means: The Swedes create an even more intensive sound cosmos than before.
Just in time for their 20th anniversary, Gösta Berling's Saga expands their squad from four to five members: The Stockholm-based group's new album also features percussionist Jesper Skarin, who has previously appeared on the band's live performances. As a result, the Brachial-Progger's sixth studio album places even more emphasis on rhythm and dynamics: The body of sound is draining, errant, dramatic, explosive. Introspektion is rarely given space, breathers do not seem to be particularly desired. But when silence enters, it testifies to an almost magical sublimity. Bassist Gabriel Tapper feels himself and the music of his troupe "as if bathed in a fountain of youth" - and grimly defies the corona virus.
eclipsed: It seems that the energy and rhythmic level plays an increasingly important role in your overall musical concept. Do you see it that way too?
Gabriel Tapper: Absolutely! The older we get - we are between late 30s and early 40s - the more we think about our punk and metal backgrounds. Before we brought Gösta Berling's saga to life, we beat our souls out in fierce underground combos. It seems that we are remembering this era more and more. We do not want to grow up. (laughs)
eclipsed: Not only the rhythm, but also the electronics are getting more and more space. How does that happen?
Tapper: Actually we have heard Prog for the most part when we created this group. Especially classics like the early Genesis, Yes, King Crimson. We still like their stuff, but it doesn't influence us much anymore. For some time now, we have been enjoying complete artistic freedom. We lock ourselves into our own cocoon, like when we're stuck together in the practice room, and jam wildly, without any sense or reason, simply because we want to explore all creative boundaries. And we still have musical heroes: Magma, the Cardiacs, Motor Psycho, Hawkwind. They are currently at the top of our list of sources of inspiration because they and their sound are original, incomparable and madly furious.
eclipsed: Why is your new work called "Concrete Music"?
Tapper: First of all you have to know that the spelling in Swedish and German is identical. This deliberately sets us apart from Anglophilia and brings us closer to a Kraftwerk title like "Autobahn", which stands for unwieldiness and unusualness. Furthermore, the title is to be understood as a homage to the French Musique concrète. It stands for the abstract version of classical music, for the counter-position to the conventional way of composing. Anything is possible, no idea, however abstruse, is ever rejected. It is a sound under high tension.
