April 15, 2022 - Studio Barnhus
Sweden and Southern California’s Axel Bowman released two albums simultaneously—LUZ and Quest for Fire. This is the story of LUZ.
Acid-colored elephants plod through the savannah, causing spectral Distortion as they cross between planes of reality on their way to the watering hole.
Kamohelo sits by the waves, waiting for the sunset finale to a great and relaxing evening; night falls and the dreams written within the ‘BHUKA’ can finally be realized amongst the stars.
Plucky candy chords dance against crowds of people with Nowhere to go as old sampled voices spread the Good word of Bella Boo.
“Very Good Pizza” reads the sign outside the bar and restaurant Grona Dalen. The sign turns into a doorway that leads to a land of shiny ripe tomatoes, flowing streams of garlic oil, trees of sharp basil, and butterflies with pepperoni wings. The dessert options left much to be desired, however. 6/10, would eat again.
The sun stands suspended in its summer spot, never dipping below the horizon line. The solar charge indicator reads 98%. You turn onto Edgeware Rd. Only 1000 kilometers left to go.
Kristian Harborg chills on the steps to the brownstone at the end of the block, delicate miniature christmas ornaments hanging from his lush beard despite the soaring heatwave of midsummer. A flier blows by in the wind with only one word—”’Atra.” American Therapeutic Recreation Association? Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association? Awesome Trail Running Athletics? Who knows.
I often daydream about traveling around the world in a modest but well-designed sailing yacht (probably a Garcia Exploration 52). I love the thought of being in a small, self-contained living space while being surrounded by the inescapable and inconceivable vastness of the ocean, not unlike traveling through the void of the cosmos. I can feel the waves beneath my feet as I cook rigatoni with a creamy pistachio sauce. I can feel the waves beneath my butt as I sit on the aft deck, watching the sunset dip low on the horizon. I can feel the waves beneath my body as I gently fall asleep during a great and powerful tropical storm, rocking the Garcia Exploration 52 like a bottlecap in a busy swimming pool.
‘Grape’ smashes against my face like a cold wet towel of nostalgia. Lighthearted sample treatments drip sweetly from the edges of the soundscape, threatening to flood the whole space with a good energy happy vibe. I almost forgot the format I was aiming for, and I’m here for it.
The sun begins to set for the third or fourth time at this point, but this time it’s for real. Beach grasses sway in the subtle beach wind. Beach towels are laid out on the warm beach sand. Baba Stiltz wades up from the ocean water. Oh hey Baba, long time no see. He opens his mouth, crooning about things we wanted to avoid while on the beach. It’s inescapable. We start to feel sad and helpless despite his attempts at comfort and logic.
The album ends.
Darkness.
The album begins.
If Quest for fire is a quest for fire, then LUZ was the quest to gather all the materials needed to make a fire—a bit chaotic, a bit disjointed, a lot energetic, a lot dancing. Conversely, the quest is more introspective, it’s the moment we sit down with everything we’ve collected and we think “how do I squeeze fire out of these YETI Tundra 45 Hard Coolers full of White Claws?” Don’t worry, there’s wood around here too.
The tracks that comprise Quest for fire are chilled, stretched, and circular. They are for the moment when it’s time for a break but not time for bed. Psychedelic tendencies tickle thoughtful percussion montages. Guitar riffs expand throughout the visible spectrum. Voices play around the head thanks to some tight Dolby Atmos mixing. There are a few moments of inveogration that carries over from LUZ, notably ‘Jeremy Irons,’ but the overall sentiment of the second record is clear: relax. Baba was right. When the going gets tough, it sucks. But together, we can hold on. 🍍