PRIMA MATERIA

On "Prima Materia", Agusa once again prove themselves to be one of the most consistent and canny instrumental prog bands of the 21st century. If you're unfamiliar with their sound, it is centred on lush Hammond organ, jazzy guitars and airy flute melodies. Comparisons to Focus are thus inevitable, but frankly well earned - they may be following in the footsteps of one of the greats, but they're doing so with considerable confidence and apparent ease.

On this, their fifth album, Agusa serve up four chunky slices of retro-prog that radiate with warm 70s style production and old school charm. On a first listen it may melt into the background a little, but if you tune into the subtleties there's plenty to get your teeth into. I also appreciate that the band manage to gently push into uncharted waters here, beyond the safety of their typical psychedelic, jazz and folk influences. Album closer "Så ock på Jorden", for example, brings a good dose of funk to proceedings, and "Ur askan" is one of the only times I've ever heard a prog band convincingly incorporate elements of reggae into a track.

If I were to grasp for a criticism it would be that "Prima Materia" is, for the most part, simply more of the same from Agusa. It's telling that the sections where they broaden their musical scope are the ones that I find most compelling, and my hope is that they continue to experiment and find new sonic avenues to explore. But for now, this is another fine addition to their discography.

Swedish prog quintet Agusa has returned with their fifth album, Prima Materia, a lush collection of (mostly) instrumental psychedelic rock tunes. This record was my introduction to the band and their unique tonalities that ostensibly wave the prog and psyche banners. But what made this album so engaging and ultimately so successful to me were the incorporation of folk, symphonic prog, jazz, pop, and a host of world music melodies into a cohesive and enjoyable listening experience.

Even more than that, the songs featured on Prima Materia retained such distinct and evocative character, I felt tangible transpositional elements to each track. Prima Materia transports the listener on a metaphysical journey through primal emotional content, thanks to its thoughtfully crafted melodies, innovative arrangements, and commanding instrumental musicality.

"Lust och fägring (Sommarvisan)" (Passion And Beauty [Summer Song]), the fourteen-minute opening extravaganza, immediately connects with scorching Promethean defiance. A 12-string acoustic opener breaks into a melody driven by an uptempo jazzy guitar and flute. The organ takes the spotlight for a minute, developing its own musical themes while dueting with contrapuntal flute melodies. After a quick nod to Grieg's "In The Hall of the Mountain King", the song drops suddenly, only to reintroduce itself with some tasteful flamenco-influenced guitar lines. Returning to the main theme but with a slower and more soulful delivery, the tune really opens up and breathes. When the earlier tempo returns, the song is relishing in a triumphant sense of purpose and determination. As the organ swirls in a midtempo maelstrom for a spell, the bass and drums bring back the pace for the finale. Flute and guitar deliver us to a raucous conclusion, complete with a fakeout ending. As if we weren't quite ready to get off that ride. And we weren't.

"Under bar himmel" (Under Bare Skies) stresses a conversational but contentious musical tone, almost like a group of friends in passionate debate or heated argument. Shimmering, reverb-drenched guitar opens into a melancholic flute melody, establishing a dark, yearning plea. The flute's dialog contrasted alongside the organ and guitar flourishes produces an emotional interplay between all the melodies, a musical extrapolation of drive and compulsion between personalities. Almost like a flash of anger, the flute erupts with uptempo resolve, while the organ deftly responds in kind as the guitar brings its own perspective with its scorching wah-wah solo. All the while, the bass and drums skillfully lock down the groove, establishing the tableau for this musical standoff. The song develops into a series of acoustic guitar arpeggios which add an air of questioning futility. But all does not seem lost; the themes recapitulate in the end with a sense of musical unity. The cohesion may not signal hopeful resolution, but perhaps alignment and agreement.

"Ur askan" (Out of the Ashes) opens with a melody that is intangibly Beatlesque, a statement that evokes a McCartneyesque melody somewhere on the corner of Rubber Soul and Magical Mystery Tour. But then it shifts into something distinctly Mediterranean or Middle Eastern, specifically with the scorching guitar licks and organ and flute locked in duet. Adding further flavor to the mix, the bass and drums evoke Latin and Caribbean rhythms, generating an island (if not quite reggae) feel. The distinct elements fuse well together, creating a compelling exotic listen. The final act slows into more symphonic elements, with vocal elements introduced for the first time from flautist Jenny Puertas. This leads into a high-paced ending driven by freewheeling organ madness, the flute's centralizing assurance, and atmospherically spacey guitar chords. It's as if a phoenix rose from its ashes, circled the globe, and then launched itself into space.

Finally, "Så ock på jorden" (So also on Earth) opens with a distinct folky feel, with a jauntily strummed acoustic guitar and cheerful melodic vocalizations from Puertas and drummer Nicolas Difornis. The song then takes a bouncy pop feel, with the organ laying down a thick central riff around which the song revolves. It is worth mentioning that I try to avoid Jethro Tull references to any band that prominently features flute, but there's a strong Tull riff mid song that acts as the connecting tissue between verses. Anyway, this groove continues until about four minutes in, when the song returns to the feel of that pastoral opening. There is an undeniable beauty that characterizes this section, like a pleasant breeze or a casual drifting down a lazy river. The song continues in that vein; upping its sense of energetic ebullience, but never drifting far from that bucolic essence. As it concludes with the universal recognition of a newborn's cry, "Så ock på jorden" provides a euphoric ending to the album's primal journey.

I realize I'm constantly reiterating the "journey" imagery, but Prima Materia assuredly delivers a transporting experience throughout its runtime. The band delivers a strong collection of tunes with a tremendous sense of psychedelic and prog rock groove, melody, and airy playfulness. Prima Materia doesn't simply transport us to a place, but rather guides us through an experience. It's an unabashed musical tour-de-force through the human condition, a beating heart refracted through enchanting melodic content.

Veteran Swedish instrumental progmatists release their fourth studio album since their 2014 debut.

1. "Lust och fägring (Sommarvisan)" (14:30) great opening motifs, conjuring up reminders of CAMEL, CARAVAN, KHAN, and even THE DOORS. Then we move into the blues-jazzier side of the band's stylistic preferences with a VAN MORRISON/J TULL-sounding motif. When things speed back up I'm reminded more of CARAVAN or SANTANA. Then, at 8:25, we slide into a more contemplative groove--albeit one that is cruising along while the guitars and flutes up top mesmerize us. All the treble instruments build in collective volume to form a weave that coalesces with some BEATLES-like wordless background vocals singing beneath the CLAPTON-like guitar shredding. At 11:00 we turn left at the Y and start a steady race down the dirt road toward the river-side hippy commune, jamming some pop-jazzy Latin melodies along the way (especially on that sexy flute)--until we've arrived (or thought we had: the music fades as if we've descended into the woods out of view but then returns in a cool continuation and finish of the drive). Excellent, cheerful, very entertaining jam. (29/30)

2. "Under bar himmel" (10:19) a familiar Billie Joel melody ("New York State of Mind") gives this CAMEL opening an oddly comforting Golden Gate Park Hippie feel--just another day playing and partying on the grass in the golden California sun. Int he fourth minute the speed shifts and we find ourselves fully engaged in a KHAN-CARAVAN romp through the park--probably on bikes. The soloing lead guitar makes me believe we've crossed the Bridge to the other side and are cruising on motorcycles on the country roads of the Marin County Headlands--perhaps on our way to Black Sands Beach. Definitely catching a vibe as we languish on the Beach, enjoying the lazy afternoon and hazy hallucinogen-enhanced campfire cookout. A nearly perfect day! (18.5/20)

3. "Ur askan" (10:28) opens with organ and full band in CAMEL-sounding weave. In the second minute an odd klezmerish motif takes over, trying to be rhythmed Latinly or maybe Reggae-ish. Not my favorite passage as I am not much of a fan of either klezmer or Reggae music. At 3:25 there is an odd syncopated bridge that takes us into a more Eastern European/Finnish motif (which is not far away from the previous klezmer/Reggae one). I like this motif much better. At 4:50 then we seem to be going in a heavier SANTANA direction, but then we suddenly go back to the klezmer/Reggae motif and then back to the Eastern European motif at the end of the sixth minute. A solid song--and well-composed--just not my favorite types of musical styles. At the seven-minute mark the music dies off and we're left with a Gamelan-sounding echo-bass continueing the chord progression from the previous motifs while flutist Jenny Puertas sings in a somewhat-operatic voice (in Spanish) before the band returns with some PROCOL HARUM/CAMEL/KHAN instrumental sounds and soloing from the electric guitar and organ. (17.5/20)

4. "Så ock på Jorden" (7:17) acoustic guitar strumming (recorded from a microphone--which I love) is accompanied by whole band singing in wordless vocal weave with a little organ helping out. Then, at 1:05 a very bluesy, rudimentarily constructed PROCOL HARUM-like organ motif is launched. Flute eventually accompanies and mirrors the melody lines being played by the Hammond. As this motif develops its folk melody lines are eventually built-up with a very JETHRO TULL-like instrumental palette. The flute melodies that move forward in the fourth minute are, as are often the case on this album, quite Andy Latimer-like--even when the music turns more ALLMAN BROTHERS/JIMMY WEBB/ Midnight Cowboy-like in the fifth minute--a motif that continues with some variations pretty much to the song's end. I like a lot of this song. (13.25/15)

Total Time 42:34

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of instrumental retro-prog rock that has, based on the excellent song structures and whole-band performances on three of the four songs, suddenly become my favorite Agusa album. Highly recommended for all prog lovers!

Lead guitarist Mikael Odesjo has been the only constant in a band that seems to be continually changing members. There's a new drummer on board this time for their latest "Prima Materia" which is studio album number five for these Swedes. One thing that doesn't change is the quality of music this band releases. How unusual is it that on the RYM site each of their albums is rated higher than the one before and on one occasion they're the same, but that just doesn't happen over five records and there's so many varying opinions. So you know what your going to get with this band, those warm retro sounds that bring a nostalgia and feel good vibe but also some great compositions which they seem to be getting better at.

I really like the album cover as well. The flute seems to be the instrument of choice for soloing with the guitar also getting a fair amount of attention. We get four long tracks over 42 plus minutes on this 2023 release. On the first two tracks I felt a strong CAMEL vibe when they are jamming hard with flute over top, pretty cool. That closing track makes me feel like I'm on a journey and when it and the album ends we hear a cat meow. Well when I first heard it I looked at my cat never hearing him sound quite like that and he's looking at the stereo speakers intently so it was like "No way that's on the record!"

There doesn't seem to be a lot of mellotron on here at all but how good is the distorted organ. More please. What I love about this album is how lost in it I can get. These long pieces also surprise when for example we get that Canterbury-like keyboard sound or the mellotron that suddenly rises. A fine guitarist but I would love for them to go more keyboard driven, so many options maybe less modern sounding which I feel the guitar does for them now. Clavinet, spacey synths, mellotron, fender rhodes bring it on!

Anyway I'll have to sit down with there albums one day and come up with some sort of an order. They're all great but all below my favourites of this style performed by ANEKDOTEN, ANGLAGARD, WOBBLER and on and on. A solid 4 stars and the only warmth I felt musically during a very difficult week last week.