Haiku Garden - Loose Contacts / Tense Present (2022)

The Slovenian dream rockers are back with their second album. Four years after the debut Where If Not Now, Haiku Garden released Loose Contacts / Tense Present to make their name sound even louder in the psychedelic music world.

Their label advertise the album as "clear, direct sound that punches you in the face and yet manages to stay articulate and refined" with hints at that the Slovenians got more musically matured and refined. But this doesn't affect their energy, so audible in the guitar-heavy compositions. Perhaps the way they balance the energetic and the soothing songs is a prove for this more mature approach to song-writing with Structures subtle psychedelic magic that borders with the high-paced Levitate. But, what's more important to me, the band can also create a real guitar-fueled storm of noise as it is the case in Loose Contacts or more synthy in Tense Present, if only they decided to do so more often.

Lyrics-wise, the album is said to be exploring the "themes of ever-changing relationships and division" while staying hopeful in that matter. And the music reflects that very well: serious and noisy guitars playing catchy tunes is my favourite kind of rock.

Loose Contacts / Tense Present costs 7 EUR.

Haiku Garden - Where If Not Now (2018)

Check: Loose Contacts

Country: Slovenia

Genre: psychedelic indie rock

Label: Kapa Records

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Haiku Garden - Where If Not Now (2018) PL

Muzykę Haiku Garden poznałem na żywo na koncercie w Krakowie, teraz Słoweńcy wydają swój długograjacy debiut wypełniony psychodelicznym shoegaze'em wysokich lotów. Where If Not Now to godny polecenia przykład eurogaze'u i generalnie połączenia popu z mocnym uderzeniem.

Psychodelia zespołu to nie tylko genialna, pełna abstrakcji okładka płyty i wizualizacje podczas występów na żywo. To również efektowne gitarowe riffy i nieortodoksyjne rozwiązania, które wybrali muzycy. Pasuje to idealnie do przytłumionego na shoegaze'ową modłę wokalu i gitarowych ścian dźwięku mu towarzyszących. 

Nie do przecenienia jest również zróżnicowanie muzyki Słoweńców, oprócz bardzo gitarowych i przebojowych kawałków (Days, Dripping Away) znajdują się też brzmiące chyba nawet jeszcze lepiej psychodeliczne ballady (Barriers), a obie swoje natury godzą w świetnym Drifter, rozmazanej we mgle balladzie zwieńczonej tanecznym finiszem. Nic dziwnego, że zespół ma na koncie tytuł Piosenki Dnia w kultowej rozgłośni KEXP i długą europejską trasę

Where If Not Now kosztuje 22 złote (5 EUR).

Sprawdź: Barrier

Kraj: Słowenia

Szufladka: psychedelic shoegaze

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Haiku Garden - Where If Not Now (2018) EN

I got to know Haiku Garden's music while they had a gig in Kraków, now the Slovenians are releasing their first LP filled with psychedelic shoegaze of great quality. Where If Not Now makes an attention worthy example of eurogaze or in general, of combining pop with heavier hits.

The psychedelic part of their project is not only present in the brilliant and abstract cover art and visualizations during concerts. It is also present in the music, especially in impressive guitar riffs and non-orthodox ways the musicians chose to develop their compositions in. It matches the slightly hidden, shoegaze-style, vocal and guitar walls of sound it's accompanied with.

One can't appreciate enough also how varied their music is. Besides the more guitar and catchy tracks (Days, Dripping Away) one can also find some, probably even better sounding, psychedelic ballads (Barriers), and the two natures are combined together in the great Drifter, a fading away in haze ballad crowned with a danceable finish. No wonder that the band enjoyed having the song of the day title in the legendary KEXP radio and a long Euro concert tour.

Where If Not Now costs 5 EUR.

Check: Barrier

Country: Slovenia

Genre: psychedelic shoegaze

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