We wrote about Swedish psych folk project Insaunas last year, an intriguing album entitled ‘We Brought Some Days Back’ that really got under my skin, and the good news is that they’re back, although the band has evolved into a new project entitled Den Der Hale in the meantime.
The band formally known as Insaunas never had the most convincing name in their original form, especially for a psych influenced band, and Den Der Hale seems to fit the bill more appropriately. It’s a result of the bands continued experimentation in the studio which has resulted in a movement towards a heavier sound – which sounds pretty good to me.
New tracks ‘Howdy!’ and ‘Pneumothorax’ are the first releases from the band in their new format, as they progress towards their ‘debut’ album. And I think both tracks deliver something quite unusual, with ‘Howdy!’ sustaining a relentless pace, where kraut-rock heads out on a world tour, collecting snippets of influences along the way.
‘Pneumothorax’ is less intense, but a mystical voyage of sorts, with the vocals a hazy dream of melodies that fuse into the guitar sound.
Apparently the band will now focus on their album release, which will ‘’see them experiment even further with odd time signatures, droning and more complex song structures’’. This all sounds very encouraging…