Agusa – Prima Materia (Kommun2, 2023)
Prima Materia is a deeply satisfying album by Swedish progressive rock band Agusa. The group plays a delightful, feel good form of progressive rock that incorporates captivating instrumental interplay; outstanding, truly exquisite flute performances; absorbing keyboards that range from majestic electric organ to crystalline electric piano; as well as phenomenal epic electric guitar work with a mesmerizing psychedelic edge.
Stylistically, Agusa draws comparisons to bands like Camel and Caravan because of the flute and keyboards. However, the band interweaves a wide range of influences such as symphonic progressive rock, folk-rock, and even world music. For example, on “Ur Askan,” Agusa delights the listener with a skillfully crafted combo of reggae beats, Middle Eastern melodies, Andalusian rock, Nordic folk, and more.
Agusa is from Malmö, a coastal city in southern Sweden. The band first took shape back in 2013 when bassist Tobias Petterson and guitarist Mikael Ödesjö recruited drummer Dag Strömqvist and organist Jonas Berge to embark on an innovative progressive rock venture.
In the year 2014, the band initiated a creative journey in a rural setting, jamming and making new music in various sessions. This location is called Agusa and that’s what led to the band’s distinctive name. During the fall, they ventured into the recording studio, giving birth to Högtid, which saw the light of day in early 2014, courtesy of Transubstans Records and Kommun 2.
Following a handful of performances throughout the winter, Dag Strömqvist made the decision to leave Agusa, embarking on a lengthy trip to India. In his absence, a series of auditions unfolded, ultimately leading to the inclusion of drummer Tim Wallander, from the musical outfit Magic Jove, into the band’s ranks. The dawning of 2015 marked yet another evolution in the band’s roster with the arrival of Jenny Puertas, a virtuoso flutist.
Fast-forward to 2021, and Agusa found themselves undergoing further transformations in their lineup. The release of the album ‘En annan värld’ introduced a fresh ensemble of musicians, featuring keyboardist Roman Andrén and bassist Simon Ström, ushering in a new chapter in Agusa’s history.
The band’s discography includes Högtid (2014), Två (2015), Agusa (2017), and En annan värld (2021).
Musicians on Prima Materia: Mikael Ödesjö on guitar; Roman Andrén on keyboards; Jenny Puertas on flute, vocals; Simon Ström on bass; and Nicolas Difornis on drums, percussion, vocals.
Buy Prima Materia.