GusGus: Mobile Home – Album – Oroom – 2021
Genre: Electronica, EDM, Alternative, Indie
Intro
The magic date has finally arrived. May 28, 2021. GusGus from Iceland will release their new 11th album titled „Mobile Home“ three years after the release of their last album „Lies are more flexible“ on Friday, May 28, 2021. 25 years the guys have been on the road in the name of the divine electronic sound and have never, but never, lost focus of the zeitgeist with their releases.
Even more, from release to release, GusGus have steadily evolved and left a lasting landmark on electronic music.
With „Mobile Home“ GusGus have again delivered a first-class electronic album, with several layers of electronic soundscapes, this time with some poppiness, maybe a bit more commercial than before, but this should not be a negative judgment, because GusGus have again vaccinated their sound with the highly effective components Ambient, Darkwave, Dowtempo and Synthpop – and have prevented side effects highly creatively with the use of modular synths.
Sometimes they indulge in old passions and come along something Depeche Moody (Original Heartbreak). But this doesn’t sound frumpy at all, because this time GusGus have also undergone a fresh cell cure and brought the incredibly charismatic Margrét Rán from the Icelandic synth-pop band VÖK into their longship. With her immensely expressive fresh voice, Margrét Rán inspires all along the line.
2021 LineUp
So GusGus from 2021 consists of GusGus veteran Biggi Veira, founding member Daníel Ágúst and Margrét Rán … and with former bandmates Siggi Kinski and Stefán Árn who are in charge of the visuals, GusGus 2021 is certainly not just an interchangeable electronic shrumming combo, but have evolved into an incredibly impressive multimedia project on the very highest audiovisual level, as the videos for the first four released tracks „Stay The Ride“, „Higher“, „Our World“ and last but not least also „Love is Alone“ are impressively proving.
I have already published detailed reviews of the video releases„Stay The Ride„, „Higher„, „Our World„, just click on the links below and have a closer look.
The video for the track „Love Is Alone“
The video for „Love is Alone“ was released a few days ago and I don’t want to keep it any longer away from you:
Like the three videos before, „Love is Alone“ was produced by the well known video production druids and former band members „Árn & Kinski“, who have also created stunning videos for various other greats of the electronic music scene like Aurora, Sigur Rós, Olof Arnald, Snow Patrol, Kiasmos or even Ólafur Arnalds as well. You can read about the work of these two hyper-creative video producers at this link.
The album „Mobile Home
But what exactly does „mobile home“ do to us hedonistic consumer people?
… Are GusGus greeting us friendly with the nine little short stories and stick a message for us behind the mirror?
…. Is there even a message hanging over the 9 tracks?
…… Are GusGus even criticizing all of us?
…….. Do GusGus even criticize the system?
Yes, that’s what GusGus do, no question.
„Mobile Home“ is an immersive assembly of short stories that blasts an echo of our world’s original destiny into our ear canal? A destiny that is gradually in danger of dissolving more and more between the omnipresent screens of our everyday electronic distractions and our materially hedonistic egoistic consciousness.
On „Mobile Home“ GusGus operates with metaphors and sends flashing flickering warning signs with masterful compositions and arrangements along with profound ideology criticism as well. However, they never do so with a moral finger raised, but always nice and relaxed and with deep bass sequences, danceable grooves and a very good grip. On the one hand.
The tracks and videos from the artistic „Mobile Home“ cosmos send us short but no less intense dystopian metaphysical splinter massages that tell us about the antagonistic struggle of reality and the threatening virtual AR fantasy.
On the other hand.
In other words, „Mobile Home“ serves us dystopian daydreams of VR adventures that we definitely want nothing to do with in reality.
„Mobile Home“, with its nine audiovisual and acoustic short stories, feels like a mind-expanding trip – and now you’re welcome to interpret that as you wish.
Again, on the other hand.
The album tells of isolation and loneliness, of the dangers that our supposedly homely high-tech comfort zones hold for us(Higher) …
Of the disorientation of modern mankind(Stay the Ride)….
Of unrequited love and very fragile relationships between people(Original Heartbreak) …
Of the wonderful experiences in our youth, such as carefree skating on the winter ice rinks. This translated into a story of the struggle between good and evil in this This translated into the story of the struggle between good and evil in this supposedly great leisure world we live in (The Rink).
GusGus presents us with „Mobile Home“ an enormously fascinating electronic album – thoughtfulness, danceability and ingenious arrangements merge into a complete Work of Art. By now I must have listened to „Mobile Home“ more than 100 times and nothing wears out, nothing at all.
In a lengthy conversation with a good friend today, I said that „Mobile Home“ is one of the best things I’ve heard in the last ten years. Right, and there is some truth in that. Absolutely true. Sort of. GusGus is more Flexible. Then others.
Sound quality
The review copy I have comes in 24 bit / 96kHz and sounds fantastic. The sound is pleasantly warm, precisely mixed with excellent and wide stage imaging and localization. The low frequency range is rich and reaches down very deep without any booming. The mids come across coherent and natural, the treble range shines with precision and avoids any intrusive sharpness.
At Qobuz only the 16 bit / 44.1 kHz version is listed so far. But it also just 1:29 h on May 28, 2021 in the early morning.
Epilogue
For almost five months I was allowed to accompany GusGus with my reviews on the releases of the singles, EP’s and videos up to the release of the album „Mobile Home“ – it was a profound, great experience and endless fun. On Feb. 19, 2021, I had contacted the band directly and said that I would like to write about their releases. And I have never been welcomed so openly and supported so intensively in my work. The same goes for the PR agency Get:In, who supported me with mountains of information about GusGus and the releases.
Thank you for that.
Well then?
With the release of the album „Mobile Home“ we are at the end … or beginning … but in any case we have arrived in our port of destination. But no, life with GusGus doesn’t stop there.
But what will become of the future?
Will the Greens become the strongest party for the first time in Germany’s federal elections on Sept. 26, 2021, and will Anna-Lena Baerbock at age 40 become Germany’s first female Green chancellor?
Will Margrét Rán from VÖK remain an integral part of the GusGus line-up?
What will happen to VÖK after that?
Can I have both?
Does Margrét Rán get out again and what do I do then?
Who would then have follow in the wake of Margrét?
Anabel Englund? Yay …. wouldn’t that be a good idea?
I don’t know. I don’t really know.
Will GusGus keep the fire burning with „mobile remix albums“?
Questions about questions.
But first, GusGus will serve us with a live performance of all „Mobile Home“ tracks on Saturday, May 29, 2021 at 8pm CEST via the Moment House platform for only 10 bucks, a great follow-up not to be missed. You can book the event under this link.
Facts about GusGus – Mobile Home
Artist: GusGus
Title: Mobile Home
Format: album
Label: Oroom
Release Date: May 28, 2021
Gnere: Electronic, Synth, Alternative and Indie
9 Tracks – 37m 23s
Where to buy
Available on Qobuzin CD Quality
16-bit / 44.1 kHz – stereo (24-bit may be added soon)
My Test Equiment
Studio 1 (High End):
- 2 x System Audio SA Mantra 50 (front)
- 1x System Audio SA Mantra 10 AV (center)
- 2x System Audio SA Legend 5 (rear)
- 1 x System Audio Saxo 10 (subwoofer)
- 4 x Onkyo SKH-410 (B) (Dolby Atmos)
- Auralic Altair (audio streaming client with max. 32 bit / 384 kHz)
- NVIDIA Shield Pro with Plex, Kodi (max 192 kHz for Audio, Tidal (MQA Streaming Client)
- AppleTV 4K (Streaming Client) Dolby Atmos, HDR, Dolby Vision
- Amazon Cube 4K (Streaming Client) Dolby Atmos (restricted), HDR, Dolby Vision
- Panasonic DP-UB9004 (4K UHD Player) Dolby Atmos, HDR, Dolby Vision
- Oppo UDP-203 (4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Player) Dolby Atmos, HDR, Dolby Vision
- Yamaha CX-A5100 (Preamp) 4K, Dolby Atmos, Hi-res
- Yamaha MX-A5000 (Power Amp)
- Sony KD-55A1 (TV) 4K OLED, HDR, Dolby Vision
sehr geile Recherche!!! aber natürlich auch’n geiles Album als Vorlage, welches man gar net anders bewerten kann!!!