Excerpt: “After a way too long break, Hidden Shoal return to Aquarius… we were excited to hear how these guys might have changed over the last couple years, and in fact, their sound has shifted quite a bit. SA continue to defy the German Portishead pigeonhole, by cranking up the tempo, veering into a sort of krautrock by way of Four Tet one minute, whirling pop ambience the next, synthy sprawling blissed out prismatic new age the next, over the course of the record slipping back and forth between these various sounds, sometimes melding several at once, a gorgeous, moody sonic journey, from haunting atmospheric darkness, to sun dappled rhythmic mesmer, to spaced out psychedelic synth, to eighties sounding new wave to hushed dreamlike ambience, to creepy slowcore crawl. Awesome stuff.”

Aquarius Records

Excerpt [translated from the German]: “Music for films that have yet to be filmed… With keyboards, samples and guitar, Sankt Otten have created impressive new sonic territory. Between elegiac electro-pop, playful and cuddly electric-jazz and ambient slumber songs, this album inhabits the post-rock universe but with classic song structures… You will not be rocked – more relaxed couch surfing with closed eyes.”

Shallgrenzen

Excerpt: “The wide-ranging album features everything from beatless reveries (e.g., the blinding supernova “Das bezahlte Lob”) to motorik workouts, with the duo demonstrating a deft command of their material throughout the recording’s forty-nine minutes. Following a heavenly overture of synthetic string-drenched scene-painting and simmering guitar strokes (“Ein Himmel voller Galgen”), “Mutter, Jazz und der Heilige Geist” digs into a slow-motion krautrock vibe, with martial snares calling forth the troops while a gurgling bass line pulsates, electric guitars blaze, and vibraphones chime… A solid follow-up to the group’s Hidden Shoal debut Wir koennen ja Freunde bleiben (Let’s Remain Friends), Morgen Wieder Lustig (Morning Again Amusingly?) bridges decades in its sleek blend of Klaus Schulze-styled synth textures and prog-epic guitar lines. Perhaps the thing that stands out most is how assured the recording is, and the clarity of vision the duo brings to the album’s material.”

Textura

Excerpt: "As is permitted in these times, not every band gets a huge contract, and we want to take this opportunity once again to sing the praises of netlabels who offer us things worth listening to. Sankt Otten’s Australian label Hidden Shoal Recordings is one of these labels. In Morgan Weider Lustig, Sankt Otten demonstrate an above average feel for the right combination of brute force and elegance."

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