Kalistan

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Davostag's Wanderlust return Sophistipop to the Charts
Makon transplants mix pop, jazz and bittersweet lyrics for potent pop mix
Sulari, Duchy of Suldanor
May 19, 5624


Wanderlust's Debut Time and Again hits the top 10 this week

In one of the best traditions of the Kalistani music scene, the Empire is very welcoming to foreign bands who bring their sound into Kalistan, and influence the sound of Kalistani music in the process.  Several bands from other nations have made big hits in Kalsitan over the years:  most of the foreign bands have come from either Gaduridos or Hutori to record in Kalsitan.  But other notable senders of musicians have been Luthori, Mordusia, and Dolgava and even Valruzia, whose Szary Beat sound and the record company associated with it both formalized the Kalistani Music Scene and formed the nucleus of the single greatest and long lasting recording industry in Terra.  

Now Davostag joins the list of foreign bands who have moved to Kalsitan specifically to record in the Kalistani music industry.  This band, known as Wanderlust, follows the Luthori band The Republic into the field of Sophistipop, which had a brief moment of popularity during the 5580s.  The Republic demonstrated there was a market for pop that was intelligent, made for urbane listeners, employing lush production, more orchestration, and less of a focus on dance and club culture, and more emphasis on the listening experience for mature audiences.  Wanderlust is much more of a rock band than The Republic was, but their tracks on their debut record Time and Again demonstrate their excellent musicality and commitment to creating quality, sophisticated, and highbrow music which is also approachable.

The band of Kivonian musicians, who performs songs exclusively in Vrassan, though they speak primarily Kivonian, is led by Elga Nilsson, who is the band's primary lyricist.  A beautiful petite blonde with a buttery smooth, gentle soprano voice that lures you in, she is the visual focal point.  But as Nilsson says herself, "You come for the girl, and you stay for the boys."  The "Boys" she refers to are primary composer/songwriter Peer Markinsson, who plays guitar, Lars Olafson, who plays keyboards, Tomas Lindberg, who is on bass and Magnus Gustafsson, who plays drums.  "They are really so talented, and bring this sort of natural technique and finesse to their playing," said Nilsson.

The melodies are sweet and well arranged, and travel the spectrum from lounge music to indie rock to jazz pop.  Besides guitars and keyboards, the band uses string instruments like violins and cellos, as well as brass instruments for light flourishes, percussion instruments like marimbas, and drum brushes, chimes and vibraphones.  "We have always tended toward this juxtaposition of really upbeat, sunny melodies, and rather rainy, almost morose lyrics," said Nilsson.  "The band said my voice delivers the medicine coated in sugar."  Nilsson's voice is the sugar of course.  Her sickly sweet voice is so gentle, even as she sings of lost love, anomie and heart break over a flugelhorn and brass arrangement.

"We wanted to move to Kalistan to record this music," said Nilsson, "because there is not a lot of infrastructure for making records in Davostag.  Nothing against Davostag of course:  But most of the modern music we get comes from Kalistan anyway.  Otherwise there is a lot of folk music.  We felt that to record the kind of music we were interested in, we needed to move to the place where not only we can be accepted for this music, but also, we can make the records of this high quality and make a real living at doing it."

And Kalistan has not only welcomed the move, but has generously rewarded it.  This week, Wanderlust's Time and Again cracked the top 10 on KRTVN-1's flagship Hot 100 Albums' Chart:  It was the 9th most widely purchased, downloaded and streamed album in the poll, achieving that position after only 10 weeks on the chart.  "I really love Wanderlust," said Thom Montenegro, 26, from Yoshimi, who purchased the album.  "They sound so different from other things on the radio.  I am a fan of The Republic too, and own their entire collection.  So this kind of fits that flavor.  Its not dance music, which I don't really care for.  And I like that it comes down more on the rock side of sophistipop.  It may be halfway between alternative and the jazz and soul of The Republic, so it really really appeals to me, and my friends too."

The record, which was produced by Artists' Recording Collective in Sulari, has already sold out of its first three pressings across Kalistan, and another 25,000 copies have been ordered by records stores in Ananto and Kalistan.  "It would be amazing to sell 100,000 copies of our first record," said Nilsson with a huge smile and a thick Kivonian accent.  "All of our dreams as a band would come true.  We'll be real Kalistani Musicians then."

You can stream Wanderlust's Time and Again from ARC on your favorite streaming service and watch their lead single "I want the Sun to be Down" right here.

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpaA163XaQA]

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