Sel Balamir – "Swell"
A Special Lockdown Solo Album
Sel Balamir, singer, guitarist and founder of Amplifier, reports back with a solo record. He has announced the release of "Swell" for September 6. If you want, you can already listen to it.
The album "Swell" consists of three songs that are very special for Sel. He wrote them during the Corona Lockdowns in 2020. In his newsletter, he writes:
"Like a lot of people, I made a solo album last year – because you can do that at home. And then, when we could get about our business, I finished it off. I really like it – it's kind of different to Amplifier. I live by the beach – so I spend a lot of time there. If you listen carefully – you can smell the seaweed."
That sounds pretty good, doesn't it? It is a fact that we all like to dream ourselves away to the seaside every now and then. With the right music, of course, this works even better.
Sel Balamir surprises with new sounds
There are only three tracks on "Swell", but they are pretty long, which is good – Sel is not the only one who thinks so. Listening to the record is an absolute pleasure for me. Sel surprises with underwater sounds, organ music and an alternation of thoughtful, quiet and playful parts.
The first song, "Swell", is with its impressive 20:42, the longest track on the record, and the opener for an imaginative play at sea with a pleasant touch of 70s psychedelic.
"Jaques Cousteau" draws me into the depths as I listen to the piece, forgetting life on the surface of the sea for an extended moment of 11:13. I travel through the oceans inside a bubble encountering beings whose existence I wasn't aware of till this moment.
You can listen to "Swell" by Sel Balamir right now
"Seagull" subsequently pulls me out of the water and carries me away on light wings. I strive towards the sky full of hope, dreaming of life on a distant star.
You can already listen to his new tracks "Swell", "Jaques Cousteau" and "Seagul" here:
If you adore Jaques Cousteau's underwater world and want to accompany Sel Balamir's new music with some moving pictures, he recommends this video to you: