Aber [2023, LP]

by Ab Re

Track listing

01 Onti
02 Vejovo Oro
03 Glad
04 More
05 Surf
06 Polucio
07 Mačkatica
08 Glava Šećera

News & Reviews

About this album

ABER is the highly anticipated second studio album from the Serbian band AB RE, released in September 2023. Continuing their tradition of playing with words, phrases, and especially archaic expressions in the Serbian language, Ab Re offers a fresh yet familiar sonic landscape. The album features eight tracks and was released under the label of Krokodil Studio, continuing the successful partnership that began with their debut album More Napeto (2020).

In conversation with the band, we learn that ABER was crafted as a collage of musical retrospectives and new experimental territories, reflecting the essence of their distinctive sound, which critics have called "Serbian Jazz in Opposition." This concept album serves as an "aber" — a voice that spans the past and present of the band while speaking to the future.

Some of the tracks on ABER have been long in the making, evolving through multiple versions over time. For Ab Re, time is a fluid concept, and the creative process is ongoing; the recording is simply a snapshot, or "aber," of a moment. This idea is underscored by several "audio time capsules"—brief, documentary-style sound snippets preserved from the band's lesser-known past, skillfully mixed into the album.

The album flows seamlessly, with songs and instrumentals transitioning smoothly, creating an atmosphere that breathes with a free, unburdened rhythm. For listeners who already adore AB RE or those discovering them for the first time, ABER delivers everything they could hope for, including some inevitable surprises.

As with their previous album, ABER also features collaborations with other artists. One notable contribution is the instrumental track "Surf", composed and arranged with French accordionist Yves Beraud (Strasbourg), a long-time friend of the band. Additionally, the album includes "Glad", a brief vignette from the theater production Brod ljubavi by playwright Nebojša Romčević, for which AB RE previously composed the music.

The album's cover art, drawn by Dušan Popović, a Serbian comic book artist, is inspired by both the band’s music and his own interpretation of the album's title.

Credits

Music, lyrics and arrangements by Ab Re except:

Lyrics on track 03 by Nebojša Romčević

Music on track 05 in cooperation with Yves Beraud

Recorded in studio Paškanat 2022. except:

Track 05 in Studio Krokodil

Produced by Ab Re and Lazar Arsović

Mastering by Marko Perić

Artwork design - Dušan Popović

Layout and cover design - Mateja Tanjević