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Kraak en Smaak by sanja marusic
The fourth and final single is a collaboration with LA based artist The Undercover Dream Lovers, from their awaited album Velvet Seas
Dutch based Kraak & Smaak have released their next single ‘Isn’t It Strange’ – from their eagerly awaited album Velvet Seas. A collaboration with LA based artist The Undercover Dream Lovers, it finds common ground between Kraak & Smaak’s instrumental finesse and The Undercover Dream Lovers’ Matt Koenig’s indie pop psychedelia. Released via their own label Boogie Angst, it marks the fourth and final single from their upcoming album.
Recorded together in Los Angeles during sunset hour – the single unfolds with a slow burning energy, its vocals stretched wide across a haze of reverb and echo. Built on a pulsing bassline and washed in cascading synths, Matt Koenig brings his warm falsetto to the production – a captivating presence that lifts the song into widescreen territory.
Recorded together in Los Angeles during sunset hour, Isn’t It Strange finds common ground between Kraak & Smaak’s instrumental finesse and Koenig’s indie pop psychedelia. The result is both understated and expansive, a meeting point of two distinct but complementary sounds.
The Undercover Dream Lovers is the project of Pittsburgh born, LA based songwriter and producer Matt Koenig. Since debuting in 2016, he has built a dedicated following through a string of singles and EPs that combine indie rock, disco and psychedelic influences into a distinctly modern pop sound.
The single follows recently after single, ‘Travel Light’ – a vibrant, orchestral dive into the heart of 70s disco, fronted by the commanding vocals of longtime collaborator and live frontman IVAR.
Kraak & Smaak are also gearing up for an extensive run of European tour dates this fall and into 2025. The trio will bring their celebrated live show and DJ sets to audiences across the continent, with highlights including stops in Madrid, Barcelona, Budapest, and Brno. A particular milestone will be performing an album release show for their return to Amsterdam Dance Event, where they’ll headline Melkweg on October 22nd – a fitting homecoming moment at one of electronic music’s most influential gatherings. From intimate club nights to festival main stages, the shows promise to capture the energy and eclectic spirit of Velvet Seas in full force.
Made up of Oscar de Jong, Wim Plug and Mark Kneppers, Kraak & Smaak have spent the past 20+ years carving out a global reputation as one of the Netherlands’ most dynamic electronic acts – blending disco, funk, house and soul into their own distinct, analogue-rich sound. They’ve played everywhere from Coachella, SXSW, Glastonbury and Sziget, to late-night U.S. TV, and have remixed artists like Moby, Röyksopp and Aretha Franklin.
‘Isn’t It Strange’ completes as the final single on upcoming album Velvet Seas, the anticipated release from the Dutch electronic trio and live act.
Tour Dates:
Oct 10: Blind, Istanbul (sound system)
Oct 11: Ankara Cocktail Festival (sound system)
Oct 22: ADE/Melkweg, Velvet Seas album premiere Amsterdam
Oct 24: Boogie Angst @ ADE, Amsterdam (industry event)
Nov 7: Paard, The Hague
Nov 19: Teatro Magno, Madrid
Nov 20: Razzmatazz, Barcelona
Nov 21: Akvarium, Budapest
Nov 22: Akvarium, Budapest
Nov 23: Fleda, Brno
Jan 16: Hedon, Zwolle
Jan 22: Doornroosje, Nijmegen
Feb 14: Winter Jazz Bakuria, Georgia
Feb 21: Vera, Groningen
April 3: Patronaat, Haarlem
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