Blissfully escapist, these six transcendent odysseys of psychedelic electronic music and freeform musicianly virtuosity roam freely: from the skittering pulsations of opener ‘You Are Gods’, through the radiant, revelatory echoes of ‘Sunbeam Path’, the hyperkinetic, arpeggiated rush of ‘Time Ring Rattles’ and ‘Incredible Bliss’, the mesmeric ambient euphoria of ‘Sparkles, Crystals, Miracles’, to the spiralling slow-burn ascension of the closing title track. With this finale, Holden & Zimpel offer up a monumental coda of stirring percussive rustle and gently cascading clarinet tones, before soaring into a sublime, resonant denouement of towering synth and organ themes; a conclusion of vast, otherworldly high drama that encapsulates the scale of this extraordinary album.
Embracing a similar playful, experimental approach to that of their Krautrock forefathers, the new album sees both virtuosos encouraged and empowered to reach out beyond the instruments with which they made their name. Thus Holden supplements his bespoke computer and modular synth systems with his long-neglected childhood violin and his more recently cobbled together collection of hand percussion, whilst on certain tracks Zimpel forgoes his alto clarinet altogether in favour of electric piano, organ, lap steel guitar, airless harmonium and the Indian twin pipe algoza flute.
The collaborative process has proved endlessly instructive, mutually inspirational and richly rewarding for both artists. “We just clicked immediately, understood each other’s impulses, and made space for each other,” enthuses Holden. “Held safe in his supportive arms I felt liberated to try things I’d never tried before.”
The Holden & Zimpel origin stories may on the surface look very different, with Holden first making his name in electronic music as an internationally renowned dance DJ, producer and remixer throughout the course of the noughties, whilst Zimpel was receiving a formal classical education at music schools in Poland and Germany before following his improvisational impulses into the world of contemporary free jazz, collaborating with the likes of Hamid Drake and Joe McPhee. But there are also many striking serendipitous similarities in their musical journeys: both young musicians’ first exposure to music came via their piano-playing fathers, and both children initially took up violin before settling upon their chosen instruments. Both have had the privilege of immersing themselves in the rich Gnawa musical tradition handed down via Morocco’s Guinia family, with Holden recording first with the late Maalem Mahmoud Guinia and later his son Houssam, whilst in 2012 and again in 2015 Zimpel improvised his way around Poland in a live collaboration with Mahmoud’s younger brother Mokhtar.
The traditional music of India has also provided a common source of fascination for the two composers, with Zimpel teaming up with a band of Carnatic musicians from Bangalore for three raga-jazz fusion albums under the Saagara moniker, whilst Holden’s introduction came via modern day Indian music disciple Terry Riley, and the Mumbai-trained London-based tabla player Camilo Tirado with whom he collaborated on the Riley-inspired Barbican commission 'Outdoor Museum of Fractals'.
Ultimately it is around a shared love of all things hypnotic and trancey where Holden and Zimpel’s paths converge. Trance is the common thread which runs through their musical predilections, as heard in traditional folk forms the world over, twentieth century minimalism, the Krautrock experiments of the seventies, electronic dance music and improvised jazz alike, and their music exists at the point where all of this good stuff collides. You are invited to join them in trance space.
The Universe Will Take Care Of You is released on 13th June 2025 on heavyweight white vinyl, CD and all digital formats.
Tracklist:
1. You Are Gods
2. Sunbeam Path
3. Time Ring Rattles
4. Sparkles, Crystals, Miracles
5. Incredible Bliss
6. The Universe Will Take Care Of You
