In 1995, legendary NYC-Austro-American Grunge outfit HP Zinker split up in mayhem and chaos. They had initiated two of the US most renowned Indie labels, Matador Records and Thrill Jockey, and had since used themselves up properly. Frontman Hans Platzgumer moved back to Europe and has hardly touched his guitar since. But he stayed in touch with his mate Hannah MacKenna. Ten years later they restarted the group as Convertible first with hardly any guitar but a whole lot of elaborated electronica, later with hardly any electronica but fine acoustic instruments, lately with the electric-acoustic-electronic whole load. 7 albums so far have displayed their transforming magic. At some point American bassplayer Chris Laine joined in and in the run of time more musicians and visual artists, making Convertible nowadays more an art-collective than a rock-band.

Now we face their new album “Favorite Record”- and it turnes out to be what the title suggests. 9 favorite tunes, 6 videos, sophisticated song writing in a state-of-the-art production, full of surprises, somewhere between blues and IDM. John Lennon or Freddie Mercury should have loved this: spacious sounds, melodic twists, heaps of harmonies, 2025 psychedelia and double layered lyrics, that’ll move you.

 

On stage:

Live the band is just as comfortable under a tree as it is on a festival stage. They come as a four piece, sometimes in walls of sound, sometimes smooth as lounge, their gigs being orchestrated trips to some undefined object they call the Holst Gate. It’s where time ressolves and only resonance remains. Sometimes they do reach it.

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