AGUSA @ ProgDreams – Poppodium Boerderij (Zoetermeer, 23.08.2025)

With thanks to Ela Williamson for her assistance with this review

For the very first time we travelled from Belgium to Zoetermeer for the Progdreams Festival  (day 2) at De Boerderij. We had allowed plenty of extra time, but due to unexpected roadworks we unfortunately missed the first twenty minutes of the opening concert. Luckily there was still enough left to fully immerse ourselves in the sound world of Agusa – and it turned out to be more than worth it. Since their formation in 2013, Agusa has been one of the most fascinating names on the Swedish psychedelic prog scene. Their music reaches back to the seventies, yet never feels dated. With influences from Scandinavian and Latin American folk music, combined with space rock, krautrock, jazz and folk, the band creates a sound that feels both familiar and refreshingly new. Live, this translates into long instrumental pieces balancing between meditative passages, playful folk and bursts of pure, entrancing energy.

Interestingly, their most recent album Noir was not featured in the set. Instead, the performance was largely based on their previous record Prima Materia (2023). Among the highlights were the lush “Så ock på jorden” the dreamy “Sommarvisan” and the captivating “Ur askan” In between, the band also performed “Klappvalsen,” a more folk-oriented piece that will probably find its way onto a future release. Each composition unfolded gradually, layer by layer, as if the band was painting a musical landscape before our eyes. The dynamics ranged from soft, contemplative moments to fiery climaxes that swept the entire audience along.

On stage, Agusa presented themselves as a tight-knit five-piece. Flutist and singer Jenny Puertas moved dynamically across the stage, her virtuoso flute playing often lifting the music skyward. Guitarist Mikael Ödesjö, the founding member who has been there from the very beginning, delivered compelling and at times psychedelic guitar lines that formed the backbone of many jams. Keyboardist Roman Andrén conjured up the unmistakable retro sound of his Oberheim synthesizer: warm, spacious and organic, as if the tones were pouring directly out of the 1970s into the hall. Bassist Simon Ström laid down a solid foundation, often adding subtle variations that reinforced the band’s hypnotic groove, while drummer Nicolas Difonis drove the music forward with precision and playfulness, showing a keen sense of dynamics that matched the music’s twists and turns perfectly.

What makes Agusa so special is the way they bring the past into the present. Their music recalls icons like Camel, Focus, Caravan or even Jethro Tull, but always with a distinctive Scandinavian twist. The combination of Oberheim keyboards and flute gives their sound a particularly retro character, yet Agusa never comes across as a copy. Instead, they radiate a strong identity of their own. Their music is both nostalgic and innovative: it transports you back to the seventies, while also opening a door to something unexplored.

Their concert was a captivating journey full of enchanting melodies, unexpected turns and a warm analogue glow that lingered long after the final notes had faded. Despite missing the opening minutes, this was an experience we will not soon forget – a perfect start to the second day of the festival and powerful proof that the spirit of the seventies is still very much alive.