A.J. Kaufmann is a Polish psychedelic musician who doesn’t rest on his laurels. His sound spans across genres, including grunge, krautrock, space rock, and psychedelic rock, and he’s known for his heavy riffs, space-out soundscapes, and poetic lyrics. Kaufmann is a prolific writer and musician whose latest full-length release, Your Existence is Revolt, dropped on January 2nd via The Swamp Records.
Kaufmann has a long and diverse discography and is a true pioneer of Polish psych music. His discography is so long he may even put the super-prolific Ryan Adams to shame (no offense, Ryan). Kaufmann’s Your Existence is Revolt contains fourteen relatively short songs with track titles that are sure to appeal to listeners of classic psychedelic music, such as “Hippie Chicks.”
He recorded the album at Via Kosmische in Poznań and Calvert Avenue in London, and it was initially released in 2022 in Italy by TIBProd. Kaufmann handles the words, music, vocals, and instrumental performance for the entire record, and the trippy cover art is by Justin Jackley.
Many tracks on Your Existence is Revolt have a kosmische – or “cosmic music” – feel, with space-rock touches and synth soundscapes, giving it the retro-futuristic style that harkens back to previous eras. The party starts with the title track, the longest song at over four minutes.
The first verse stands out, as Kaufmann tells us, “I was born in a prison cell,” after a brief intro featuring a calming saxophone. “That’s how it is, my friends,” Kaufmann sings, “Your existence is revolt.” There’s something Dylan-esque about the lyrics in the track, as Kaufmann’s poetry is surrealistic and directed squarely at the listener. Despite the surrealism, the world he crafts feels all too real.
“Patricia (Cosmic Joke Edit)” is a furious synth-heavy song that sounds more like it’s been made by an extraterrestrial than an earth-dweller. That’s the point, of course – Kaufmann’s music often gives you that feeling. The electronic jumbles of noise sound like R2-D2 and C-3PO having an intense philosophical discussion in the Millennium Falcon while Han Solo drunkenly speeds through the galaxy (and I mean that in the best way possible).
Some of my other favorite tracks include “Lobotomia,” “Cold Steel,” and “Drug Tycoons.” All three of these songs are more guitar-driven rockers that show Kaufmann’s guitarist skills, and they’re more standard psychedelic mind-fuckers with mean riffage. “Drug Tycoons” may be my favorite of the trio – I love the guitar tone and it’s an excellent song to crank up as loud as possible.
As many of Kaufmann’s records do, Your Existence is Revolt has already garnered much support on Bandcamp. If you like this one, have no fear: a new Kaufmann release is slated for February 14th called Bard’s Woman in the Cool of the Summer Breeze, which will come in digital and CD form. Bard’s Woman also features the talents of Sound Animal on a few tracks, the California-based artist who has collaborated with Kaufmann before.
Get these records while they’re hot! Enjoy.
Check out Your Existence is Revolt by A.J. Kaufmann on Bandcamp here.
Support A.J. Kaufmann by finding him on Bandcamp, his poetry blog, SoundCloud, YouTube, or Instagram.
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