The Curious Case Of Stefan Kozalla

You know what? We’ll skip the review today. There’s some kind of carnival or fun fair in town, we’ll just walk down there and see what they’re up to. Somebody said it’s not the usual deal with neat little rides and candy floss, more like an art thing.

You can already see some dude from far away, walking around on enormous stilts, in wildly colored clothes with patterns that seem both tribal and accidental, and a giant black hat with a name on it. He doesn’t seem all too familiar with the concept of stilts, but it’s obvious he’s having a ton of fun, walking back and forth as if trying out his new legs, laughing and waving at us, hollering something that sounds like “I can hear you”.

Music is everywhere, but not from an oompah band, more delicate sounds fill the air, tablas and chimes, humming and trilling, music that doesn’t throw itself upon you, maybe even slightly shy, with a simple and effective little riff that sticks its head out every now and then, not to brag or to shine, more to invite and befriend. A welcome without words that is felt and understood. Things will be beautiful here.

Right next to the entrance is a colorful little hut with a small stage, a few people are spread out on deck chairs, sipping on yummy looking cocktails while some dude is fiddling around with catchy African-sounding rhythms, singing something that feels like he just made it up, about love loving purely, sending it all through auto-tune, and somehow he can’t help himself and starts laughing in the middle of the song. Funny. I think I know that guy from somewhere.

There’s a tent where people are looking at a loose succession of home made videos, some of them flickering old Super 8s, scenes of a couple filming each other trying to make it look as if they are floating, on a lake, in the air, on a bed of flowers, a pile of fluffy pillows, a folksy guitar theme supporting the innocence and lightheartedness of it all. A few lines sung, about the ground giving way, and how she likes that feeling. Another clip is a simple animated thing, naive and sweet, accompanied by a loving, sentimental, overwhelmingly warm-hearted version of a song someone seems to love a lot. How beautiful you are. How beautiful the mood.

It’s not all sighs and hugs though, there’s this really cool ride called “Buschtaxi”, taking you round and round, and for some strange reason you don’t feel like it’s circles, more like always swiftly moving forward, the scenery constantly in motion as well, mixing the things you see in ever changing combinations, a fantastic jungle with imaginary animals calling. A slightly tense moment at the edge of the tropical bushes gives you a few chills, but then you dive right back into the dense green worlds, picking up some more speed before the ride finally ends, the bush taxi gently settling in high grasses.

If you stay seated long enough, the cart you’re sitting in is pushed over to the other side of the ride, the “Brushcutter”, a much more bouncy affair, urban, speedy, edgy, and where the ride through the jungle was a timeless one, on this side you’re rushing through a single moment.

The breeze keeps sending parts of pretty little songs across the fairground, a few piano chords accompanying Spanish lyrics, tell me when, that’s all I understand, “Tu Dime Cuando”. A Hip Hop beat with strangely distorted voices, a guy with a supremely friendly and honest voice asking “What About Us” on top of a playful piece of electronic music – all I can do is just stroll on and keep my eyes and ears open.

There’s a place that’s all about making you feel like the singular, special, unique human being you are, a kind of half dome that gives you the visual impression of being infinite, and you stand there in the middle of it, a heavenly voice coming in from way out there, singing what you’re thinking, I sure am lucky. The world is swirling all around you, and then you’re standing there not just by yourself, but with the one you belong to, and it all seems “Unbelievable”, so you pinch yourself, but yes, it’s real, you are there, together. So lucky.

You walk out, all happy, and then you see it right in front of you. “Die Gondel”. The gondola, doors wide open, ready to take you away, far away to a place you secretly long for. A place where you can just vanish, be away, a place beyond reach. Adventurous, much more than a mere escape or disappearance. It’s where you become a mystery, something people wonder about. That strangely familiar voice from inside the gondola… it’s drawing you in.

On the other hand… how about the beach? Hear this? Yep. It’s that thing from way back when. “Vamos A La Playa”. It really is. Todos con sombrero and all. Someone stripped it of everything that made it unbearable and surrounded the remaining elements with clouds of Ambient bliss. I really wonder where that came from.

But before I can find out I walk across something that looks like a giant bouncy castle for grown-ups. Its name seems to be “Aruna”, and people are half dancing, half jumping around, in pure joy. Totally impossible not to join them. Tumbling out on the other side of the castle a group of Asian singers are already waiting, singing a sweet little doo-woppy farewell song. “Umaoi” is what they sing, and from what I gather it’s a word that means “loading a horse with passengers”. So I straddle that horse, my emotions gleaming, my heart bouncing, my face decorated with a big smile, and I ride on into the sunset.

What a life.

Release for review:
DJ KOZE – MUSIC CAN HEAR US – PAMPA RECORDS – PAMPALP016X

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