On 12 September, Lars Kroon will release his new studio album Hard Gelag. Hard Gelag was recorded with Flemish producer Pascal Deweze (Metal Molly, Sukilove, Roosbeef) at Studio Jezus in Antwerp. Percussionist Aarich Jespers (Zita Swoon), guitarist Elko Blijweert (Dead Man Ray, Kiss My Jazz, Gruppo di Pawlowski) and Roos Rebergen (Roosbeef) contributed to the album.
Lars Kroon recorded his new album Hard Gelag in the summer of 2024. His previous album, De Rusteloze Materie, which was also released in 2024, marked a turning point in his oeuvre. The production was sparse, the atmosphere fragile and warm. In order to grow artistically, Kroon sought collaboration across borders for Hard Gelag. He explains: “For the first time, I was willing to relinquish more control over the production and explore additional layers in the music. I had confidence in the songs and lyrics and wanted to embark on an adventure – not only in terms of content, but also in terms of form.”
That search led him to Flemish producer Pascal Deweze. Together they experimented and developed a new sound: darker, more menacing and more exciting. Kroon also returned to a band setting. The lyrics remain central, but the music has become more adventurous and layered. Percussion was chosen instead of drums, with sultry, menacing rhythms, and Elko’s guitar is sometimes understated but can also fly mercilessly off the rails.
Lyrically, Hard Gelag is perhaps Kroon’s darkest album to date, with themes such as depression, fears and failure. But always with a touch of absurdism and the necessary lightness, and characters who, despite everything, continue to muddle through, making the album primarily a search for meaning.
Since the beginning of this year, Lars Kroon has been performing with his new band consisting of Vedran Mirčetić (De Staat) on guitar, Daniel Eskens (Fast De, Jo Goes Hunting) on bass, Annemarie van den Born (Loupe) on drums, and Lars on vocals and guitar.