Jack Vegas is the sixth album by Swedish electro/post punk outfit Agent Side Grinder. It marks the band’s first exploration of American culture, drawing heavily on the beatnik-era works of Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs, as well as the proto-punk and avantgarde movements — while maintaining a contemporary storytelling perspective. The American dream becomes a symbol for escape from a Europe ravaged by pandemics, war and financial instability. Lyrical themes revolve around boredom, resilience, government and corporate intrusion, and mental health — with the occasional glimmer of light. It’s a drum machine-driven road movie, plotting its course through the desperate heart of rural Sweden. The name Jack Vegas’ is derived from a Swedish chain of low-stakes slot machines. The album has been produced by former ASG member Henrik Sunbring, and recorded in Stockholm during 2022. Genre-wise Agent Side Grinder has always existed in some kind of twilight zone. Deeply rooted in early electronic and industrial music as well as proto- and post punk, their sound is driven by iterative, suggestive beats and sudden bursts of untamed ferocity, built on equal parts dissonant samples and elegant melodies.
Tracklist: 1. Waiting Room (3:51) 2. Number by Number (3:47) 3. Bloodless (3:47) 4. Madeleine (6:03) 5. Flaws and Flame (3:49) 6. Jack Vegas (7:21) 7. Decipher (4:08) 8. The Unravelling (5:04)
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