Berlin-based progressive rock and krautrock trio SEK have released ‘Amore Mio’, along with its accompanying music video, ahead of their debut album, “Wallensteins Garage”, due out on October 30 via Exile On Mainstream Records. The track premiered through The Sleeping Shaman.

‘Amore Mio’ stands out for its connection to the historical narrative at the heart of the album, which also lends it its title. According to SEK, the track draws inspiration from the bond between Bohemian general Albrecht von Wallenstein, who lived during the Thirty Years’ War, and his horse. After the animal was killed at the Battle of Lützen in 1632, the general reportedly had its body recovered and later taxidermied. This episode became one of the recurring elements the band explored while developing the album’s central concept. The horse’s taxidermied remains are now on display at a museum in Cheb, Czechia.

This historical backdrop also informs the track’s musical approach. SEK explain that they opted for a more pronounced shuffle rhythm and a major tonality on ‘Amore Mio’ to evoke the movements of horses trotting and galloping. The musical character thus reinforces the contrast between Wallenstein’s emotional attachment to his horse and the shadow of the impending tragedy.

Featuring guitarist Paul-Willy Stoyan (Gavial, Jacke Schwarz), drummer Georg Edert (Elder, Gaffa Ghandi) and bassist Lucas Kazzer (Gaffa Ghandi, Borders Down), SEK have been active in Berlin’s underground scene for around four years. Following two DIY cassette releases, “Wallensteins Garage” marks the trio’s debut album, bringing together their backgrounds in heavy psych, progressive rock, punk and experimental music.

The main guitar motif in ‘Amore Mio’ dates back to the band’s first jam sessions during the pandemic. The riff and its unusual time signature were elements Lucas Kazzer particularly wanted to revisit, eventually forming the foundation of the track. The band aim to combine fuzzy guitar tones inspired by psychedelic rock recordings from the late 1960s and 1970s with a more focused compositional approach suited to the demands of a concept album.

Recorded and mixed by Fabien de Menou, the album was co-produced by de Menou and SEK. Mastering was handled by Stefan Brueggemann at Mastering Room Berlin. The cover artwork was created by Benjamin Butter (Gavial), who also contributes keyboards to the album. Additional keyboards on ‘Auftritt zu Pappenheim’ were provided by Fabien de Menou.

“Wallensteins Garage” will be released on October 30 on black vinyl bundled with a CD, as well as digitally. Pre-orders are available through Exile On Mainstream’s store.

Meanwhile, SEK are playing shows across Germany ahead of the album’s release. The announced dates run through October 17, with the October 14 performance listed as a secret show. Other stops include Dresden, Jena, Zittau and Lübbenau.

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