Sebastian Gäbel is plunging in loud and reckless with “Love Kills” under the moniker Desert Man. Gäbel’s no newbie; he’s a Grammy-nominated guitar wizard from Gothenburg who’s toured with José González and The String Theory – and now? He’s ditching the fancy orchestras (16 albums worth!) and going raw as Desert Man. Desert Man is Gäbel’s tough alter ego, born in the sun-baked badlands of Southern California. Mark your calendars for June 5th, 2025 – that’s when this premiere desert storm hits.
The title track, “Love Kills,” is the undeniable centrepiece and mission statement. This isn’t some hearts-and-flowers ballad. Nah. This track is the album’s beating heart, a summer anthem that’ll make you question everything you thought you knew about romance. Gäbel, as Desert Man, dissects love with a smirk and a sneer: “Love is only biochemistry and electricity in your brain / love is a drug that helps you get through the day / then again, so does crystal meth.” Ouch. And brilliant. Musically, it’s a trip – imagine Jonathan Wilson’s spacey sounds crashing into Dope Lemon’s chill beats, all wrapped up in a folky, lo-fi package. It sets the tone: this is music for the battle-scarred romantics, the cynics with a sense of humour.
While Gäbel is the undeniable architect – performing and producing the bulk of the record – “Love Kills” isn’t a one-man island. He brings in heavy hitters he’s earned stripes with on the road. Percussion duties fall to East LA native Andres Renteria, a collaborator sparked during their shared tours with González. Holding down the fort on drums is Jakob Kiersch, a longtime friend and former bandmate from Gäbel’s Berlin days with alternative rockers Gods of Blitz. This isn’t your typical hired guns situation – these guys have history, and you can hear that trust and chemistry in every beat.
Ah, the energy. That’s a crucial ingredient. Forget sterile, over-produced digital mush. Most of “Love Kills” was captured the old-school way: classic live recordings. Drums and guitars locked in together, in the moment, one take, no edits. You can feel it. This backbone was laid down across Studio Wong in Berlin, California Music in Los Angeles (where Gäbel holed up post-Grammy nod for “Sekou Andrews & The String Theory,” squeezing in sessions between trips to Joshua Tree and Anza Borrego), and the venerable Svenska Grammofonstudion in Gothenburg. Vocals, bass, piano, percussion, and extra guitars were overdubbed later, but that live core gives the album its undeniable pulse and authenticity. György Barocsai handled the mix at Svenska Grammofonstudion, with Frida Claesson Johansson applying the final mastered polish at the legendary Hansa Studio in Berlin – hallowed ground that only adds to the album’s rock pedigree.
Beyond the killer title track, the singles offer tantalising glimpses into Desert Man’s range. “Penelope“ (released May 9th) is all about longing that hits you precisely in the paunch. That’s a riotous, angular, yet harmonically rich proposition we can get behind. Then there’s “Desire Lines.” If you’ve been itching for one of those massive 90s rock anthems, this’ll scratch that itch and then some, “like Cinnamon Girl-era Neil Young & Crazy Horse on cocaine.” Tracks like “Zodiac” and the intriguingly titled “Willow Waltz” promise further exploration, and damn yes, colour us intrigued.
“Love Kills” stands out precisely because it doesn’t try to fit neatly into one box. This is Gäbel letting loose after playing over a freaking thousand shows across two continents. It’s got bite, but it’s not mean-spirited. It rocks hard without being dumb. It’s old-school without feeling dated. There’s desert grit, European flair, and you can just tell these guys are feeding off each other’s energy. This is romance without the saccharine, rock without the cliché.
Desert Man’s “Love Kills” is a triumph. It’s the sound of a seasoned artist finally stepping fully into his own spotlight. Get ready for it to soundtrack your summer – and probably leave a few bruises. Bring on those fall/winter 2025 tour dates! This is one desert you’ll want to get lost in.