Another Taste returns with ‘Another Taste II,’ a record that expands their universe with deeper songwriting, richer arrangements, and a fully realised sense of identity. Rooted in analog craft and powered by a growing collective of musicians, the album builds an “imaginary metropolis” where their sound can live freely – unbothered by algorithms, trends, or digital shortcuts. In this conversation, the band reflects on process, pressure, community, and the joy that fuels both their studio work and their explosive live shows.

WWD: Your new album ‘Another Taste II’ feels like a deeper dive into your universe. What did you want this record to express that the debut only hinted at?

For our latest album we went deeper into the craft of “the song” — denser arrangements and more clever songwriting to better fit the album format and appeal to a wider audience than the format we started out with: the 12” disco single.

WWD: You’ve doubled down on recording live to tape in a world that’s increasingly digital. Why is analog so central to your identity?

For us, the vitality of recording to tape without any computers is very inspiring. No easy fixing of mistakes, no looping of your “best part” — everything has to be on point or the whole take has to be done over. This pressure can really elevate the intensity and focus during playing, which gives more urgency to the sound.

We also mix down from tape, which means everything is done by ear instead of staring at meters and EQ curves on a screen. The most crucial part is that all decisions during mixing are final. There is no easy recall of a session — all signal routing, all our settings on the outboard gear, gains on the mixer — it will take many hours to recreate a mix, and even then it will never get better than an approximation, as old gear can be moody and imprecise. Much like the recording process, this gives an urgency to the mixing process: do it right or don’t do it at all.

WWD: The band has grown since the early days. How has the expanded lineup shaped the sound of this new album?  

Our first album was done mostly by the four founding members – Bob, Teun, Bobby and Barend – with help in production and some arranging from our friend Danilo Plessow. When we started playing live with new band members in 2023, our first album was already finished.

With this new record we have definitely incorporated all the input from our new band members Sarina, Florian, Diogo and Jordy, and they have been a big part of the whole process. Sarina came to us with the vocals for “Into The Night” already finished, and Diogo wrote all the balafon parts for “Blue Feather Movement,” for example.

WWD: The album introduces an “imaginary metropolis.” What inspired that worldbuilding?

We tried to envision a place where this music could live on its own — a city where the static of everyday slop doesn’t overtake everyone’s attention spans and where art doesn’t need algorithmic tickling to survive. A creative utopia of sorts. Painter Walt van der Veen helped bring a glimpse of this vision to life on our album art, which is seen best on the inside of the deluxe version of our vinyl release.

WWD: You’ve played some iconic rooms recently: KOKO, Jazz Café, Tresor, New Morning, Love Supreme, Lost Village. How have those stages shaped the band?

We have taken a lot from these gigs. The experience of playing our music, giving our energy to these crowds, and receiving it back in spades has been very rewarding. We constantly adjust and sharpen our sets based on previous gigs, and this is always an ongoing process.

WWD: What do you hope listeners feel when they drop the needle on ‘Another Taste II?’

At the end of the day, the music we make has the intent of making you feel good — plain and simple. Whether you’re a purist or a casual listener, dancing or chilling, have an audiophile soundsystem or a phone speaker, we want our music to translate well to a diverse crowd in the most diverse of circumstances.

WWD: Finally, what’s next for Another Taste?

We have a nice summer season coming up with some fun gigs, maybe even travelling outside of Europe for the first time. We also have some new releases coming up for Space Grapes and will always keep writing.

WWD: Amazing! Thanks for the chat 🙂 

Thanks When We Dip!

‘Another Taste II’ is available here.