Vampire Weekend have released a new EP featuring two reinterpretations of their Father of the Bride highlight “2021,” recorded by jazz artist Sam Gendel and Connecticut jam band Goose respectively. Each version is 20 minutes and 21 seconds long, hence the title “40:42″. You can find Gendel and Goose’s renditions below.
Vampire Weekend commissioned Sam Gendel to reimagine their song 2021. The only directive was to make it twenty minutes and twenty-one seconds long. In addition to the music, Sam created the original, improvised animation. Ezra Koenig is an outspoken fan of jam bands, and has incorporated the music of the Grateful Dead into Vampire Weeekend’s own performances in the past, so it should come as no surprise to hear Vampire Weekend turned to a talented, up-and-coming band like Goose and a bold, avant-garde jazz musician in Gendel to help stretch the shortest song on Father of the Bride to a runtime worthy of the term “jam.”
“2021” was released alongside “Harmony Hall” as the first singles from Father of the Bride. The song is built around a sample of Haruomi Hosono’s “Talking.”
Vampire Weekend commissioned the breakout rock/jam outfit Goose to reimagine their song 2021. The only directive was to make it twenty minutes and twenty-one seconds long. Vampire Weekend wanted to go with the two new covers reads, The 40:42 EP is out now. We asked two of our favourite artists (West Coast saxophonist Sam Gendel and the Connecticut-based jam vanguards Goose) to create 20 minute 21 second versions of “2021.” They knocked it out of the park.
Both created striking, exploratory works that stand on their own. We hope these 40 minutes and 42 seconds of music will provide some peaceful, vibey atmosphere as we all move through 2021.
The 40:42 EP. Out now:
The Fat Angel Sings 