10 Questions

It's Thor's Day once again so it's fitting we have none other than Mattias Gustavsson of Sweden's psych' rockers Dungen here to take the "10 Questions" plunge!

Mattias also found time enough away from Dungen to deliver a great album of bliss-filled psychedelic folk last year with his solo release as Life On Earth! He offers up one of the broadest ranges of taste, answer-wise, we've seen in this survey. To wit:

1. In ten words-or less, define "psychedelic music."

The sonic derangement of our senses.

2. What is the most psychedelic instrument, why?

Easily the brain! It produces any sound in the world and beyond; the sounds I try to imitate and bring here to the outside when I do music.

3. Favorite psychedelic album of all time?

I don't know if I can choose! The Listening - Listening; The United States of America - s/t; Sagittarius - Present Tense; Bo Hansson - Magicians's Hat; Pink Floyd - The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn; Grateful Dead - Anthem of the Sun; The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour; Pretty Things - S.F. Sorrow; Radiohead - Kid A; Os Mutantes - Mutantes... Each one a favorite! Sorry, couldn't choose...


4. If you could be a member of any band in history, what band would it be and what would you play?

I would have played the drums in Black Sabbath!

5. What era has the best roster of psychedelic music?

The years around the shift between the 60's and the 70's. It's absolutely indisputable to me.

6. What psychedelic album do you wish more people knew about?

Well, I'm not really the missionary type of guy, but I find it a little odd that so few know about Curt Boettcher. The Ballroom, The Millenium, Sagittarius, The Association... It's all very, very good music.



7. What band, active today, most defines "psychedelic" to you?

Radiohead, I guess. The way they constantly experiment with sounds and ways of composing and arranging. Not really the typical British whimsical type of psych’, but still psychedelic.

8. What album would you most like to cover in its entirety, why?

John Frusciante's "Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt". It's so far out with such incredible songs, and it would be quite a nice challenge to try to make it just a little more accessible.

9. Top Ten Psychedelic Songs?

Justyn Rees - The Rain Came Down
The Monkees - The Porpoise song
The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows
Sagittarius - Truth Is Not Real
J. K. & Co. - Break Of Dawn
Grateful Dead - Dark Star
Pink Floyd - Astronomy Domine
Oriental Sunshine - Across Your Life
Linda Perhacs - Parallelograms
Charlie & Esdor - Dagen är över




10. Turn the tables, if you'd like, and ask me a question.

Mattias: Why, do you think, has the dancing almost completely disappeared from the psychedelic scene?

valis: Your answer, Mattias, might be found in the response to Q#5 above. Quite possibly when psychedelia morphed into "Progressive Rock" territory and we ended up with ten minute organ solos, etc., it killed the impetus to dance. That's the easy answer. The longer answer is I'm not sure it has disappeared. I believe there are many different "scenes" inside this niche; the DJ & Club Night scenes seem to be going pretty well whether in London,U.K.,Spain, Berlin,Helsinki,Finland,Toronto,Canada,or Atlanta,Georgia. DJs know nothing kills a dancefloor faster than some seven-minute extended jam, unless you're at a rave and then you've got "stuff" to assist you in going all night. Anyway. Unsure if this has helped answer your question Mattias. Ask your local DJ, he'll tell you.
Thanks Mattias! Best wishes on the future of both Dungen & Life On Earth!