10 Questions

Alright. Back again with a new installment of our (now occasional, the occasion of which is random and seldom) "10 Questions" feature. I hear you squeal. Hoping that's delight.

Hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, our guests today have created a mesmerizing EP which has held my ears' interest since first hearing it: Worker Drone Queen. Five tracks at just over 23 minutes. I could take double that and still want more!(Though they have stated: " The EP is the second out of four to be released over an undecided period of time to eventually be pressed on glorious vinyl.") Bring it on!






Fellow psychonauts, here's Henric & Jonas, of The Janitors!



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

The lotion on darkness knuckles when it punches light's face
(thanx to A Heavy Feather/David Sandtröm for a brilliant title)

-or just 9 links instead of 10 words:

Drone

Larsen Effect

Positive Feedback

Negative Feedback

Oscillation

Reverberation

Delay

Altered State of Consciousness

Monotony

2. What is the most psychedelic instrument, why?

We have to say feedback and delay drone guitars and fuzz..
All of the things mentioned above were the pieces both of us were missing in the music scene of Stockholm back when we started the band, even though we have now scaled off some of the harshest feedback attacks now. Or maybe not.
Jonas remembers his first time listening to Psychocandy. He figured that there had to be something wrong with the cassette player (that's right kid, we listened to that shit on cassette).The cassette player was fine...




For me the first time I fell in love with delay was when i watched the Verve on the Hultsfred festival in Sweden. It wasn't until afterwards when a friend explained what made the soundscape that we just experienced possible. I immediately bought my first delay when i got home. I still use it and it's still my favorite. Combining feedback and drones with a bit of lysergic fuzz on top make for a really nice psych afternoon, night and weekend.




3. Favorite psychedelic album of all time?

JAMC - Psychocandy





4. What was the first song -or album, you remember listening to in an 'altered' state?
Henric -> Doors - Riders On The Storm or The End (it´s kind of a blur)
Jonas -> Must have been some punk anthem - Anarchy In The UK or London Calling

5. What song or album that wouldn't fall into the classic "psych" definition is, nevertheless, psychedelic to you?
Henric: A lot of techno and beats music use the same kind of long grooves to make you oscillate. I can’t really point out one single record.

Jonas: Some of the Swedish hippie folk stuff of the seventies could fall into that category, like Merit Hemmingsson's playing a Hammond.




6. Is there an advantage in being the pioneers (60s psychedelic bands), or being the continuing explorers armed with the knowledge of those pioneers work (the modern psychedelic bands)? Why?

The continued explorers always have the advantage of the history and back catalogue of those presiding them. The problem is that most things already have been done. So you pay your homage to those that have gone before. But there are always those who find new ways that redefines the genre and therefore are both pioneers and continued explorers. Not really an answers so I guess we don’t have an opinion but one thing is for sure, we can’t be the pioneers you're referring to, so I guess it would just be stupid to say anything else.

7. Is there an album you'd love to cover entirely, even though you may be the only ones who ever hear it? (Why that one?)
It would have to be Psychocandy, just to be able to play around with those messed up guitars. We have made some covers, All shook up by Elvis (in our version All fucked up which will be released sooner or later) and Hospital by The Modern Lovers.

8. Who are some of your favorite psychedelic bands active right now?
There are loads of excellent bands out there. First we have to give some love to some Swedish personal favs: Audionom, Silverbullit, Pascal, Ikons, Uran gbg, Orange Revival, Hills, This Is Head, Fontän, Syket, Holograms, VED, The Skull Defekts, Dungen, Beast, Les Big Byrd, Graveyard and Trummor och orgel

And in the rest of the world we love:Sinaii, Wooden Shjips, Dead Skeletons, Screen Vinyl Image, Yo La Tengo, The Black Angels, The Oscillation, Mogwai, Spiritualized, Sonic Youth, The Raveonettes, Primal Scream, Brian Jonestown Massacre
And always and forever: The Jesus and Mary Chain

9. Top Ten Psychedelic Songs?

We are crappy with lists and can’t decide the best 10 songs among ourselves..
So instead here is a list of 10 really good songs that we listen to a lot right now:
Wu Lyf - Spitting blood
Peaking Lights – Tiger Eyes
The Oscillation - Future Echo
Wooden Shjips – Crossing (Andrew Weatherall rmx)
Primal Scream – Slip inside this house
Siinai – Anthem part 1 & 2
Spacemen 3 - Hypnobeat
Audionom – Run in the sun
Spiritualized – Hey Jane
Silverbullit- Star




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

Henric & Jonas: who do you think should make a remix of us?

-valis: I'd go with Al Lover. Cool remixer & very apprachable.

Thanks Henric & Jonas!!! We'll be keeping an all-seeing-eye out for those two other EPs!