Psychedelic rock music has been in vogue for much of this decade, but not too long ago it was a niche interest.
In 2004, for instance, psych rock wasn’t even close to trendy. That was the height of the indie rock resurgence – The Strokes and The Killers were headlining festivals, Franz Ferdinand and Yeah Yeah Yeahs were shipping loads of records and Arctic Monkeys were waiting in the wings.
But then came an album called Ta Det Lugnt from an obscure Swedish band called Dungen. Created in bandleader Gustav Ejstes’ living room, it was one of the year’s most critically celebrated releases. Although Ta Det Lugnt was actually Ejstes’ third release as Dungen, it was the one that more or less sparked the incumbent psych rock renaissance.
It’s been ten years since Dungen last visited Australia, but they’ll be back in December. After Ta Det Lugnt, Dungen expanded into a quartet and have since released a further four albums, including 2015’s Allas Sak. Along the way they’ve established an unmistakable stylistic identity while continuing to diversify.
Since the outset, critics have noted Dungen’s likeness to ’60s and ’70s psych rock. It’s certainly not an unfounded claim, but it can paint a somewhat reductive picture of the band. While Ejstes and co. may initially sound like a throwback, a closer look reveals they’re a much more complex and varied entity, both sonically and compositionally.
“[The comparison] is not a criticism, it’s a fact,” says Ejstes. “But at the same time, we live now and I have so much other influences. When we play together, we don’t overthink it that much. We just do what we do and it turns out that way.”
Indeed, while there are sounds and stylistic motifs apparent in Dungen’s music that resemble an earlier time, their characteristic blend of folk, rock, hip hop and electronic music makes the band something of a stylistic anomaly.
“It never has been an aim to satisfy others. So that’s why maybe it has its own sound,” says Ejstes. “We are truly nerdy and I want to make records that I want to buy myself. I know not all my friends are into that kind of music, but I don’t give a shit. I’m just like, ‘This is the way it should sound.’ I think if you’re not following trends you become unique, but it’s also not a main aim to be unique. I just want to make music that I find interesting.”
Dungen records don’t sound dated, nor do they contrive to give off a vintage flavour. This is especially true of Allas Sak – it’s a mesmerising headphone listen featuring interweaving layers of instrumentation (including plenty of flute playing), all captured in crisp high definition. Ejstes can’t take all the credit for this, though.
“The earlier records I made myself with some microphones right into my computer in my living room,” he says. “But through the years… we have this good friend Mattias Glavå who has this incredible studio and he is keeping the tradition of really, really good live recordings in the right way. It’s not that slick kind of sound. He has this rough tone to everything.
“We worked with him on this Allas Sak album and he has this idea about taking care of the fact that we are a band nowadays. We play live and almost do the vocals at the same time as the live recordings. He is a wizard. His instrument is his engineering and maybe I’m better at arranging and producing. I know how it should sound, but if I had to tweak it until I get there it could take a week.”
A common stigma surrounding psychedelic rock music is that it’s aimless and freeform. But like all previous Dungen albums, a lot of thought has clearly gone into the instrumentation and production on Allas Sak. There’s close attention paid to the textural details and the majority of songs contain instantly memorable melodies.
“You’ve got to begin with the melodies and the harmonies and the tone language,” says Ejstes. “That is what makes it really last. I mean, I’m a record nerd and I have all these records that sound so dope, but the songs are totally wack. But I try to write good music and then top it off with great songs.”
Over the last 12 years, Dungen have inspired swathes of other musicians. Several contemporary acts, including Jack White and Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, call themselves fans, while new listeners continue to be amazed by the band.
“Kevin Parker has really explained to me how much [our music] meant to him and that’s beautiful,” Ejstes says. “But at the same time, we’re kind of the same generation and if you look at what kind of music people are longing for or need in a special time – there’s going to be periods where no-one wants to play this kind of music or listen to it, but it’s beautiful to see how there is more of a scene or genre now than there was ten or 15 years
ago.
“We have met so many bands now who are like a combination of Tame Impala and us – like, here’s a part that sounds a bit like Kevin and here’s a part that sounds like us. It’s just honouring and beautiful to be a part of it.”
Allas Sak is out now through Mexican Summer.Dungen, supported byThe Laurels, play Oxford Art Factory on Wednesday December 7.
