Swede Emotion

Retro? This isn't stinking retro!!

But what beautiful music we're listening to here, this latest batch of songcraft from Sweden's very own Dungen, Tio Bitar (roughly translated as "ten pieces'). You can call it psychedelic, a throwback to the late 60s, a blast from the past. Yet this is very contemporary music which Gustav Ejstes, Dungen's main man & multi-instrumentalist, has made for our listening pleasure. You could swear that this was recorded in 1968, 1970 or 1971 (as well as the recording equipment used for the task) but this was done in the new millennium...I know, but the sounds which abound on Tio Bitar have got me thinking otherwise.

"Intro" kicks things off with an outburst of fuzz-wah, a Blue Cheer-ish firestorm of the highest order, only to let some light through two-thirds of the way through with a jazzy flute melody. "Familij" feels ambient as much as it is psychedelic bliss. Then of course Ejstes delivers the Can goods on 3-minute rockers like "Gor Det Nu" & "Du Ska Inte Tro Att Det Ordan Sig." "C Visar Vagen" is a pastoral tune which strikes the perfect balance between sad & happy (same with "Sa Blev Det Bestamt.") "Mon Amour" starts out a simple ditty, fair enough, but just under 2:30 into the proceedings, it turns into guitar heaven, a monolithic fuzzfest for the ages. "Ett Skal Att Trivas" is ploddingly heavy but in a frigging good way, as with the Can-meets-Hendrix "Svart Ar Himlen."

If John Lennon came back to life as a Swede & sang in nothing but Swedish, he'd have a mellow, pleasant voice like Gustav Ejstes displays. True, Ejstes has a Lennon-ish flair in his voice & we can't figure out what he's singing about (point being that it's in his native Swedish). But then again, it wouldn't matter if he sang in English; music this loopy & lovely can't help but be majorly infectious, regardless of what language the words are sung in.

Tio Bitar is beautiful music you can't put a finger on. Is it psychedelic? Is it psych-folk? Is it music to rock out to? It's all of the above & Ejstes put out another winner which'll have you moving around as much as dreaming away. But please, for Gustav's sake, don't call this music retro!!