While Tio Bitar saw Gustav Ejstes relinquishing some of Dungen's instrumental duties to other musicians, specifically guitarist Reine Fiske, 4 is the closest he's come to employing a full-time band. The Swedish frontman confines himself to the piano and microphone this time around, only taking occasional stabs at flute and violin, while bassist Mattias Gustavsson and drummer Johan Holmegard join Fiske in creating Dungen's sonic stew. As before, the band brews up a nice mix of psychedelic rock, free jazz, and other vintage genres associated with mind expansion and counterculture ideals. The folk influence that peppered earlier releases isn't as prominent here, however, having been replaced by a newfound emphasis on piano. The instrument lends new, softer textures to several songs, especially when combined with washes of woodwinds and strings. "Marleras Finest," in particular, mixes piano-fueled jazz with vintage elevator music, sounding like something that would've piped through the speakers of a 1960s dentist's office after a laughing gas leak. Elsewhere, the bandmates turn their amplifier knobs to the breaking point while pummeling through a series of improvised psych-rock freak-outs. "Samtidigt 1" is a freewheeling guitar showcase taken from a jam session -- it fades in and fades out, seemingly stretching on for hours on either side of the recorded snippet -- while "Samtidigt 2" reprises the same approach several tracks later. Holmegard peppers his percussion with Mitch Mitchell-styled fills, and Fiske fills every inch of space with slashes and stabs of crunchy, distorted guitar, aptly earning his keep as the band's second-in-command. There are well-crafted songs here, too: "Mina Damer Och Fasaner" begins like a Brill Building ballad before settling into a bass-boosted groove, and "Det Tar Tid" finds room to showcase Ejstes' talent for stacked vocal harmonies. In short, 4 offers a cross-section of the band's catalog, mixing the structure-based songs of Tio Bitar with the instrumental workouts of albums like Ta Det Lugnt. Ejstes' fiddle playing is certainly missed, but that's a minor complaint from an otherwise top-notch effort.
It's hard to believe that 4 is Sweden's psych rockers Dungen's (meaning "the grove") sixth release since 2001. Quite a feat indeed. 4 picks up where the last left off - dynamic guitar rock that taps into Hendrix, Santana, modern indie rock, and experimental fusion jazz all at once sending the listener on a roller [...]
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I have come across mentions of Dungen on websites and lists amongst mentions of great bands and records, yet I had never heard any of their music until this new collection, called 4. I was aware that they are often referred to as a psychedelic rock act, that they are based in Stockholm, Sweden and that when their songs include lyrics, they are sung in Swedish.
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Swedish psychedelic combo Dungen is back with a new one on Subliminal Sounds. Their 4th album aptly titled "4" is an extremely well crafted album of eclectic influences such as psychedelic pop, 60s soul, swedish folk, acid jam rock and jazz. The ingredients might sound a little awkward. Swedish folk, jam rock and soul? [...]
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4, the newest release by Swedish psychedelic rockers, Dungen (or "the groove" in Swedish) is a bit ethereal at times, like a soundtrack to some sappy love movie--with strings and various percussion instruments, but when the guitar takes the lead...it just KILLS! The swirling guitar moments are pure... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the MCMB website for full links, free music, great v...
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MP3: Dungen - Sätt att seMP3: Dungen - Minda damer och fasanerTime and time again, Dungen has delivered golden beauty, crafting masterpieces that slowly create a grand opus: their latest record "4" just may be the biggest and best piece of the puzzle yet.Putting the guitar down and sitting at the piano, mastermind Gustav Ejstes has changed the name of the game, all without abandoning the psyche..
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It's hard to believe that 4 is Sweden's psych rockers Dungen's (meaning "the grove") sixth release since 2001. Quite a feat indeed. 4 picks up where the last left off - dynamic guitar rock that taps into Hendrix, Santana, modern indie rock, and experimental fusion jazz all at once sending the listener on a roller [...]
More >
Sweden's pop weirdo Dungen may not deliver much when it comes to album titles. Its forthcoming fifth full-length is called 4, for the Big Bang's sake. C'mon, marketing department! That's just ridiculous. That said, Led Zeppelin named their first four...
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MP3: Dungen - Sätt att seMP3: Dungen - Minda damer och fasanerTime and time again, Dungen has delivered golden beauty, crafting masterpieces that slowly create a grand opus: their latest record "4" just may be the biggest and best piece of the puzzle yet.Putting the guitar down and sitting at the piano, mastermind Gustav Ejstes has changed the name of the game, all without abandoning the psyche..
More >
--- - |- With the title of their fourth album (4) making way for the Led Zeppelin comparisons, Dungen have done something the Zep haven't done in ages: They've scheduled a tour. The Swedish foursome begin a jaunt across North America at CMJ on October 24 and continue across the continent into November.Before the tour begins, 4 comes out via Kemado on September 30. Album-opening first single "S...
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They're from Sweden, they're self-proclaimed 'psychedelic rockers', they look like how you'd imagine the hypothetical lovechild of the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson and the male members of the Dandy Warhols to look and their name suggests that they were probably playing American enormodromes with Whitesnake and Def Leppard back in the 1980s.
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4, the newest release by Swedish psychedelic rockers, Dungen (or "the groove" in Swedish) is a bit ethereal at times, like a soundtrack to some sappy love movie--with strings and various percussion instruments, but when the guitar takes the lead...it just KILLS! The swirling guitar moments are pure... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the MCMB website for full links, free music, great v...
More >
Swedish psychedelic combo Dungen is back with a new one on Subliminal Sounds. Their 4th album aptly titled "4" is an extremely well crafted album of eclectic influences such as psychedelic pop, 60s soul, swedish folk, acid jam rock and jazz. The ingredients might sound a little awkward. Swedish folk, jam rock and soul? [...]
More >
Dungen launch a one-band freak-out on TLOBF towers with '4', an album so swinging that it should have been released a long time ago. Sean Bamberger reviews an awe inspiring slice of days gone by.
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I have come across mentions of Dungen on websites and lists amongst mentions of great bands and records, yet I had never heard any of their music until this new collection, called 4. I was aware that they are often referred to as a psychedelic rock act, that they are based in Stockholm, Sweden and that when their songs include lyrics, they are sung in Swedish.
More >
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