Prog Rock For Today: Dungen – “Åkt Dit”
Dungen
“Åkt Dit”
Allas Sak
Remember Traffic, Vanilla Fudge, Syd Barret’s Pink Floyd? Well, the Swedish band, Dungen brings back all those memories, all that great music, all with a modern twist. Obviously, there is something in the water in Sweden, as I’ve always said (one day, I’m tasting that water). Dungen is a Swedish rock band based in Stockholm. Often classified as proggor psychedelic rock, Dungen is also influenced by Swedish (and other) folk music, classic rock,progressive rock, garage rock and alternative rock.
The band is fronted by singer/composer Gustav Ejstes, who writes all music and plays the majority of instruments on the band’s records. Despite this, Dungen plays live as a four-piece. Ejstes, who in his teens started his songwriting with hip hop, is backed live by Swedish progressive rock veteran Reine Fiske (Landberk, Morte Macabre, Paatos, The Amazing) on guitar, bassist Mattias Gustavsson ,(Life On Earth!), and drummer Johan Holmegard (previously on drums was Fredrik Björling), all of whom have played parts on Dungen’s studio albums.
I love this band. They reminded of Traffic during Low Spark of High Heeled Boys or “Arnold Layne”. Yet, Dungen is as current as possible. This is definitely a band that needs to be heard. And a genre more people need to practice.