4

Hmm, over 4 on the Prog scale here - 7 ratings, no review........Swedish Psych-Proggers DUNGEN are the brainchild of one Gustav Ejstes - composer, vocalist and multi- instrumentalist. On board he has a fine selection of talents, including Reine Fiske on guitar whose credentials read from LANDBERK, MORTE MACABRE and PAATOS, all fantastic bands which benefitted from his prescence. The rhythm section of Mattias Gustavsson (Bass) and Johan Holmegard (Drums/Perc.) supplies a vibrant, solid and exciting back-bone on several of the compositions here but it's mainly Ejstes & Fiske's show. All songs fall under 5 minutes, but to be honest, they need not be longer. The sound is unique ; quite raw - yet clean, retro - yet modern, and the structures of the tracks are never eleborated or expanded beyond the service of the songs, many which feature quite catchy melodies and range from the heavier end to light and airy. Ejstes' vocals are in Swedish and he owns a great voice and contributes effective piano and organ touches here and there. Many instrumentals appear sporadically throughout, almost sounding like excerpts from longer work-outs, and they mainly show-case Fiske's 'refined wrecklessness' with his guitar, all blisteringly performed and impressive as always, and backed with fine bass and percussive work. 'Samtidigt 2' is one of the best jams I've heard in quite some time. 4.5 stars for this choice, fifth outing by the boys, called '4'.

Having recently realized what a genius REINE FISKE is, I've been trying to backtrack through anything and everything he's touched in the past 20 years. (LANDBERK, MORT MACABRE, PÄATOS, THE AMAZING, DUNGEN--are there more? If so, please let me know!!) Having now been through the Dungen catalogue, I am going to try to start my review process. Though Tio Bitar is in-your-face amazing, I am, in truth, a lover of more pacific, melodic, beautiful music--even within prog world. Thus, I am here to report that this album "4"--their fourth studio album--is my favorite. It is the one I play the most, the one I play start to finish, the one I find humming along with throughout and at least half a dozen melodies long after the speakers have gone quite. It is a masterpiece of retro-reverent prog music--one which not only masterfully gathers and uses an incredible array of sounds that were new to bands of the 60s & 70s, but uses them in a way that has, IMHO, produced music FAR suprassing that of its predecessors. Perhaps if the psychedelia bands of the 60s and early 70s were still producing (that type of) music, they might attain the heights of DUNGEN (and THE AMAZING). But, I doubt it. Difference: They wouldn't have Reine Fiske. Or the outstanding rhythm section that is bassist Mattias Gustavsson and drummer Johan Holmegard. NOr would they have the creative drive and multi-instrumental talents of Gustav Ejstes.

This album is so good that I'm not even going to rate the individual songs as all but two earn 5 stars in my book. Listen to this band! Start with this album if you need a softer, more melodic starting place--or go right to "Tio BItar" if you're ready for the mind-blowing renaissance of Hendrixness.

Essential. Absolutely essential . . . to the future of progressive music.

Interesting that my review follows Tom Ozric's because he's the one who moved me to purchase this album. It's not that i'm unfamiliar with this Swedish band it's just that I was pretty content with the 4 records by them I already own. Well Tom was right about how good this one is, in fact it's now in my top three from them and follows only the debut which is still my favourite.

"Satt Att Se" opens with Reine creating a lot of fuzz with his guitar as the vocals come in followed by strings and more. This is very psychedelic. Excellent stuff. "Maleras Finest" is more of the same really only this is an instrumental. This is all so good then we get "Det Tar Tid" with more fuzzed out guitars as the vocals join in. I really like when the piano arrives. A beautiful song.

"Samtidgt 1" is where they crank it up several notches with some wicked guitar and a heavier sound. "Ingenting Ar Sig Likt" is dreamy with some guest female vocals from Anna Jarvinen. "Fredag" sounds great when the drums come in. "Finns Det Nagon Mojlighet" opens with some abrasive distortion then a catchy beat with vocals takes over. "Mina Damer Och Fasaner" has piano and a heavy beat followed by vocals. Some nice flute and piano as well more vocals from Anna. "Samtidigt 2" is another dreamy number and I love the guitar. "Bandhagen" is a relaxed song with piano, flute, organ and percussion.

A solid 4 stars maybe even closer to 4 .5 stars.

Two months ago, I purchased this album, not having heard a note of the band's music, just based on recommendations here at PA. Within a week I had all six of their albums, and although it's only late February, it's probably a safe guess that this band will be my greatest new discovery for 2013 (5 years after the release of this album, but better late then never, right?). Possibly because this album was "first" for me, it still remains the benchmark by which I evaluate their other work, and even after dozens of listens (including a self-imposed month of NOT listening to it, in order to not wear out its welcome), the magic of this album has not diminished a bit for me.

"Dungen 4" is actually the band's fifth album; though I believe one of the earlier albums may officially be an archival, post-hoc release of early material. No matter: this is Dungen reaching an apex of creativity. Having mastered the art of creating a warm, direct-from-1968 psychedelic sound on his first couple of releases, Gustav Ejstes eventually formed a stable band lineup by the time of the third album (the breakthrough "Ta Det Lugnt"), and then this band proceeded to add layers of subtlety and ornate arrangement into the pieces, even as the pieces became shorter and more succinct. This mature approach is epitomized on this album, which includes ten short songs totaling less than 40 minutes, yet most of these songs contain even more musical content than the seven minute monsters they were churning out just a couple of years prior.

The opening track, "Sätt Att Se", kicks off the album in much the same way that "Airbag" kicked off Radioheads "OK Computer" album: a thick haze of sound framing a moody piano ballad, with strings and piano providing the jazzy harmonics, bass and drums maintaining a quiet but steady pulse, and Reine Fiske's lead guitar creating the kind of palpable texture that only Fiske can provide (see his multitude of other projects for elaboration on this). "Målerås Finest" is next, taking things to an even more poignant level, Ejstes' piano taking the lead on an instrumental, for a sad, simple melody. Track 3 "Det Tar Tid" follows, picking up the pace just a little - the big WOW factor on this track is achieved from the close vocal harmonies, pushing this complex little miniature to ecstatic heights. "Samtidigt 1" is the first of two excerpts from an improvised guitar jam included on this album, and it pumps up the rock quotient considerably and gives Reine Fiske a chance in the spotlight with full-on squalor (the full 15 minute "Samtidigt" from which the two excerpts was taken was also released as an EP in its own right - well worth seeking out). "Imgenting Ar Sig Likt" (track 5) closes the first half of the album in a relatively unremarkable way - this kind of unmemorable atmospheric piece seems to be precisely the kind of tune that Dungen is usually so adept at avoiding; still, it's at least pleasant if a bit uneventful.

The second half of the album begins with the only other track on the album that doesn't WOW me, the instrumental "Fredag". Unlike the prior song, plenty of drama occurs in this piece; however, the main melody introduced by Fiske's echoed slide guitar just sounds a little too close to Morris Albert's "Feelings" for comfort ("Feelings... nothing more than Feelings..." augghh!). Still, not a deal breaker by any means. And the closing four tracks which follow meet or exceed the high level of quality set in the first few tracks. "Finns Det Någon Möjlighet" (track 7) and "Mina Damer Och Fasaner" (track 8) bring back the spine chilling vocal harmonies, compelling yet complex melodic themes, and thickly baroque instrumental arrangements. "Samtidigt 2" comes next, the second excerpt from the aforementioned guitar jam, this time occupying a surprisingly Santana/Allman Brothers-like territory. "Bandhagen" closes the album with a simple, piano-led (with Mellotron and celeste providing counterpoint) instrumental that seems like a more optimistic take on the sad piano piece from Track 2. A very appropriately understated ending to an album which never tries to overwhelm the listener, but rather aims to give the listener a rich, nutritious tray of musical hors d'oerves with a full array of flavors that satisfies, but doesn't fill you up. Hmm, it must be getting near lunch time.

I'll give this a very high 4. The album sags just a wee bit in the middle, but apart from a couple of less than stellar tracks, the other eight tracks have some of the most richly accomplished and ear-pleasing music I've heard in recent years. How Swede it is!