Ancient Astronauts
Studio album by
Motorpsycho
ReleasedAugust 19, 2022[1]
Recorded2021
StudioAmper Tone, (Oslo)
Genre
Length43:30
Label
ProducerDeathprod
Motorpsycho chronology
Kingdom of Oblivion
(2021)		 Ancient Astronauts
(2022)		 Yay!
(2023)

Ancient Astronauts is a studio album by Norwegian rock band Motorpsycho. It was released on August 19, 2022, through the record labels Rune Grammofon, Motorpsychodelic Tunes and Stickman Records. It was released on vinyl, CD, and digital media.

Background

Motorpsycho collaborated with choreographer and founder of the Impure Dance Company Hooman Sharifi in which they provided live music for a solo dance performance. At his request for more music they built upon compositions that would become the songs "Mona Lisa/Azrael" and "Chariot Of The Sun".[3] This inspired them to work on a new project which would be soundtracking a film featuring a Norwegian theatre performance group whom they have worked with previously called De Utvalgte, local dancers and the band themselves.[4] They named the project "Ancient Astronauts" and filmed it at the Ringnes Festival in Skotbu, Norway.[2]

Commenting on the film project's name which would eventually become the album's title the band's lead vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Bent Sæther stated that, "as a rock band you sometimes feel like you’re picking up traces from all these other ancient astronauts that have travelled the same musical highways as you have. And sometimes you feel like you might be the ones leaving traces for future generations.”[2] In another interview the band further showed how they were motivated by the principle of the theory of ancient astronauts in that they were inspired by and acting as ancient astronauts themselves saying, "sometimes we feel like we're just rediscovering ancient knowledge left here for us to find by previous generations (standing on the shoulders of giants so to speak), but sometimes you feel like you’re the one depositing material for future artists to hopefully be inspired by too."[5]

Musical style, writing, composition

Original Buchla synthesizer
Moog Taurus III
An original Buchla synthesizer like the one played on the album and the Taurus III which is a foot controlled bass synthesizer.

The album features songwriting techniques, instrumentation and production similar to the initial era of progressive rock made in the 1966 to 1974 time period. The statement by Bent Sæther about the band's lean in this direction for the current album was that, "I’d say we’re pre-progressive. I really enjoy the spirit of a lot of those albums and artists. I can really get into that mindset.” This included the use of instruments such as multi-neck guitars/basses, synthesizers and electronics including the Mellotron, Buchla and the Moog Taurus 3.[2] PopMatters brought out the early prog style influence with the band "manifesting 1970s progressive rock (think Canterbury scene) for contemporary times."[6]

Adding to the final sound produced included the Gibson SG Standard played by guitarist Hans Magnus "Snah" Ryan through various Marshall JMP amps with Cornish guitar effects pedals. The bass gear consisted of a Danelectro 4/6 double neck, Sunn Model T, Acoustic 470 amp heads and effects including the Catalinbread Echorec, EHX POG (polyphonic octave generator), Fjord Fuzz Embla, and a Schaffer–Vega Storm.[3]

The songs were created independently musically and lyrical with no overall theme which was confirmed by the band when asked if it was a concept album. "The only real concept albums we have done are the commissioned works that were written for something particular" such as their albums The Death Defying Unicorn and En Konsert For Folk Flest.[3]

Recording, production

A week after completion of the filming the band entered Amper Tone studio in Oslo to record the tracks for a new album.[2][3] They performed as a trio recording the songs live for the majority of the album. Few overdubs were later added. The bands occasional collaborator guitarist Reine Fiske could not travel from his home in Stockholm to compose or record with the band due to travel restrictions at the time.[7] The band had to take up extra musical roles as Sæther commented they were double and triple tasking during the recordings as he was, "doublenecking all the way and bass pedaling along..."[5] This was heard on the elaborate twenty-two minute long "Chariot Of The Sun – To Phaeton On The Occasion Of Sunrise (Theme From An Imagined Movie)" which was described by Louder Sound as, "gnarly avant-rock that grows ever more urgent and intense."[2] Helge Sten contributed his buchla synth playing to the track "Flower of Awareness".[5] This resulted in a shorter length composition full of "controlled industrial feedback and rumbling, low-end drones".[7]

Artwork, promotion

The album cover and artwork features images of the band members from the film they created at the Ringnes Festival in Skotbu, Norway.[2] The band promoted the album with European performances and festival appearances including a tour of England in 2023 which was the first time they toured there in 3 years.[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic82/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Classic Rock[10]
Klassekampen[11]
Laut.de[12]
Metal Hammer5/7[13]
Mojo[14]
Norway Rock5/6[15]
Prog Rocks8/10[16]
Rock Hard8.0/10[17]
Sputnikmusic4/5[18]
Visions9/12[19]

Ancient Astronauts received a score of 82 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on 4 critic reviews resulting in a generally favorable reception.[9] Metal Hammer described the album as a work from a band "that operates seamlessly on the cosmic sonic boundaries of psychedelic, prog and space rock..."[13] The song "Chariot Of The Sun – To Phaeton On The Occasion Of Sunrise (Theme From An Imagined Movie)" was described by Classic Rock magazine as a "full-blown fuzz-pedal rock monster" with musical passages containing, "drones and shimmering interplay, highs and stupefying lows."[10] Mojo observed "The Ladder" as a "highspeed spin cycle of switchback riffing and molten-fuzz soloing, King Crimson’s Red taken for a ride by Rush."[14]

AllMusic showed that although the band was reduced to the power trio format without guitarist Reine Fiske they multitasked a cohesive album saying, "No matter how far afield this obsessive adventure travels, it remains compellingly listenable, and Motorpsycho never lose the plot." This saw them arriving, "at yet another creative peak."[7]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Ladder"Sæther06:40
2."The Flower of Awareness"
  • Järmyr
  • Sten
02:13
3."Mona Lisa/Azreal"
  • Ryan
  • Sæther
12:14
4."Chariot of the Sun — To Phaeton on the Occasion of Sunrise (Theme from an Imagined Movie)"
  • Järmyr
  • Ryan
  • Sæther
22:22
Total length:43:30

Personnel

Additional musicians

  •  Helge Sten – Buchla synthesizer, various electronics, audio virus

Technical personnel

  • Johan Harstad – Cover Design
  • Daniel Krieger – Lacquer Cut
  • Bent Sæther – mixing, additional recordings
  • Andrew Scheps – mixing
  • De Utvalgte – Photography
  • Kim Lillestøl – Recording
  • Motorpsycho – Devised and arrangement
  • Deathprod – Producer and mastering

Charts

Chart (2022) Peak
position
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[20] 8
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[21] 80
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[22] 96

Release history

Region Date Label Format Catalog
Norway 2022-08-19 Rune Grammofon CD MPCD 106
Norway 2022-08-19 Rune Grammofon LP MPLP 306
Europe 2022-08-19 Stickman Records LP/CD Psychobabble 125

References

  1. ↑ Ewing, Jerry (June 7, 2022). "Motorpsycho announce new album Ancient Astronauts for August". Louder. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Hughes, Rob (August 18, 2023). "Motorpsycho and the making of Ancient Astronauts". Prog Magazine (133). Retrieved 25 October 2023. You start something, then come back after half an hour and you've seen the cosmos together.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Breznikar, Klemen (August 15, 2022). "Motorpsycho interview, new album, 'Ancient Astronauts'". It's Psychedelic Baby! Magazine. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  4. ↑ Utvalgtes, De (31 May 2016). "Teaser from "Beginnings" – De Utvalgte". deutvalgte.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Stanciu, Raul (August 19, 2022). "Interview: Motorpsycho". sputnikmusic. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  6. ↑ Poscic, Antonio (12 September 2022). "MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of August 2022, Page 3". PopMatters. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Jurek, Thom. Motorpsycho: Ancient Astronauts at AllMusic. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  8. ↑ Ewing, Jerry (March 30, 2023). "Motorpsycho announce for English live dates for June". loudersound. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Ancient Astronauts". Metacritic. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  10. 1 2 Wilding, Philip (August 19, 2022). "Motorpsycho are primed and eager to flip your metaphorical lid". loudersound. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  11. ↑ Skancke-Knutsen, Arvid (22 August 2022). "Kosmisk mystikk (Cosmic mystery)". klassekampen.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  12. ↑ Hennig, Toni (August 19, 2022). "Zwischen Waldspaziergang und schweißtreibender Live-Energie. (Between a walk in the forest and sweaty live energy.)". laut.de (in German). Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  13. 1 2 Thießies, Frank (August 19, 2022). "Kritik zu Motorpsycho ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS". Metal Hammer (in German). Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  14. 1 2 Fricke, David (September 2022). "Filter Albums". Mojo (346): 89. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  15. ↑ Larzen, Geir (18 August 2022). "Motorpsycho Ancient Astronauts NORWAY ROCK MAGAZINE". NORWAY ROCK MAGAZINE (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  16. ↑ Papazoglou, Panos (November 15, 2022). "Motorpsycho – Ancient Astronauts – Reviews". progrocks.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  17. ↑ Kaiser, Boris (31 August 2022). "Ancient Astronauts". www.rockhard.de (in German). Germany: Holger Stratmann. 423. ISSN 1437-8140. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  18. ↑ Sunnyvale (August 15, 2022). "Motorpsycho – Ancient Astronauts". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  19. ↑ Sandkämper, Carsten (August 19, 2022). "Motorpsycho Ancient Astronauts (Review)". Visions (in German). Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  20. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Motorpsycho – Ancient Astronauts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  21. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Motorpsycho – Ancient Astronauts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  22. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Motorpsycho – Ancient Astronauts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
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