The Swiss psychedelic rock trio Dirty Sound Magnet is returning with their fourth album, Dreaming in Dystopia, which will drop via Wild Thing Records on October 20, 2023. It pays homage to the band’s influences like Zeppelin, The Doors, and Zappa but also pushes its sound into new territory.
Dirty Sound Magnet has released three studio albums since 2017, and they’ve amassed a rather loyal following of listeners worldwide. They’ve played more than 650 shows across multiple continents, too. Dreaming in Dystopia is a good pick for fans of the classics like Pink Floyd and more modern hard-rockers like QOTSA and KGLW, but it comes with the band’s own unique sound.
About Dirty Sound Magnet and Dreaming in Dystopia
The three band members met as teenagers and bonded over a love of pioneering psychedelic and progressive rock while growing up in the Swiss countryside. Their hometown of Friobourg didn’t have much of a music scene, so I imagine they listened to old rock records for hours.
Dirty Sound Magnet’s most recent album – 2022’s DSM III – saw them dabble in more contemporary flavors of psychedelic rock while still applying a signature progressive rock and blues-based blend. With this new album, the band is more seasoned and pays homage to its influences but also creates something more eclectic and creatively ambitious than its previous work. The release will be supported by European & UK tours in 2023.
The Songs
The album starts with “Melodies from Distant Shores” and a Jimmy Page-styled guitar riff. In fact, the whole song has a Zeppelin vibe in its structure and the mythic themes. The guitar leads are gorgeous, and the vocals are unconventional, making it unique to DSM.
The title track – “Dreaming in Dystopia” – is interesting for several reasons. I’ve noticed that many modern psych bands – from Frankie and The Witch Fingers to KGLW – are obsessed with dystopian concepts. This is perhaps a sign of the times and a way that musicians are grappling with what’s happening today.
Musically, “Dreaming in Dystopia” has many hallmarks of classic psychedelic bands like Pink Floyd. The music feels epic in the grandeur of the instrumentation and the cinematic sweep of the lyrical content.
“The Tragedy of Men” wasn’t one of my favorites. It felt a bit too self-consciously existential – the tragedy of humanity is evident for anyone to see; a psych rock band doesn’t need to point it out to anyone. However, the song is redeemed by more blistering guitar solos and excellent musicianship.
“Lonely Bird” is one of the singles released and one of the strongest tracks. It reminded me a bit of The Strokes, especially the guitar tone, although it’s more melodic. It’s a pretty song and also, I suspected, a love song. “You’re my lonely bird waiting in the rain” and “We’ve been fighting in the rain for too long” are two verses that jump out in the simultaneously sweet and melancholy track.
“Utopia” continues the album’s societal commentary, but hits harder than “The Tragedy of Men.” The track has a carnival feel, and the lyrics are scathing and cynical, and it harkens back to Sixties political songs. The main difference is it comes with the bitterness of our current era.
“Flowers, Angels and Chaos” is an excellent name for a song. It also ties in with the album’s dystopian themes – I like the title because of the dissonance of adding chaos to flowers and angels. Musically, the song is a bit meandering but includes a great, slightly bluesy guitar solo near the end.
“Lost My Mind” also brings to mind Nineties alternative rock, and I didn’t see much that was psychedelic about it. It has some interesting lyrics: “See the earth is burning/we’re drowning” appear near the end. Once again, DSM can’t escape the feelings of dread.
The album closes with the longest song, “Insomnia,” at over eight minutes. It starts quietly with whispered vocals singing of the struggles of being awake in the middle of the night. But it really gets good when the song changes gears into a nightmarish prog-rock breakdown reminiscent of Pink Floyd. The vocals come back stronger, fiercer, and in a machine-like distortion. This was by far my favorite song, and I wish more of the tracks were like this.
Final Thoughts
Dirty Sound Magnet set their sights high with Dreaming in Dystopia, an album with a grand vision that feels like a concept album. The band doesn’t always hit the mark, and there were a few tracks I didn’t care for, but overall, I thought it was an enjoyable listening experience.
Most of the songs are on the shorter side, and I wished DSM flexed their muscles more with longer tracks like “Insomnia.” The album starts to gel after a few more listens, though, and feels more cohesive. DSM is an underrated modern psych band that I hadn’t heard of until recently, and fans of classic rock legends like Zeppelin and Pink Floyd should enjoy this new record. Dreaming in Dystopia drops on October 20th, so get your pre-orders in now. Enjoy!
Support Dirty Sound Magnet by finding them on Bandcamp or social media (Instagram, Facebook).
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