Can you talk about the inspiration behind the eclectic mix of sounds on “Psychobulb”?
We just like varied songs and sounds and don’t want to limit ourselves too much. We always try out all kinds of ideas. And we usually go by whether we all like an idea or not. But sometimes there are also things that we like, but that just don’t sound like Transonic to us, so we leave them aside. After all, it shouldn’t be arbitrary, but the songs should be coherent with each other despite all their differences. When we had enough material for ‘Psychobulb’, we were very happy with it. And now it’s just cool to hear some people mention the quieter pieces like ‘Scarscraper’ or ‘Jaycoon’ as their favourite, while others prefer songs like ‘Cherokee Smith’ or ‘Satellite Blues’.
In your view, what sets “Psychobulb” apart as one of your best albums?
Maybe it’s just the thing I mentioned above: Every single song has the potential to be a favourite track. I mean, of course we always like every song that we put on an album or EP, but we usually like some tunes more than others. With “Psychobulb” it’s different, we pretty much love all the songs equally.
How would you describe your musical evolution since “Sunshine Baby Home”?
I would say over the years we became more and more intuitive to follow the right song-ideas. That’s maybe because we are more confident about our own style. There are no expectations to fulfill. When we like it and it’s sounds like Transonic, we keep it.
From your perspective, how has the stoner rock scene evolved since you began, and where do you see it heading?
For me stoner rock has always been in a niche, with dedicated and true fans. It was the same in the past as it is today, except that people have got a lot older 😉 And today the whole thing is better connected and organised thanks to the internet – with all the stoner rock concerts, festivals, blogs, fanzines and so on. That’s cool because there’s always something going on. However, you have to worry that we’re a dying breed because there just aren’t that many young people coming along.
How did the passing of Gerald Kirsch affect your music and the dynamics within the band?
First of all, the worst thing was that we had lost a friend, that was pretty traumatic. But the band had already become quieter before Gerald’s illness – at that time we weren’t planning to make another album. And with his death, we actually thought that Transonic Science was history. It was only for a tribute concert for Gerald a year and a half later that we wanted to get back on stage – with Manuel on bass. After that, we had caught fire again and wanted to revitalise the band. We started rehearsing regularly and writing new songs, and that went really well. I would love to know what Gerald would say about the new songs, but I think he would like them as much as we do. We also had 2 older songs in our luggage from the time with Gerald, but we hadn’t recorded them yet. So musically we would certainly have gone in a similar direction to now – except of course that the things Manuel contributed are different.
What changes have you noticed in your sound since Manuel Estrada joined the band?
Manuel and Gerald have a different approach to bass parts and sounds, both are very cool and suit Transonic. Gerald’s bass-sound was sometimes more like a second, lower-tuned guitar, whereas Manuel’s bass playing is more massive.
Are there any particular stories or experiences that significantly influenced the creation of “Psychobulb”?
It was very nice that we had so much inspiration again after the difficult time with Gerald’s death and that the band continues to exist. This also keeps the memory of Gerald alive. Manuel’s enthusiasm definitely helped us to get back into it with full energy, and it’s super cool that a friendship developed with him while we were working on the album. I think you can feel the good chemistry.
How crucial is experimentation to your music, and are there any specific experiments on “Psychobulb” that you’re especially excited about?
We are always open to different songs and sounds and also try out a few things with effects, but we don’t see ourselves as an explicitly experimental band. On the whole, we want to make good rock songs.
Looking back, what would you consider some of the pivotal moments in your career since 1997?
I’d say one of those moments was when we first got more positive feedback, that was with the Sunshine Baby Home EP. That’s when we realised that we could definitely reach a few people with our music and we played bigger gigs for the first time, opening for better-known bands or on festivals. That was a great motivation to keep going.
What feelings or messages do you hope listeners take away from “Psychobulb”?
I hope that the listeners get drawn into the album and get the different songs and parts and feel different emotions and vibes and that at the end they say they had a good time listening to it.
Markus Bongardt
https://transonicscience.bandcamp.com/album/psychobulb
https://www.facebook.com/transonicscience/
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