Interviews About Albums: Dead Sea Apes - Psychic Tension (2026)
1. What can you say about this new EP/CD?
Psychic Tension kind of rolls straight off from our last album, Rewilding. We generally try to change things up as much as we can, but the cards fell as they did, and we got what we got. And I’m so glad that they did. I feel that we’ve made an album that speaks directly to these crazy times that we live in and catches us exactly where we are as a band.
2. What is the meaning of the EP/CD name?
Psychic Tension was a term used by the wonderful people in Big Pharma when they were trying to ever expand the customer base for their new wonder drug: Valium. It sounded cool enough on its own - but it suggested something about the times that we are living through. The world seems like such a tinderbox right now. The idea of a 'poly-crisis' - where one crisis cascades into another - is an incredibly scary one - from ecological breakdown, to war, genocide, the rank corruption and moral degradation from all corners of the political class, anxieties surrounding A.I., rampant nationalism, dehumanisation- we live in a world where we can't escape these fears intruding into our individual psyches on a daily basis. We felt that the title reflected this increasingly paranoid situation perfectly.
3. Who is the composer of the CD/EP?
Dead Sea Apes are the composer of Psychic Tension. We generally operate as a group mind. Occasionally, we bring in ideas, riffs, etc but in the main, a lot of what we do emerges from jamming, improvisations, etc. We're very lucky to have our rehearsal space wired up for recording everything that we do. Every rehearsal is recorded, so if anything crops up in the moment, it’s always there for posterity. I can't tell you how helpful that has been for digging out some gems. I have a phone full of complete DSA rehearsals!
4. If you had to pick one song, which one would you pick?
That's like asking to pick your favourite child! However, at the minute I’m personally enjoying Severance. I really enjoy playing that one live. It’s nice and heavy and pulls you along in its wake. It’s a guided missile.
5. Is there a special message in this EP/CD? If there is, what is it?
I don’t know, really. I think it reflects these dark times that we are living through quite a lot, which is not really going to fill you with a lot of hope. If anything, even in times such as these, music can give you something, even if it’s just a little catharsis or distraction from the encroaching darkness. Music can carry you through a lot.
6. Are there some lyrics that you'd love to share?
I would, but we are an instrumental band at core. We have worked with lyricist/prophet Adam Stone (Poundland) before, who has a lot to say about the state of the world - but it tends to be as DSA; our lyric sheet is generally an empty page. Being an instrumental band, it can be hard sometimes to articulate your position, although you would hope that some of the feelings are carried through in the music, but that is ultimately in the eye of the beholder. Titles and artwork can offer a bit of context, but maybe one of the attractions of instrumental music is that it's less prescriptive or didactic than music with lyrics, allowing you to make of it whatever you want. It’s certainly an attraction to me. Maybe someone out there uses Psychic Tension as a mental soundtrack to an epic lawn mowing session or something. It’s up to you at the end of the day!
7. Which inspirations have been important for this album? Like musically or friends, family, someone you'd love to thank specially?
When we first started to record the album, our bass player's partner became seriously ill. Thankfully, she is doing very well now, but it was certainly scary at the time. I think that it brought home the importance of family, friends, and the people that you meet along the way.
Life can be really hard at times, but the things that come along with being in a band are so overwhelmingly positive that it provides such an important counterbalance. We have made friends with like-minds all over the world.
I've just been to Canada and met with some of the best people that you could ever hope to meet. That has come directly through being involved with being in a band. Music really is a unifying force. We all know that.
8. Something to add?
A huge thanks to anyone and everyone who has ever supported us in any way. Big thanks to Shaman Lee (Shamedia), who has managed to put the word out for this album. And a big thank you for asking these questions!
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