One listens to Aqua Nebula Oscillator less than one is abducted by Aqua Nebula Oscillator.
If that statement brings to mind a world of unidentified flying objects, nonhuman entities and complex psychological procedures, welcome aboard the craft known as Aqua Nebula Oscillator.
Which is to say that, yes, Aqua Nebula Oscillator is a band, purportedly from France, purportedly playing psychedelic music, purportedly of the highest quality available. But more than a band playing psychedelic music, more than a spacecraft, Aqua Nebula Oscillator itself is an expanded, unexplainable mind-state being transmitted and translated through a band.
That mind-state was recently translated into the third full-length Aqua Nebula Oscillator album, coincidentally titled “Third.” Strictly speaking, “Third” is an awesome album, a combustible mixture of all the distortion and debris ANO has ingested and inhaled from flight through the 20th century, finally exhaled and expelled into a fine, fierce 21st century vapor, daring the listener to get high on the fumes, daring the listener to allow an abduction. Wherever Aqua Nebula Oscillator trace the flight patterns of their paranormal predecessors – from the gargoyle-garage and lead-foot lunacy of “Turn On” and “Black Sun,” to the introspective, interstellar overdrive and orgone accumulations of “Saturne” and “Incandescence” – they do so in a different atmosphere, taking off from an alternate launch pad and reaching a destination where the only landing is a crash landing.
But is Aqua Nebula Oscillator real?
We put the question to John Edward Mack, the American psychiatrist, writer, and former professor at Harvard Medical School. His answer was compelling – especially since he died eight years ago.
“There is a—I believe – a gradation of experiences and that go from the most literal physical kinds of hurts, wounds, person removed, spacecraft that can be photographed, to experiences which are more psychological, spiritual, involve the extension of consciousness. The difficulty for our society and for our mentality is, we have a kind of either/or mentality. It’s either, literally physical; or it’s in the spiritual other realm, the unseen realm. What we seem to have no place for—or we have lost the place for—are phenomena that can begin in the unseen realm, and cross over and manifest and show up in our literal physical world.
So the simple answer would be: Yes, it’s both. It’s both literally, physically happening to a degree; and it’s also some kind of psychological, spiritual experience occurring and originating perhaps in another dimension. And so the phenomenon stretches us, or it asks us to stretch to open to realities that are not simply the literal physical world, but to extend to the possibility that there are other unseen realities from which our consciousness, our, if you will, learning processes over the past several hundred years have closed us off.”
We also put some questions to the pilot of the Aqua Nebula Oscillator, David Sphaèr’os, who has kind enough to answer our ridiculous questions below. Enjoy.
Do you believe you have had direct interactions with life from other planets, or life in other forms other than human or earthly animals (aside from the other members of ANO, of course)? Can you describe that experience and what does it mean to you today? When did your fascination with the alternate dimensions or alternate worlds that the music of Aqua Nebula Oscillator seems to explore begin? How does that fascination and exploration inform the music of Aqua Nebula Oscillator?
Well, my belief is that WE are coming from other planets. I think the human race have been traveling from planet to planet and has left those planets just after they’ve destroyed it! I believe that each time a planet arrives at its end, a few humans, the “chosen ones” will move to another one, and do their nasty destroyer-job again! But to destroy … it’s also a part of life, so we can’t issue blame for that. It’s a kind of an ecological thing.
It’s proven that on Mars and Venus, there was water before, so where there is water there is life!
And, yes, I believe there is other life somewhere else! I have been to Palenque in Mexico, and saw this carving of this two-meter high man with six fingers and a huge head called, “The Astronaut.” Why should we be the only ones in the universe? It’s stupid … life is everywhere!!
And the story of parallel dimensions and the sound of Aqua Nebula Oscillator began when I was born!
I’ve always been in contact with spirits, ghosts … it’s a family thing. My mother and grandmother were always in contact with those spirits, too! And to tell you the truth, in this everyday reality world, I always have half of me in a parallel dimension!! I’m here and I’m not here at the same time!
I’m an hermit, in introspection most of the time, but sometimes I come back on earth to have fun with my human colleagues … ah-haha! And that is the sound of Aqua Nebula Oscillator!!
What were your experiences playing in other bands prior to ANO like? How do you think those experiences influenced what you create with ANO? Apart from the end result of the music that you unleash upon the universe, what is the most beneficial or pleasing element of being in a band for you?
My other band’s experience was really strong! I’ve never made a band with what we’ll call “normal people,” even if in reality, normality doesn’t exist!! All the people who think they are “normal” are the weirdest I ever see, so I don’t like them! With the principle “to be normal” in your head in this society, you’ll become the greatest killer of everything.
All the people have played for fifteen years. I will call them “psychedelic monks” or “brothers” playing music to get to this ecstatic trance, where you can reach other dimensions, and put out the real, pure, raw, psychedelic-soul sound … the one who doesn’t lie!
I think the most beneficial thing in music is this point when you reach the trance, where you are not here anymore, and acting instantly without thinking, like when you make love, mediate, or when you do a painting, sculpture, or any kind of live performance!
I make music to heal people and myself, not to make them dance, or to be in the chart or whatever!! That has no point to me!!
Is it important for you to view each Aqua nebula Oscillator album as a part of a larger whole – another part of the mothership being attached – or do you view each album as standing alone, being its own, self-contained expression? Or is this something you are even conscious of or even take under consideration?
Mmmm … well, I see myself and some of my brothers I’m playing with as psychedelic warriors! I think that since the existence of humanity, it has always been a few people who have been chosen to keep this particular flame lit! It’s a really ancient society created by the womb of the universe, something that will never die … an infinite spiral!!
And please don’t see any pretentiousness in what I have said. It’s just a fact. Some are working for money, some for religions, some for Kali, the Great Destroyer, some for a colorful spiral … that’s it!!!
We mean this solely as the highest form of compliment, but the new album, entitled “Third,” is positively the UGLIEST of all ANO sounds thus far – absolutely beautiful in its hideousness, overdriven overtures to other worlds, sounding like the aural equivalent of an H.P. Lovecraft tale. What are your thoughts on the album now that it has been completed? What do you hope people will take away from listening to “Third”? What is the most appropriate atmosphere in which to listen to this album?
Thanks a lot. H.P. Lovecraft, to me, is an initiated man. I love him. I don’t see what he wrote as “tales” – to me, what he wrote about is “history”! Spirits are there, around us, watching us behind the mirror … always!!
The message of third is the same of the other albums! The law is that there is no law. Be as free and pure as you can. Experiment with everything you like. No matter what, do what you want. Be the weirdest and as creative as you can. Be positive. Trust in you. Always follow your first intuition as it’s the right one. We are our own master. The verity is inside us, be aware of that. We rule the world, not them!
And see your own life as a fairytale. You are your own writer. You can change things when you want and make it beautiful! Please don’t be miserable – it sucks!! And be real, not fake!
And listen to “Third” just when you’ve decided it … it’s the best.
“Turn On” is one of our favorite songs on “Third,” a perfect distillation of pure psychic energy, coupled with an almost MC5-like jet propulsion. What can you tell us about the origin of this song? Are we hearing correctly when we hear the vocals say, “everything’s gonna be alright”? Is everything really going to be alright – especially in light of the following two songs being called “Final Solution” and “Kill Yourself,” respectively?
Mmmm … well, when I wrote this song, I was so sad, and the only thing that made me glad was to watch the stars and the moon. I love them … I’m a moonchild, living only at night … it’s like a god to me!!
But do you think everything is gonna really be alright? Mmmm … it’s quite sarcastic! But we’ll keep the head high, no matter what!
We can’t help but think of the song “Lucifer” as being the perfect compliment to the album’s final track, “Incandescence” – given the origin of the word “Lucifer” as being the “morning star” of Venus, and defined as a “bringer of light.” Are we way off base? Do the two songs have any specific relationship with each other? What are your impressions of each song?
I’m in love with everything that shines, especially fire and light. It’s all the point in life – to find the light!! Lucifer to me is the greatest angel. I don’t see anything bad about him. People are so stupid. Lucifer, he’s just the one who knows the real truth to me!
But people are scared of the real truth, so lets burn them … they are useless … ahaha!!
Thanks for your really sharp questions!! You are a good man. Come in the Aqua Nebula Oscillator … there is a place for you … ahahaha!
Revolt of the Apes 
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