Having spent the last few years releasing a wave of dark yet mesmerising electronic delights, Copenhagen-based trio The Great Dictators are soon to release their latest album 'One Eye Opener', and have now shared their newest single 'Creep For Life'.
Taking inspiration from the likes of The Psychedelic Furs and Kraftwerk, this bold and atmospheric new offering cements them as a truly awe-inspiring collective. With its haunting presence and thunderous synth overtones, 'Creep For Life' is the perfect example of why so many have been keen to talk about the group of late.
So with their new album just days away, we sat down with lead singer and songwriter Dragut Lugalzagosi to find out more about their origins and what has influenced them over the years.
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What were the first instruments you fell in love with?
Piano and acoustic guitar. Apparently I was already “composing” songs at a very early age when I couldn’t even pronounce words. I was constantly humming tunes and making up words for melodies. My grandparents had an old piano and all its keys were very dear friends to me. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing and it was awesome.
My first acoustic guitar was cheap and tiny and perfect and I could barely wrap my arms around it. After I learned the basics I immediately started making my own chords. I definitely drove the people around me mad with all the noise.
What has been the most prominent inspiration behind your music so far?
Love of all sorts. The state of the world. God and Satan, but I’m not religious. Just all kinds of oppositions really. Personal experiences, memorable encounters with people or just nights out getting lost in a buzz.
What kind of music did you love as a teenager?
Speaking of religion, it felt like a religious experience when I dived into David Bowie’s back catalogue. Pixies was a revelation to me as well. Some of their songs were literally soundtracks for my dreams. Also The Beta Band and more mellow artists like Smog and Elliott Smith. Everything that had a not too emo darkness to it. I’ve got a lot of respect for emo though. I just preferred other shades of darkness.
When you wake up in the morning, what kind of music do you like to listen to?
Recently it’s been acts like Japandroids and Holy Fuck. Very effective for getting you pumped and psyched for the day. If I’m in the mood for a more gentle kick in the head, Eluvium is great. Especially the track “Posturing Through Metaphysical Collapse”. Some days it’s the best track ever made and every time you listen to it your mind is completely blown.
How many of your songs have you written about people in your life?
Uuuuh a lot. Some of them know who they are and others, well, they’ll never get to know. Probably for the best, I guess.
What have been the most memorable moments in your career so far?
Daniel Lanois once complimented my shoes. That was amazing. A more recent moment was when we got in touch with Jamie Stewart, frontman in Xiu Xiu and a big hero of ours. He really liked the song ‘By The Throat’ and it ended with a guest appearance. We still can’t believe this actually happened. He’s an otherworldly genius and now he’s featured on one of our tracks. We’re still extremely stoked.
If you weren’t musicians, what other path do you think you might have taken?
Bigfoot. Yeah, I’d probably just lurk around in the woods and be a Bigfoot.
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The Great Dictators' latest single 'Creep For Life' is available to stream and download now, with their new album 'One Eye Opener' due out this Friday 17th April. Have a listen to their new track in the player below.