Some artists create songs, but Dull Fantastique has created an entire universe around them. Presenting himself as a mutant traveller from the distant planet Raygonia, the project blurs the boundaries between science fiction, performance art and deeply personal songwriting, using mythology as a lens through which to explore identity, perception and imagination.
And that world comes fully into focus on debut album 'Mindmap of a Madman', an ambitious 35-track journey through psychedelic folk, dreamlike atmospheres and introspective storytelling. Led by the haunting single 'Skeleton', the record invites listeners into a surreal but emotionally resonant landscape where vulnerability and fantasy exist side by side.
So with the new album out now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most over the years.
-
What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
I loved the piano the way I loved my mother: taking it for granted, unable to imagine a world without it and spending hours with it every day without much guidance.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
I did like psychedelic music and country music, but being a kid I also joyfully listened to a lot of pop and funny stuff.
What was the first album you remember owning?
A Saucerful of Secrets
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
If I can assume, that I would not take anything away from Kevin and Dagmar, I wouldn’t mind having “Come Down Here” as one of mine.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
Not really. Having escaped a fanatically religious childhood, I tend to reject all sorts of conscious ritualistic behaviour. I probably do have a lot of habits of convenience, but I have no known superstitions.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Someone recommended All Them Witches to me, and those are good. I have also enjoyed Maddie Ashman’s microtonal album. I just went to a live thing with Swans recently - a favourite through many years.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
I would like to do a show of hope for Palestinian kids. But perhaps I wouldn’t be the best to do it. I would cry my way through the concert. I’d give it a go nevertheless, if I were the best they could get.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
That rare moment when you glue two defiant pieces together to make a song that has eluded capture for years finally work.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Selling it.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
I never received any advice. Or perhaps I was too proud to hear it, which I probably shouldn’t have been.
-
Dull Fantastique's new album 'Mindmap of a Madman' is out now. Check it out in the player below.