Motorpsycho is a band from Trondheim in Norway, formed in 1989. Their music… Read Full Bio ↴Motorpsycho is a band from Trondheim in Norway, formed in 1989. Their music can generally be defined as psychedelic rock, but they also mix in elements from metal, jazz, rock, noise, pop and many other musical styles. The members of the band are Bent Sæther (bass/vocals) and Hans Magnus Ryan (guitar/vocals). Håkon Gebhardt (drums) left the band in March 2005 to concentrate on solo projects (as Gebhardt) and his other band HGH.
Drummer Kenneth Kapstad joined Motorpsycho as a full member late in 2007.

Their new double-CD "Black Hole / Blank Canvas" was released 17th/20th march 2006 in Europe. The album has been getting generally positive reviews, proving the skills of the arguably most innovative Norwegian band of the last decade. Bent Sæther plays drums on this record, except on the track "You Loose", which is played by Jacco van Rooij who also played drums for the band on a short tour in spring 2006.

In activity since 1990, Motorpsycho have released 10 full length albums, as well as a number of EPs, a couple of live albums, and some side-project releases. Over the years, they moved from their initial mixture of metal, grunge and hardcore music, playing almost any kind of musical genre: indie, pop, psych rock, lo-fi, stoner, avantgarde, classic hard rock, acoustic, fusion, jazz rock and country rock as part of the The International Tussler Society.

2008 saw the release of the album, "Little Lucid Moments", containing 4 songs lasting between 11-21 minutes. The release was followed by a European tour in April and May 2008.

Early 2009, Motorpsycho recorded the Patrik Fitzgerald cover Punch with Jello Biafra from Dead Kennedys on vocals. Jello Biafra have, according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK been a fan of Motorpsycho for 16-17 years.

In the autumn of 2009 they released a vinyl-only record, Child of the Future and in January 2010 they released Heavy Metal Fruit, their first album with an outside producer.

On May 23 2016 it was announced on the band's website that Kenneth Kapstad will be leaving Motorpsycho after nine years with the band. The band did not announce a replacement, with supposed upcoming gigs in Brazil and a 40 show stint as the houseband in writer Carl Frode Tiller's play "Begynnelser" at Trøndelag Teater in Trondheim from September 2 2016.

However, on the second day of 2017 the fans could greet the long-awaited news of a replacement with delight. Swedish Trondheim resident Tomas Järmyr who has also played in acts such as Zu, Yodok, Yodok lll, Sunswitch and with Aidan Baker. He also studies at the music conservatory at NTNU – like Kapstad, Ståle Storløkken, Ola Kvernberg, Ketil Møster "and just about every decent musician we’ve worked with over the last decade before him" (quote Bent Sæther, January 2 2017). This piece of news was also supplemented with hints of an upcoming album in the fall of 2017. The album, titled "The Tower" was released on September 8th 2017.

Stained Glass
Motorpsycho Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Like stained glass
Like ten thousand colors
Tinting me gently with waves of light
Drowsy,so perfect this shimmer
Spinning me slowly into the good night
In tune with all I am
In dreams I understand

Stained glass, midnight cobalt
All I remember and all I know
So certain,now for the first time
Now for the first time I know what to do
In tune with all I am
In dreams I understand

Be a virus
Steal your control

Flow into your iris
And touch your soul

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Motorpsycho's song "Stained Glass" convey a sense of mystical wonder that comes through the experience of being surrounded by ten thousand colors, as if through a stained glass window. The use of vivid colors and light serves to create an atmosphere of dreamlike calmness, as if one is being spun slowly into the good night, becoming increasingly in tune with everything around them. There is a sense of certainty that comes with the experience, as all that is remembered and all that is known become clearer like a blue glass tint in the middle of the night.

While the experience of stained glass may be seen as a passive one, the song's second verse gives the impression of something more active. The lyrics speak of becoming a virus, stealing control and flowing into another's iris, touching their soul. This suggests a sense of power, but not in a dominating sense, rather in a way that involves becoming one with the world around us. In the end, the song speaks to the idea of understanding oneself and one's place in the world through a blend of passivity and activity.

Line by Line Meaning

Like stained glass
Comparing oneself to a beautiful stained glass artwork.

Like ten thousand colors
Describing the many different facets of oneself.

Tinting me gently with waves of light
Feeling a subtle but profound influence on oneself from outside forces.

Drowsy,so perfect this shimmer
Being lulled into a calm and content state by the influence.

Spinning me slowly into the good night
Feeling a gradual, peaceful transition towards sleep or death.

In tune with all I am
Having a sense of harmony with all aspects of oneself.

In dreams I understand
Gaining insight and clarity through dreaming.

Stained glass, midnight cobalt
Continuing the metaphor of being a stained glass artwork, but with a new color and mood.

All I remember and all I know
Reflecting on one's past and present experiences.

So certain,now for the first time
Feeling a newfound sense of clarity and certainty.

Now for the first time I know what to do
Having a clear understanding of how to proceed in life.