Shpongle's first track, "Vapour Rumours", was released on TIP Records' Infinite Excursions compilation in 1996. Their debut album, Are You Shpongled?, was released in 1998 on Twisted Records. On 9 September 2014, Posford confirmed beginning work on a sixth album, which was eventually announced as Codex VI and set for release in October 2017. On 3 October, even before the release of Codex VI, the duo announced via a Facebook video that they have begun working on their seventh studio album.
Posford is generally responsible for the synthesizers, studio work, and live instrumentation, while Raja Ram contributes broad musical concepts and flute arrangements. Raja Ram stated in an interview that "Shpongle" is an umbrella term for feeling positive and euphoric emotions. Shpongle's music is heavily influenced by psychedelic experiences and frequently makes use of sonic textures that approximate psychedelic states as well as vocal samples relating to consciousness expansion, hallucinations, and altered states of awareness. For example, the track "A New Way to Say 'Hooray'", contains a vocal sample of Terence McKenna describing the effects of DMT.
Behind Closed Eyelids
Shpongle Lyrics
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The lyrics to Shpongle's song "Behind Closed Eyelids" describe the experience of vision while under the influence of psychedelic substances. The song suggests that the visions experienced during a psychedelic trip can spill over into the external world, causing a transfiguration of reality. This phenomenon is often referred to as "visuals," and is a common experience for those who use psychedelics.
The imagery of "closed eyelids" implies that the experiencer is not looking at the external world, but rather is looking inward, at the visions they are experiencing. This suggests that the psychedelic experience is not simply a physical or external one, but is rather an internal experience that can be profound and transformative. The use of the word "transfigured" suggests that the experiencer's perception of reality is fundamentally altered by their psychedelic experience, and that they may view the world in a different way upon coming down from their trip.
Overall, "Behind Closed Eyelids" is a song that reflects on the transformative power of psychedelic substances, and the profound impact that they can have on an individual's perception of reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Behind closed eyelids.
With eyes closed, one's inner world is open and active.
In very many cases, the visionary quality, the quality of the vision so to say, spills over, into the external world,
Often, the inner visions and perspectives of one's mind affect how reality is perceived.
so that the experiencer, when he opens his eyes, sees the outer world transfigured...
When one opens their eyes again, they may see their surroundings in a new and transformed way because of their previous inner contemplations.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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tyler
theres so much layering and different sounds in each track that shpongle never gets overplayed
Ali Sharabiani
every sigle track from shpongle is a timeless masterpiece that the words cannot describe.
Carson Royal
So many of Simon's pieces feel like they're part of my soul and that i knew them at one point.
Coyote Bongwater
The Bass Effect because you are Simon
sotiris antonatos
I agree
Unfavourably
this track still makes me tear up... in my book it will never get better than this
David Bruce
The flute riff in this song was actually a bit that raja ram improvised that apparently the DMT elves of one of Simon's DMT trip "got off on" and he tried to get Raja to recreate the riff he played. However, because Raja is such an improvisational player he didnt get it quite right but came pretty close.
Anyway, I can see why "they" got off on it. I get goosebumps every fucking time I listen to it as well as the part right before it. Its insane.
vIPR
I dont believe it :P
I dont believe one is playing flute on DMT.
Have you ever tried DMT?
Young Stove
@vIPR I think they are saying one person was playing the flute during the others DMT experience, and the elves within were reacting to the other persons flute melodies.
tijmen131
I remember doing LSA, not feeling much, listening to this song and than suddenly it kicked balls deep in. I was gone for like 4 hours before I realized where I was again. Good times, amazing experience.