Polish-Japanese collective AcidSitter returns with “Escape From Egoland,” a concept album that journeys through the dissolution of the ego, spiritual rebirth, and the human experience in a world dominated by pride and excess. Merging neo-Psychedelia, Heavy Psych, Stoner Rock, and Prog influences, the album captures both the warmth of 1960s Psych and the sharpness of modern production. Recorded entirely on tape under the guidance of Maciek Cieślak (Ścianka), “Escape From Egoland” guides listeners through hallucinatory rituals, cosmic invasions, and introspective landscapes. In this interview, we explore the creative process, compositional choices, and philosophical vision behind AcidSitter’s latest work.
“Escape From Egoland” presents a clear conceptual arc. Can you describe the central idea behind the album and how it guided your songwriting?
Rafał: “Human beings are the weirdest species on Earth. Driven by self-destructive tendencies, exploiting and eventually destroying everything the planet has to offer. The album dwells on this idea, while also trying to show a light at the end of the tunnel. There is a solution: empathy, but I’m not sure if we will have time to take it before the doom comes.“
How did recording entirely on tape influence the performances and overall sound of the album? Did it inspire different creative decisions compared to digital recording?
Rafał: “While recording, we had to be tighter than usual, knowing that we have a limited amount of takes.”
You can clearly hear the tape hiss, it has warmth and magic to it. There is some organic touch that works great with our style,
Tetsuya: “I’ll never forget the moment we played back the very first take to check it. The sound felt so alive that I genuinely thought, “I’d love to release this just as it is.” It really showed me the unique magic of recording on tape.“
The album opens with “Eleusis Dream,” which immediately sets a Psychedelic and slightly Progressive tone. How did you approach writing and arranging this track?
Tetsuya: “During a break, Tomek played the intro phrase on Filip’s bass, and the three of us there just started jamming with it. The intro and ending took shape right away. Even though the basic ideas were set, we left the song untouched for a while. Once we started working on the album, Filip added the vocal melody, and during a later jam we also came up with the bridge in the middle, which led to the song’s current form.
As for the arrangement, our producer Maciek Cieślak had a big impact. He added the crazy guitars that run throughout the track, and they really made it shine.“
Filip: “At that time, I had just finished reading The Road to Eleusis by Wasson, Hofmann, and Ruck, and it struck me as a perfect subject for a song. I wanted to find a catchy melody in 6/4 that could evoke the feeling of a Greek choir, so I used the Homeric Hymns as a lyrical template – and that’s how it came together.“
“Doomscroller’s Blues” channels 1960s Psych-Pop but remains contemporary. What were the key influences that shaped its nostalgic yet modern feel?
Rafał: “I tried to combine power – pop hits of the sixties with a bit of a modern, neo-psychedelic style. I tried to write an ultimate pop song, with tons of spring reverb and clapping. Shocking Blue “Venus” meets Allah-Las “Catamaran”. If they had a kid, it would be ‘Doomscroller’s Blues.’“
In “Killegos Attack!” the band blends Psych-Prog with Space Rock elements. How do you balance technical complexity with energy and accessibility in your compositions?
Filip: “It came out of an improvisation. Rafał started layering guitars while Tomek and I locked into a heavy section – something between krautrock and punk – and it just worked. Later, when Rafał brought in the lyrics, we pushed the tension further to create an alien-invasion vibe, breaking up the structure and adding an ending that feels like a final explosion.“
“Your Eyes Were Orange Like The Sky” is the longest track on the album. Can you walk us through its evolution and the interplay between vocals, guitars, and rhythm section?
Rafał: “It was Tetsuya who brought the verse’s chords. It had this dreamy psych vibe and I always wanted to write this kind of a song, so we just jumped head first into it. We were in a cottage house during the writing period, I clearly remember listening to Black Mountain with the guys, especially my favourite song “Space To Bakersfield”. I thought that it would be great if we could achieve a tiny bit of that magic! During the recording session we went crazy with the delays, feedback etc. In the end, our producer – Maciek Cieślak added this insane mellotron and it really glued everything together, adding some epic texture to the sound.“
Tetsuya: “I wrote it while imagining those fleeting summer images you can feel in bands like Tempalay, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, or Madison Cunningham—like shimmering heat haze or fireflies floating at night.
The chorus progression was inspired by the bossa nova I was practicing at the time. The first chord, for example, is D6/F#, but Rafał layered power chords on top, so it didn’t become overly delicate and still kept the rock-band feel.
During one rehearsal, Filip played a phrase that sounded like something from Television’s Marquee Moon, and I remember immediately thinking, “That’s it! We have to use that!” As for the bass, the recording take is great, but Filip’s live performance has evolved even further—please come hear it sometime.“
“OmeN” combines heavy riffs with experimental textures. How do you approach integrating heavier elements into a fundamentally Psychedelic framework?
Filip: “The core idea for the song came out of an improvisation. We were really excited about this Goat-like vibe, but on its own it felt a bit out of context. Around that time, I was mostly practicing double bass at home and came up with a riff focused on off-beat accents. When I played it on bass with heavy fuzz, it clicked perfectly.“
“PSYCHOPOMP” stands out for its ritualistic energy and layered dynamics. Were there specific techniques or instrumentation choices used to create its cosmic and Stoner-infused atmosphere?
Tetsuya: “For the guitars, both the short solo in the middle and the long one at the end were played with a snakelike, twisting feel—exactly the ritualistic image I had in mind. Everything else was intentionally kept simple and straight-ahead. During recording, Maciek suggested adding an octave-up guitar layer, and that may have enhanced the ceremonial vibe even more.“
Filip: The twist of the song lies in blending a Beastie Boys-style groove with Phrygian-scale harmony, colliding with a slowed-down, heavy doom riff built on counterpoint.“
Across the album, tempo changes and rhythmic shifts play a key role. How do you compose with dynamics in mind, and how important is spontaneity during recording?
Filip: “Tape recording is very unforgiving, so we came into the studio with the songs fully prepared. All structural changes were a crucial part of the compositions, while the more spontaneous elements of the sessions came mainly from adding extra layers.“
Vocally, Rafał Klimczak uses a wide spectrum of textures, from ethereal melodies to more raw and aggressive deliveries. How do you decide on vocal styles for each track?
Rafał: “Voice is just another instrument. Choosing the style is the same as choosing a specific effect on guitar – it has to serve the song right, but it also can be dictated by the narrative aspect of the lyrics.“
Bass and drums often carry subtle complexity that drives the Psychedelic flow. Filip Franczak and Tomek Głuc, how do you approach creating grooves that serve both heaviness and spacey atmospheres?
Filip: “Both of us – Tomek and I – come from jazz backgrounds, so we treat the rhythm section as the heart of the sound. At times, we intentionally break the rules of the typical rock approach to bass and drums, or add a more swing-infused feel that gives the music a distinctly ’60s character.“
The album frequently shifts between structured song forms and extended instrumental passages. How do you determine when to allow a section to breathe versus when to keep the narrative moving?
Rafał: “If the structured parts of the song are the tension, then the improvised parts are the release. I guess you just feel when to shift.“
Many tracks feature unique sonic touches, like synth layers, spacey effects, or analog distortions. Can you discuss some of your favorite sound design choices on the record?
Filip: “We love them all. The entire album was produced by Maciej Cieślak, a founding figure of the Polish alternative scene. During the mixing process, we developed a kind of metaphysical communication—sometimes we didn’t even need to finish a sentence, because he already knew exactly what we meant.“
How do you balance individual musicianship with the cohesion of the band’s overall sound during both composition and recording?
Filip: “We usually work collectively, with many ideas emerging from improvisation -this was the case with Killegos Attack!, OmeN, and PSYCHOPOMP. On the new album, we also tried a different approach, where each member brought in their own song ideas and we developed them together. I think this helped maintain a balance: everyone’s individual musicianship remains distinct, while the final result is still very much a collective band effort.“
Neo-Psychedelia often encourages visual and narrative imagination. Did you envision imagery, rituals, or cinematic ideas while writing the album?
Filip: “Film, society and mythology has been an important source of inspiration for us, especially in the lyrics, and our PSYCHOPOMP music video is a small tribute to Alejandro Jodorowsky.“
Having toured extensively across Europe and played festivals like Helsinki Psych Fest and Soulstone Gathering, how have live performances influenced the writing or production of “Escape From Egoland”?
Filip: “We like to test new songs live, as audience reactions help us shape their structure. Sometimes the shows even inspire the titles – Doomscroller’s Blues, for example, got its name after one of our concerts in Nuremberg.“
Looking ahead, how do you see AcidSitter evolving? Are there new sonic territories or conceptual ideas you are excited to explore next?
Filip: “The future will tell – for now, the sky is the limit.“
Through “Escape From Egoland,” AcidSitter demonstrates a rare blend of technical mastery, compositional ambition, and Psychedelic vision. The album’s journey from hallucinatory introspection to cosmic catharsis reflects not only the band’s musical dexterity but also a philosophical and emotional depth that sets them apart in the contemporary Psych scene. Their answers here provide a window into the creative universe behind the music—a universe where ego dissolves, space and time bend, and every note contributes to a larger, transformative narrative.
Purchase “Escape From Egoland” on Bandcamp: https://acidsitter.bandcamp.com/album/escape-from-egoland
Read our Review of the album here: https://progrockjournal.com/review-acidsitter-escape-from-egoland/