{"id":25795,"date":"2017-02-22T08:53:56","date_gmt":"2017-02-22T08:53:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=25795"},"modified":"2017-02-23T21:57:06","modified_gmt":"2017-02-23T21:57:06","slug":"jungle-trip-how-shamans-hallucinogens-and-the-amazon-helped-shape-johnossis-new-lp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2017\/02\/jungle-trip-how-shamans-hallucinogens-and-the-amazon-helped-shape-johnossis-new-lp\/","title":{"rendered":"JUNGLE TRIP – How Shamans, Hallucinogens And The Amazon Helped Shape Johnossi’s New LP"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Johnossi<\/strong>\u2019s search for inspiration for their new album took them deep into the Amazon jungle.<\/h4>\n

The Swedish duo, John Englebert<\/strong>\u00a0 and Oskar<\/strong> (Ossi<\/strong>) Bonde,<\/strong> went on a journey of exploration both literal and psychological, imbibing the drug ayahuasca to confront their inner demons.<\/h4>\n

Drummer, percussionist Oskar tells Matt Catchpole <\/strong>how the experience had a profound effect on the band and their music, helping them deal with their personal battles with depression.<\/p>\n

The result was Blood Jungle<\/em><\/strong>, the band\u2019s fifth long player, released this week on Polydor in the UK.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were definitely nervous when we were heading out to the airport,\u201d says Oskar about that trip to Peru.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just looked at each other as if to say: \u2018What are we getting into?\u2019. We were really scared, but we knew it was something we really needed to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oskar says the aim of the expedition was to \u201cexplore another part of us and another part of the world\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe spent two weeks deep in the Amazon with Shamans discovering the ancient Peruvian culture. We ended up getting a new perspective on nature, the Earth and what keeps it alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oskar says the Stockholm-based duo\u2019s battles with depression made them determined to face their fears head on.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThroughout our lives we\u2019ve been dealing with depression, both me and John, so we\u2019ve always tried not to be afraid of finding new ways to deal with ourselves,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething we really have in common is a willingness to face our fears. That\u2019s the only way to take charge of yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the pair researched their trip they became more and more convinced that this was journey they had to make.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were just trying to dig really deep into the culture.\u201d Oskar says. \u201cWe started to read about ayahuasca and then we started to get into the culture and we just realised that we had to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the course of that fortnight, the pair, under the guidance of experienced Shamans, took ayahuasca seven times.<\/p>\n

Banned in both the UK and US, the drug, also known as yage, contains the hallucinogenic drug dimethyltryptamine.<\/p>\n

Known as the \u201cteacher\u201d or \u201cwisdom\u201d plant, it\u2019s recognised by the Peruvian government “one of the basic pillars of the identity of the Amazon peoples\u201d.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s said to offer a gateway to the secrets of the spiritual world.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very individual about how you respond to it, but of course it had great impact.\u201d says Oskar.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s kind of hard to explain, but it\u2019s kind of about dealing with stuff within yourself. You get to see yourself without any filters. You find out a lot about yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oskar is very open about the bouts of depression, both he and singer-guitarist John have suffered over the years, and why the trip to Peru was so important to them.<\/p>\n