Another day, another Oz punk band on the playlist. The land down under presents Fungas, a 3-piece psych-punk collective from the Awabakal lands of Muloobinba in Newcastle. The band name might be a play on the Aussie pronunciation of fun guys, or maybe they’re fans of all things mycelial. Either way, Charlie Ross (Guitar, Vocals), Frazer McDonald (Drums, Percussion, Vibraslap), and Finley Beasley are all on miscellaneous instruments and have released Intelligence 1, a spacey mix of fuzz and future sounds that’s right up the alley of listeners searching for punk with a bit more cinematic fanfare.
Shake off the cobwebs and stomp the antenna in place—Station? “The 4th Level.” That’s the name of the first track on the album, a ‘full-steam ahead’ kind of song fuelled by a powerful, forward-moving bassline and adorned with mechanical 60s Star Trek noises. There’s this subsonic build-up, followed by a pregnant pause, before the verse explodes on the scene. The mellotron is used to full effect as a Zorak/Mandark-like voice robotically proclaims, “I’ve got a date for you today.” Random monkey noises permeate the surroundings as the pace stays fast, heavy, and dramatic—clearly these guys aren’t your run-of-the-mill punk rockers. Instead of the head-on grooves of traditional Aussie egg punk like Billiam, Fungas lean toward the sci-fi soundscapes of Boston punksters Nurse Joy. They’ve got an experimental bend coursing through their collective consciousness, and by God, they’re going to show it.
That almost-prog-rock sensibility is also clear and present on “Knife 2 You,” a free-for-all featuring complex drum patterns going back and forth with the guitars and bass. All of this is blanketed by a globe-shattering vocal chorus screaming, “If it’s nice for you, then it’s nice for me.” Then there’s “Granulate,” a 1-minute tune that feels like a precursor to “Skaff,” which appears to be the main product. Just as it takes a multitude of ingredients to cook a batch of whatever you fancy, this song seems like it’s made up of various bits and bobs from the previous songs; the sinister voicing of “Granulate,” the stop-start digipads of “Knife 2 You.” However, “Skaff” starts with an ominous bassline and a menacing but camp “MWAHAHA,” continuing with the same riff throughout except for a lil synth slide break in the middle. As it ends, you almost feel the first half of this 10-track album announce its decision to switch things up after doing its 50%—from syncopated roughhousing to something more cerebral. It’s short, sweet, and effective.
As “Niterror” comes on, the chordal ideas change to become a little more subdued, the highlighted instruments are different, and the slowdowns are more philosophical. In fact, there’s a section at around 1:50 into the song that’s almost psychedelic. It rises slowly, with an afro-jazz groove and a repeating bassline, building and growing underneath a swirl of mysterious, reverb-laden saxophone trills and 80s synth patches. This crescendo should be studied—it’s quite a masterclass, even using a tiny phaser on the hi-hats (not too much, mind you, just enough). The song might be called “Niterror,” but it’s more of a dreamy starlit drive.
Arpeggiating its way through to the front row, post the terrors of the night comes “i1,” which again highlights that the project’s sound has changed from fuzzy guitars and intricate drums to trippy, almost surreal soundscaping. The songs are longer, the voices are drenched in echo effects, and the buildups allow the listener to sink into the tune (and into a couch). The 80s vibes have no desire to let up on “Rock Pools,” but there is a major sonic switch-up. Instead of just the instruments, this one starts with a cheery vocal stim à la Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” It’s an intriguing choice, which works in the band’s favor in more ways than one. Firstly, it keeps things interesting, and secondly, it provides a whole new lens through which to look at the band’s songwriting abilities, showcasing a suave ability to blend separate genres. Somehow, despite the differing sounds, Fungas maintains a somewhat core aural identity throughout—one of electro-futurism and scrappy punk grit on a grand scale.
A paranoid stoner’s anthem if ever there was one, song number 8, “Spy,” could be a quick run through the jittery mind of J. Edgar Hoover, with almost the entirety of the song involving the words, “He’s-A-Spy.” The themes of espionage are brightly displayed in the hits of the Mellotron, whose sounds are intertwined with spy thrillers of the 60s. In fact, one could even surmise the album name might have something to do with the intelligentsia or such. “Spy” goes at a frenetic pace, the kind you just bang your head and hope for the best to. The guitar twists into a wiry mesh around the 1:03 mark, twanging almost illegibly, while the core bass riff keeps playing. The Hoover mention earlier truly rises by the end, exacerbated by the feeling of mistrust, anxiety, and paranoia the song incubates, achieved by mixing incoherent noise with a frenzied vocal motif to drive home the unsettling aura. It’s like an overwhelming trip, where everything is happening too fast, sounds are amplified, and the pressure becomes unbearable. Fun while it lasted, but there’s a relief to it being over. Perhaps that was the intended effect of the tune, in which case they succeeded.
Finally, we get “IWON,” which marks a return to hardcore punk garage form—a quick, sweaty, anxious trainwreck to shake off the dust of structured thought and performance. It’s like the members collectively decided to let loose and get all the aggression and need for speed out on one last song. And why not? It’s necessary to vent, to release all that feeling trapped inside, and while the title of the track doesn’t really give away what it means, maybe it has something to do with victory, like winning over the fact that these 3 individuals managed to come out with such a solid and well-thought-out 10-track album. It’s no easy feat—especially in a genre where you’re constantly feeling the simplicity’s pull.
Nah, it actually just stands for ‘Intelligence Won. And in an ideal world, intelligence would. But considering the current climate, maybe all we can hope for is this band to make the song name a reality.
Fungas’ journey through their different sounds on Intelligence 1 constructs a picture of avant-garde creativity. There’s the foundation of fuzz and fast-paced riffy antics, but overlaid by the presence of a shadow conductor of sorts, creating a theatrical spectacle buttressed by clear production and a clear vision. Underneath the egg punkness of it all, this band appears to be more than just a beer-soaked sashay through overdriven amplification. They’re an art collective with grandiose visions who have cunningly flipped the script to deliver their (highly potent) product through the means of something unexpected—psychedelic punk from space.
