In 2019, George Mashour aspired to make a psychedelic rock album.

The anesthesiologist and neuroscientist had just turned 50 and wanted to step outside the medical world to pursue a musical project.

“I was reflecting on what I wanted to do in the next phase of my life … and [I’d] been writing all these songs—sometimes just in my head—some of them [were] decades old,” said Mashour, a University of Michigan researcher who studies consciousness and has been dabbling in music over the years.

“For my 50th birthday, my wife got me a gift certificate for studio time at Big Sky [Recording], which was cool, and in retrospect I’m really glad she did that.”

Later that year, he became chair of U-M’s Department of Anesthesiology, and then COVID hit in early 2020.

“I was super busy, and of course, everything was shut down,” Mashour said. “And yet I still had that physical gift certificate for eight hours of studio time … so it was just always on my mind. And then it was 2023 when I said, ‘You know what, I’m going to do this,’ so I got in touch with Geoff [Michael], who’s the owner of Big Sky.” 

Michael connected Mashour with Marty Gray, an Ann Arbor producer, engineer, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, to help record his debut album.

“I had never been to a studio before, never recorded music before, and had no idea of what was going to happen,” said Mashour, who worked with Gray over several studio sessions. “And I walked out of that first four-hour session with a sense of joy that I can’t even remember the last time I had experienced.”

What resulted is Eulogy for My Ego Death, a ‘60s-inspired psych-rock album filled with existential lyrics, dreamy vocals, fuzzy electric guitars, and groovy instrumentation.

“Generally speaking, in that psychedelic genre, it’s about experience, it’s about great melody, and it’s about the self,” Mashour said. “It’s not what I would call a concept album per se in terms of a narrative thread going from start to finish, but there certainly are conceptual relationships to a lot of the different songs.”

To learn more, I spoke with Mashour about the inspiration behind his album as well as his psychedelic hip-hop project VaporDaze.

Q: How does your work and research in consciousness inspire your music? 
A: I started getting interested in consciousness when I was an undergraduate student studying philosophy, and that led to an interest in the mind, and then the brain. I was an abysmal science and math student in high school where my focus was more on the fine arts.

[That] philosophical start led me to get more interested in the brain, and that led me to neuroscience, psychiatry, and ultimately anesthesiology. Music itself—especially psychedelic music—I think is about consciousness and the different dimensions of our perception, so they’re all kind of tied together for me.

Q: How did your musical journey start and evolve? 
A: I grew up in Michigan, but I was away for around 20 years. I grew up learning piano and also played clarinet and saxophone in middle school and got more engaged in vocal music when I was in high school. And then my life pivoted more toward the liberal arts, and then ultimately to science and medicine. But over the years, [I’ve been] writing songs, and I’ve never been in a band. This was all very personal and just my own little hobby.

Q: What sparked your love of psychedelic rock? 
A: I love a lot of the original psychedelic bands and that era—for example, The Beatles—and onward. I've listened to a lot of the psych rock and acid rock bands from the late ‘60s, so I’ve always been a fan. But then I think there’s a more serious psychedelic rock renaissance in the ‘90s with The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and a lot of different groups that were spawned from that lineage. I love listening to Elephant Stone, The Black Angels, Black Market Karma, and Crumb, and there’s this whole new wave.

Q: Eulogy for My Ego Death chronicles the evolution of the self and the challenges someone faces internally and externally. How did your experiences with growth and change inspire these themes on the album? 
A: A lot of the songs are very much about the self, experience, and the evolution of the self, and [it’s] certainly culminating with the last song in terms of an ego transition.

Q: “High Time We Transcend” addresses the struggles we face individually and collectively and encourages us to unite as a society. How did writing this track help you foster a stronger connection with the world? 
A: The sound of the song is kind of a vintage vibe, as [are] many of them, but the song is actually about COVID. It was such a tumultuous time, and there are references in there to a lot of the different events of the day. But then, to your point, it evolved to thinking about it for myself and then also for us collectively to [think]: can we transcend? Is it enough, and is it over? And can we come together in different ways?

Q: “Orange Sky” was inspired by your two children admiring the color of the sky at twilight. What was it like to reflect on that moment in the song? 
A: I was in [my] office, and it was twilight, and my kids were here, and they said, “Oh, papa, come look at this orange sky.” And so I was standing there with them, and then I just started to come up with the basic core of that song. I started to engage them, and I had them sing on the track—it has these sweet voices in this one section—just to make them a part of that.

It is very special to have that moment with them now in a form that will be there until they’re older and can hear that. My wife’s been supportive, my kids have been a part of it, and [so have my] friends and colleagues who indulge me and listen to the songs. I appreciate their support along the way.

Q: “Private Sea” examines being in a dream world, feeling disconnected from your body, and losing your sense of self. How did your dreams and their sensations inspire this track? 
A: [It] is truly more like a psychedelic experience. I scientifically have studied ketamine, and by the way, we have a rich history in the Ann Arbor-Detroit area about ketamine because it was first synthesized in Detroit at Parke-Davis and it was first studied clinically at the University of Michigan. ... And that song is about what is sometimes called a dissociative state. The reference to the figments and the fragments and floating in this private sea was a way of trying to capture that experience.

Q: The title track mourns a past self and encourages embracing the new person you’ve become. How did the death of your mother prompt you to write this song? 
A: It was the last song I had written, and it became the title track. It informed the cover art, and I think it might be my favorite song on that album. I wrote that after the death of my mother—she was 94—so she had lived a great life. I was asked by my sisters ... to deliver the eulogy, and so that was over the summer of 2024. It was very stressful to have to get up and deliver this eulogy, but I started thinking about [the] concept of eulogy and death.

And then, I connected it to this concept in meditation and psychedelia, which is ego death. It’s when you start to have this larger sense of self, and your ego starts to disintegrate. And those themes of the physical death that I had just experienced in my family, and this notion of ego death, came together and that song just started to flow out.

I also brought in some of the artists that I had worked with, so the sitar player [Brandon McIntosh], who’s actually in Seattle, played the veena, which is another Indian string instrument, and then Sasha [Gusikhin] played the flute. And then it evolved into this nice, more acoustic beginning, and I was playing the congas and acoustic guitar, and then in the last few minutes, [it] became more and more [of] a lush rock soundscape. I thought it was just a great end to the album, and as all the guitars sort of wane, then you just hear the last notes of the veena, so that song is meaningful to me personally and musically.

Q: How long did you spend writing the nine tracks for Eulogy for My Ego Death? 
A: I had some core songs, and then I started writing new ones or finishing songs that I had written, but some were completely from scratch. And then it was putting a lot of time in terms of the sequence …and I put a lot of thought into that sequence and that order musically, lyrically, and conceptually. I think there is a lot of crafting going on there, and some songs that I chose not to include.

“High Time We Transcend” I had already been working on throughout COVID, and that’s the first song I had written for I don’t know how long. “Orange Sky” was brand new. … “Eulogy for My Ego Death” was brand new. I put out a single that was a more indie, less psychedelic song, “Emotional Mimes,” and that was brand new. And that made me realize, “I can still be creative,” and it’s not just because I had some of these songs in my head from my 20s and 30s. That has been a cool experience.

Q: Some of the songs for the album have been in your head for decades. What was it like to bring those songs to life in the studio? 
A: Through the process of being in the studio, I was able to re-engage. This is where I also discovered—which I’m sure many artists already know—but I’m earlier on in [the musical] journey, the liberating notion … that you write the song, or the song comes through you—you feel like you’re a medium. I don’t mean that in a metaphysical way. I don’t know where this is coming from, but it’s coming.

During the process of being in the studio, the song then starts to write [itself], it starts to call for things. That has been so interesting because I’ve never played [the] flute, I’d never thought about [the] flute, and for that song, “High Time We Transcend,” I said, “Marty, we need to have a flute solo.” I don’t know what it is about the song and how that calls out for something, but that was such an interesting experience for me. It made me realize that I didn’t need to have a full orchestral piece put together in my head before I [went] into the studio. … I can take some fragments, or I can take some lyrics or a few chords, and it would naturally evolve through the creative process.

Q: How did recording the tracks from the album progress from there? 
A: It was all broken out over time. The first songs I was doing—it’s funny looking back—because it took me so much longer because I didn’t know the process. Now, it’s quite different. I started recording in the summer of ’23 and then put out the EP [The Paisley Faze] in the spring of ’24 and then the LP in September of ’24.

[On the album], I played guitar, I played the harmonica on a few tracks and keyboards. On “Berlin,” which is a more organ-heavy song, and there was an organ solo, that was me on the keys. And then on “Orange Sky,” I played the congas, and at the beginning of “Eulogy for My Ego Death,” I played the congas and some tambourine.

Q: What steps did Marty Gray take to help you shape the album’s sound? 
A: [We were] exploring some of the effects to get that psychedelic vibe … and more of the vintage psychedelic sound. I’ve had people say, “Wow, this sounds like it was recorded in the ‘60s,” or I’ve had some songs rejected from playlists where they’re saying, “This sounds too vintage and retro.” And I’m thinking, “Thank you. I take that as a compliment.” Or [other playlists would] say, “This sounds like it was recorded in the ‘60s,” and I’d say, “Yeah, that’s what I was going for.” When I’m talking about what I’m trying to achieve in a certain area and taking me through the effects, [Marty’s] done a lot of producing in his young life, and remarkably so, he just knows his way around. So that, I think, has just been critical.

And then connecting me to other artists, and for “High Time We Transcend,” I said, “I’d actually like some vocal backing and almost have a little choral sound in the back—even a touch of gospel sound in the background—or the flute or the sax or the sitar.” And most recently, for a song that we’re working on with VaporDaze, a bass player. That has been such a wonderful experience to meet these artists and super cool people.

Q: How did Marty Gray become a mentor to you while working on the album? 
A: To work with someone like Marty, who knows where I’m trying to go, and I think for me, as somebody who’s older and had to do a lot of writing for work, I think I’m able to talk about it and identify what I want. But that relationship is so critical because he seems to get it, and [he] helps me get from sometimes an inarticulate vibe that I’m trying to express, and then through the production process, to make that happen musically.

I was telling [my] kids [recently] about some of my mentors. The first three were department chairs and famous physician-scientists, and the fourth was Marty. I’ve been a mentor to many people—to students, to faculty—but it’s been a long time since I’ve been mentored in that way. ... I don’t know if Marty thinks of himself this way, but he is a mentor. The way that he’s able to encourage and bring things out and not make me feel stupid or embarrassed, allowed me to be creative, redirected me appropriately, or showed me things that at first I didn’t like, but then a week later, I thought, “Oh, that’s perfect.” He has been an incredible force in teaching and mentoring me throughout this process.

Q: Eulogy for My Ego Death features collaborations with musicians Sasha Gusikhin (flute), Brandon McIntosh (sitar, veena), and Kyle Heers (guitar), and backing vocalists Melody Balos, David Magumba, and Kelsey Tate. How did they elevate their respective tracks on the album sonically? 
A: That flute solo, for example, on “High Time We Transcend,” there’s a little exploration for a few minutes, and then [Sasha Gusikhin] just did it. I was in the control room saying, “Yes, that’s exactly what I wanted,” maybe not every individual note, but that was the feel, that was the vibe. I just have such profound respect for these true musicians, and I wouldn’t count myself among them. I was able to just have a brief conversation, and also what’s been fun in certain settings is just to say, “Yeah, play your instrument … just experiment.” [It was] not having too fixed of a notion of what it needed to be and just letting people do their thing.

And the guitar solo on “Flow” is by Kyle Heers, who’s in the band The Blank that Marty plays with. And connecting with these young guys, it’s been so fun and meaningful. They asked me to write liner notes on their album. I just turned 56, and I’m thinking, “I’m writing liner notes for this goth-punk band,” and they’re [in their 20s], it’s just wonderful. And I go see them, and I have such respect for them and what they’re doing. I think that has just opened up a wonderful new dimension in my life, and also [allowed me to] appreciate the talent around here and the commitment that these musicians make.

Q: Your latest single, “Emotional Mimes,” addresses the challenges of managing one’s emotions around others. What inspired that theme for the song? 
A: At first, for some reason, I had [the] term “emotional mimes” in my mind. It’s not about anything per se, but it is that experience of dating or having friendships and having things that suddenly get torpedoed. Or you end up confused about your emotions, and something feels great, but then you’re in conflict. It’s those experiences that most of us have, [and] it’s the awkward stops and starts in emotional life and trying to capture that in a more energetic, indie-type [way with] a little touch of jangle pop vibe in there.

That was another one of those songs where I was thinking, “This needs a sax. Why sax for this and not flute?” That’s still kind of interesting to me, but Marty, who’s very well-connected, of course, said, “Oh yeah, work with Bobby Streng.” I enjoyed meeting him … and he had this highly organized energy about him. He played, and it just flowed out of him. It was a brief session because he came in and nailed it. … I enjoyed that experience with him.

Q: You and Marty Gray also have a psychedelic hip-hop project called VaporDaze. How did that project start, and where is it headed? 
A: The rap and hip-hop space is something I’ve never really listened to or delved into. … I just started getting more interested in it within the past six months. I have enjoyed learning about the evolution and different genres and subgenres, so I think that’s been an unexpected twist in my musical interest. We’ve been exploring some cool spaces at the [intersection] of psychedelia, rap, jazz, and electronic [music].

There’s this one song called “Staring at the Sun” by Wooden Shjips. It has this beginning … and for some reason, I kept listening to that, and I thought, “That could be a beat for a hip-hop song.” I started writing a few lyrics over that song, and that got me thinking about the interface of psychedelic music and hip-hop and realizing it was kind of underdeveloped.

And even the things that were called psychedelic rap, I didn’t find very psychedelic. So I started to get interested and talked to Marty about it because I knew that he had produced some hip-hop before. I said, “This is something that’s unexplored,” and that was what was appealing to me. There’s a ton of psych rock out there, and I feel like this is maybe a subgenre or a microgenre where there’s some space to do something different and new. And I don’t know if we’ve done that, but that was the motivation.

Q: You’ve released three singles as VaporDaze: “It’s Only Birth and Life and Death,” “Iridescent,” and “Psych Trap.” How did you hone that psychedelic hip-hop sound for those tracks? 
A: For the first track, “Psych Trap,” you have the sitar on the classic psychedelic song, but I wondered, "Why not try to have it here?" And what would it be like to have those canonical elements of a psychedelic song with scratching? I have to say that it ended up sounding cool, and that’s a completely different mode of creating a song. I thought, “It’s fun to write these lyrics,” and so I went on to the next one, “Iridescent.” That’s just been a cool evolution, and it’s gotten my mind open to thinking more about rap and hip-hop culturally and [historically].

We just [got] done with a third [song], “It’s Only Birth and Life and Death.” We had a bass player from Detroit, Takashi Iio, [play on the song], and we had a really fun session. [We] can generate these songs faster because if [we’ve] got a beat, or [we’ve] got something that’s looping throughout the song, [then it’s] realizing we can be very productive, and so that’s been cool as well.

The goal for 2025 is to get a full-length album for our VaporDaze duo. It’s a new space, and I think it’s an under-explored interface and subgenre, and I’ve enjoyed learning about it, too.

Lori Stratton is a library technician, writer for Pulp, and writer and editor of strattonsetlist.com.