Various - Psyquil-Sampler download mp3 flac

This album is a varied grab-bag of music, the majority of which is interesting, some of which is well worth seeking out making the tape itself a worthy investment. Side one opens with "Mutant" by NO COMMENT, a group you may have heard a little from on the SOFT WATCH #2 taster tape. This is a fast, full-sounding little dance piece showing their relaxed, confident style of FRONT 242-like synthesiser music, dwelling once more on their interest in genetics. "Nosedive * Bee" by NACHZEHRER comes in like a chewed-up early CABARET VOLTAIRE number - squashed, distorted, labouring drum pattern heralding a medium-paced track full of distortion & sawtooth tones which cut through the nerves like a knife. I imagine this falls into the Cyberpunk category although its a slow number for the genre. "Black Sunny Day" by ORDINARY STRANGE opens up with an oddly angular piano/cello/synthetic sound - a non-beat little piece with what sounds to me like an EYELESS IN GAZA influence - maybe not the music, but the vocalist sounds not unlike MARTYN BATES during his later, solo period. "She Eats My Eyes" by ECHOPHRASIA again has elements of Cyberpunk without going fully into the style - a more medium-paced piece with depth and atmosphere, perhaps trace elements of BAUHAUS & THE CULT somewhere in there. "Desire" by LLOYDT AND ME worms it's way in on a double helix of pink noise before becoming one of the most commercial tracks on this whole tape - one that would please the old Indie audience - elements of people like GIRLS AT OUR BEST, DELTA 5, AU PAIRS etc. show through a nice, slow, basic track. "Trip To The Moon" by CHARLOTTES MANIE is a combination of naiveté & clever experimentalism (I loved the opening noise - delightfully strange). There's a heavy CAN influence in both the music (primitive, trancy) and their lyrics (rhyming 'moon' with 'spoon'). "In Your Dreams" is probably the most distinctive track on the album - imagine SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES during the "Juju" period playing "California Über Alles" with IAN CURTIS singing heavy, soporific, hooky lyrics over the top and you might get some idea of what this sounds like - if this were to be played over the radio or at a decent New Wave disco, it would go down a treat - the kind of thing PEELY played the grooves smooth a few years ago. "Strohblond" by B-HA is a sort of primitive, naive piece of music based on Rock - the kind of thing NICK CAVE is capable of, but has a chunky, gnarled sound to it. "Technique Idea" by PIANOFORCE is a fast, bright piece of electronic music - Body Music every bit as good as stuff coming out of ANTLER-SUBWAY - perhaps a little more simplistic and the mix is weaker (making it surprisingly interesting). The final track on this side is "Quackel Dakkel" by MÜLLI SCHOKOLADI - a well-produced, strange piece - musically proficient - bland, bright music - and lyrically strange with the title repeated over & over as the vocalist seems to sob over it.
The second side opens with another track by ECHOPHRASIA - "Fallopian Tube", again having Cyberpunk fuzziness, along with a smooth keyboard line & odd higher-pitched drums. Again it's an interesting little track. "Organic Life", the second track by NO COMMENT show them full of energy, a brighter, more commercial track, although the subject matter again is dark science - genocide/research. "She" is the second from CHARLOTTE MANIE again both interesting & primal. If there is a CAN influence on this one, it's really in the vocals. The music itself is manic and strange. "Fasades Burning" is another from ORDINARY STRANGE, reminding me a little of JAPAN - the vocalist has that glide/delay to his voice, but the music is a little too straightforward to be a convincing copy, or to go off at an interesting tangent. "She's Gone" by LLOYDT AND ME is a hooky little piece of distinctive New Wave Pop music - moody as many of the latter-day 4AD groups, with a hint of JOY DIVISION in there. "Unser Norman" by MÜLLI SCHOKOLADI I have either heard several times before or it is the most hooky track here - far better than their 'A' side offering. It's a quirky piece of almost circus music - a sort of mutant Reggae music. "Pogokönigin" by B-HA is a short angular track, quirky in a poppy way. "Neurosis" by NACHZEHRER is a grizzled piece of medium-paced music which sounds strong & powerful here but might wear at the nerves in larger portions. I suppose it again falls into the so-called Cyberpunk arena, although it's probably more 'Rock' than 'Punk'. Its sawtooth sound gives it a dangerous charm. Possibly saving the best, or one of the best till last, "Enchanted" by GIANTS CAUSEWAY is an atmospheric piece sounding very similar to JOY DIVISION with the guitar giving it elements of early ULTRAVOX. The vocalist has a heavy stuck-in-mud voice which fits the music as snugly as CURTIS's ever did, but having a far greater range. It's a languid, slightly tense track, spreading across 7'47" thus favouring gradual saturation of it's sound over immediate clichéd hookiness.

An interesting place to start experiencing an interesting label. This tape is well worth seeking out - there are some gems here - not really experimental, but if atmospheric Indie music's your bag, then try this. If you're still in doubt, then play that SOFT WATCH #2 tape again & convince yourself.

Originally reviewed for Soft Watch.