REVIEWS

Buy this album from Amazon.com

Psyche
Legacy

Metropolis Records

Posted: Friday, March 31, 2006
By: Ilker Yucel
Editor

For over two decades, Psyche has worked its way out of the Canadian electro underground and into the European consciousness as one of the premiere acts in the synthpop genre. Headed by vocalist Darrin Huss, the band has survived thanks to an effective combination of good production, well-orchestrated electronics, and overall poetic lyrics and melodic vocals. Huss’ voice may sound lightweight compared to the deep crooners that seem to take up the vocal spot in the genre, but he sings with a passion and intensity that contradicts the simplicity of the music. The band’s back catalogue through the ’90s was previously unavailable to the American crowd (a crime in the eyes of fans), hence the release of Legacy. With this CD, the band marks their 20th year in existence, showcasing their best moments from 1991 to 2001; no title could be more apt…here, we receive a view of the band’s legacy, their art, their music, their remarkable and important contribution to synthpop.

Starting things off is “The Beyond,” a perfect opener that not only introduces the listener to Psyche’s musical world, but also a good indication of this band’s influence over today’s electro music. Before Huss’ vocals come in, one might be inclined to think this a lost VNV Nation track. The same could be said for “Sanctuary;” with its infectious chorus and dance beat, this song is a good example of how electronic music can be just as timeless as classical. It sounds like it could have been recorded in the ‘80s but also sounds like today’s futurepop acts, and with luck will still sound as timeless ten years from now. Also included is the band’s beautiful and faithful cover of the Q. Lazzarus “Goodbye Horses” (you might remember the song used in the naked dancing scene from Silence of the Lambs). “Exhale” is a slower song that adds some jazzy piano flourishes, giving more to the band’s sense of musicality. The “Moonlight Sonata”-esque “Love is a Winter” also shows the band’s classical sense at work with a sparse piano and string arrangement. “Angel Lies Sleeping,” in spite of its light title, turns out to be one of the more aggressive songs on the album, with heavy synths amidst a romping dance beat, all the while with a harmonious chorus. Sebastian Komor of Icon of Coil lends his Moonitor remix of “X-Rated” in marvelously simplistic Kraftwerk-ian style; chock-full of warm synths and 808-beats, this song also bridges the gap between old- and new-school electro. We also have a reworking of one of Huss’ solo efforts, “Heaven in Pain (Revisited),” a slow melancholy ballad that is reminiscent of Depeche Mode and perhaps one of Huss’ best vocal performances. Closing the album is “Foolish Heart,” the last track recorded with producer Pers-Anders Kurenbach (who collaborated with Psyche since 1996) in 2001. It is the perfect ending theme for this band’s legacy, a closing theme for that decade-long era, and an opener for the new age Psyche are now to embark on.

With the band now signed to Metropolis Records, American audiences will perhaps now finally get to experience the magic of Psyche’s music. For the last decade, this side of the Atlantic has sadly missed out on one of the most enduring bands of the synthpop genre. Hopefully, Legacy will help to correct that and introduce America to the sound of a trust artist at work; the legacy of a band that has found a place between simplicity and complexity, between classical and modern. As the quote from Rainer Maria Rilke in the liner notes states, “Works of art are of an infinite loneliness... only love can grasp and hold and fairly judge them.” This album is a labor of love, a collection of an artist’s finest moments of beauty, sadness, and poetry over the course of a decade. This is music not simply to be heard and listened to, but to be immersed in and experienced. Let us hope that Psyche’s journey continues in the coming years.