by

Sebastian Bullhorn

Psyche – Private Desires E.P.

Psyche. Hearing that band’s name alone renders me nostalgic to the point of being unable to do anything besides sitting here with my eyes closed, humming sweet poppy melodies that I took comfort in years ago when I was lovelorn… or whatever else bothers you when you’re a young teenager and haven’t discovered whiskey yet.

This Canadian band, founded by the Huss brothers, is everything the Depeche Mode fan that felt his favourite band got too commercial could ever ask for instead. The uncrowned Kings of Synth Pop. But fuck the crown. There’s no need to deny it: the fact that pretty much nobody knows them makes them even better. Listening to Psyche doesn’t only make you melancholic and happy at the same time, it makes you special!

Now let me explain why I picked an EP out of all the releases they have under their belt already, instead of a full album. Well, it’s the perfect introduction to the band since it features songs from several albums, as well as some rarities, and it also has the best versions of some of their best songs; because they are pure and incredible live versions instead of the original studio versions. As strange as it sounds; gay synth pop has to be live and raw! It’s far from perfect, and people who think electronic music needs to sound exactly like on the album don’t know jack shit. Not every act without guitars takes the Britney Spears way out and resorts to lip-synching, you know.

But the main reason I picked this EP is that I already listened to their other releases just a couple of days ago and I don’t feel like hearing them yet again today. 

Although, this EP is missing some of the strongest songs they ever recorded, like the title track off the “Unveling The Secret” album and my favourite Psyche track of all tim; “Tears” from "Strange Romance". Other than that I couldn’t really pick any other ones that should have been on here, and weren’t.

Are you ready? Fuck you, read on…

The record starts with a sample of a moaning chick introducing a great cover version of a song from one of the best electro bands ever: Soft Cell.

If you just thought something like “Yay, I’m in the know, they made that song for Marilyn Manson, 'Tainted' something, they rule”, then stop reading. Do something else. Like killing yourself. Please.

This is “Sex Dwarf”, probably the best Soft Cell song ever. But this version is faster, harder and the vocals are completely distorted. It’s labelled “Best Mix” for a reason, you know. There’s no way a guitar, a clarinet, a boy’s choir or anything else could make this song any more dense. It’s perfect.

The next song’s called “Secret Angel”, and despite the poor sound quality it never fails to give me goose bumps after all the years I’ve had this piece. The music slowly builds up and never remains static throughout the whole song, and even if it’s just another vocal harmony sneaking in, barely noticeable and slightly out of key, you’re mesmerized by the sheer beauty of this piece of art.

The next song is a live version of their song “Wish”. A rather short and mellow song that marks the first weak point of this compilation, which is not saying much since it’s almost impossible to keep the high standard of the other songs. But it still has that certain flair that pervaded the whole “Private Desires” album and makes it what it is (pssst, ‘masterpiece’ is the word you should be thinking right now).

What follows is one of their biggest hits and best songs in an incredible live version: “Brain Collapses”. The opening melody is as catchy and sweet as it gets, but as soon as the hard drum beat sets in the song turns into the epitome of a massive club hit. If I was into dancing at all it would be to shit like this. The darker sounds during the verse, and the cool desperate vocal melodies that go along with them, make it a perfect pop song. Even though it doesn’t really deserves being called “just” a pop song. It’s so much more. And the regular album version can’t hold a candle to this one.

Next is “Sundial” from “The Influence”, and this is probably the most exceptional song on here, in a bad way that is. It goes without any percussion and has a feel to it I’d probably describe as “ruminant”, or something like that if I wanted to euphemize the fact it’s just fucking boring. I still kind of like it but it’s not really representative of the Psyche I learned to love.

“Insatiable” from the “Mystery Hotel” album is song number six. It deserved the success it had in Europe and Canada, although it hasn’t got shit on songs like “Brain Collapses”. It’s another live version but this one doesn’t grab me more than the album version. I don’t know why. The abysmal live vocals just don’t have the same congeniality as on other songs.

Next is a song from “Intimacy”, called “Freaks”. This one is pretty good again, although it’s more modern and lacking some of the charm of the 80’s that’s mandatory for any synth pop if you ask me. It’s reeking of that clinical atmosphere you’ll never find in any other Psyche era.

Last but not least is an unreleased track called “Until The Shadows”. That song alone is worth buying the whole EP for. This is definitely one of my top five Psyche songs. The anthemic verses are among the best I’ve ever heard in pop and the chorus is perfect.

Extreme simplicity, minus, ever sounding common = pure genius.

In closing, I have to admit that it’s not nearly as good as I thought it was from memory, as I probably already announced somewhere above. But shit like coherence or consistence have never been amongst my strongest qualities.