Released towards the end of last year on Not Not Fun records, 'Psychical' is the second album by Ensemble Economique, the solo project from Brian Pyle (Starving Weirdos). The album cover gives a slight hint to the music - it's definitely cinematic in scope. Opener 'Hail' could be the soundtrack to a lost John Carpenter film for example.
There's something undeniably ritualistic about the music, that makes you think of Wicker Man and some of those great Hammer films of the early 70's. It's haunting stuff, often built around tribalistic drum patterns, with snatches of sampled vocals (some taken from Jamaican tour guide videos) over atmospheric instrumentation. Psychedelic guitars swirl in and out of the mix, while synths build up the air of menace. The overall feeling is one of being sucked into the music, dragged under, hypnotised by the beats, seduced by the promise of something new, exotic and potentially dangerous, like trying a new drug for the first time.
Tracks:
1. Hail
2. Red For The Sun
3. Forever Eyes - free download here
4. Monsoon Clouds
5. Shacks Built From Plyboard
6. Psychical
7. Real Things - free download here
8. Bonfires
The new digital single 'To Feel The Night As It Really Is' is a gentler and more accessible listen but still stemming from the same sources. It's available to download from iTunes now.
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