Psychophile: The best British group of the year!
(Shadowplay Magzine, December 2003)
Psychophile is a Brighton-based electro-rock duo comprised of Lucy Pointycat (vocals/programming) and Smogo (guitars/bass/programming). Founded in the early-1990s by Mat Hook, the band has been through numerous changes of both line-up and musical style before settling into the current 21st century version.
After several well-received demo tapes and CDs, Psychophile signed to Wasp Factory Recordings in 2002 and, the following year, released their debut album proper. The 13-track Transition was produced by Chaos Engine frontman Lee H, and was released in March 2003 to critical acclaim:
"This is downright dirty, nasty, first-thing-in-the-morning sweaty, furtive and fabulous."
"Roaming through ten different genres and tempos in each four minute epic of pomp and pretension, it's like a gothic Bohemian Rhapsody, only a whole album's worth of it."
"A creepy but catchy blend of dark electro rock."
"An ideal refuge for lovers of post-modern beat-freaks."
Transition featured a number of bona-fide Psychophile classics, with techno-pop tracks such as "Intense", "Darklight" and "Surplus" all emerging as live favourites and appearing on club playlists all over the UK and beyond.
In the two years between the release of Transition and the second album, Vodka Milk, Lucy & Smogo have played up and down the UK, including festival appearances at London's Gotham and Black Celebration events, and the Whitby Gothic Weekend in north Yorkshire.
Vodka Milk - 12 months in the making - sees Psychophile's music diversify more than ever before, with the pounding rock of "The Otherside" contrasting nicely with the piano-and-cello instrumental "Sussurus", and the harsh industrial grind of "Naked" acting as the evil twin to "Dreams in Vain"'s uplifting dance sound.
Vodka Milk features 13 tracks, most of which this time round were written by Lucy Pointycat, and the video for "Darklight" as a bonus CD-ROM track. The album was released through novaDIEM Records on 22nd April 2005, with Psychophile's return show at the Whitby Gothic Weekend on the same date doubling-up as the official launch party.
As with Transition, the new album has caught the eyes and ears of the international music press:
"A massive leap forward in terms of quality and confidence. To have crafted their own sound whilst still able to explore so many avenues is what marks this band out."
"Psychophile aren't just another goth/EBM hybrid outfit... Their music is, in fact, quite unique - and far more left-field than you might at first assume. This album sees Psychophile confidently staking out a territory that's all their own."
"Their use of sounds and smooth industrial atmospheres, Lucy's brilliant voice and the almost peerless programming makes Psychophile one of the most interesting groups on the British scene.
"9 out of 10 - New, Varied, Captivating, Get in there!"
Psychophile are currently writing new material and will return to the live scene in early 2006, with songs which are shaping up to be their most mature, yet catchiest, to date.
In the meantime, the Vodka Milk track "All in the Mind" is featured on the Xbox 360 launch game Project Gotham Racing 3 alongside industrial genre giants Skinny Puppy and Covenant. The game also includes tracks by The Chemical Brothers, The Streets, Queens of the Stone Age and New Order.
To mark the occasion, the song appears in eleven remixed and alternate versions on Psychophile's 2006 EP All in the Mind [Versions], available exclusively throughout the band's website. The CD also contains a bonus video of Psychophile performing the track live at the Whitby Gothic Weekend in April 2005.
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For free music downloads, please click here.
For further information relating to Psychophile's gigs, discography, and latest news, please click the relevant links at the top or bottom of each page.