Search - Psychic Emperor :: Psychic Emperor

Psychic Emperor
Psychic Emperor
Genres: Pop, Rock

Track Listings (14) - Disc #1
1. Solar Mountain Sundown
2. I'm So Glad
3. Thrice Three's Nine
4. Headship Afloat
5. Sever Heavy Hands
6. Black and White Dale
7. Baked Like Babies
8. Maud the Door Is Open
9. Royal Broughams
10. Held in Spell
11. Trouble to My Dreams
12. Sound Machine
13. Trapdoor Frappycheeno
14. Six Six Six

CD Details

All Artists: Psychic Emperor
Title: Psychic Emperor
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Imputor? Records
Release Date: 11/16/2004
Album Type: Explicit Lyrics
Genres: Pop, Rock
Style:
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 723721059651

Synopsis

Album Description

Psychic Emperor sees the unique pairing of Darrin Wiener (a.k.a. Plastiq Phantom) and singer Tristan McKay of the group Vells. The combination of Wiener?s deft electronic sensibilities & savvy production and McKay?s classic melodies and pop song structures has become an exciting new hybrid. Dance-oriented electronic rhythms of a soft and sexy nature intertwine with galactic organic sounds with solid drum breaks from drum-master Jeremiah Green (Modest Mouse) and eerily beautiful vocal lines combined with an eclectic array of instrumentation. This is bionic pop music, with antique pianos & organs, crunchy old synths and thick deep drum machines. Psychic Emperor is bound to please anyone with an ear for sweet melodies, sophisticated songwriting and a progressive approach towards record production. Beats and intricate harmonies swirl in and out of each other, and while the lyrics may get pensive and psychedelic, the songs always come across as spirited and upbeat.

CD Reviews

Oh, wow!

Kalera Stratton | Portland, Oregon | 06/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw these guys playing on a sidewalk last Friday in front of a tiny record store in Portland, Oregon. Their appearance was improbable... one guy with what appeared to be a toy guitar, another guy playing a Gameboy... and the quality of their sound system was, um, negligible. Nonetheless, I was arrested by their unusual, melodic sound. I sat and listened for a few minutes, straining to hear the unamplified vocals, and when they finished I ran straight to my computer to find out if they had a CD.

This is possibly the unlikeliest and luckiest music purchase I have made in the last few years. The CD is a marvel - the vocals are above and beyond what I hoped for, with a wonderful pop-crooner quality reminiscent of Ben Gibbard, and the supporting music is surprisingly strong and balanced considering it comes from toys. The songs are mostly covers that wouldn't seem to translate well to a shoegazer style, but that only adds to the fabulous surreality of the experience. It's infinitely listenable, far more than the novelty I was expecting it to be. I expect these guys to take a strong place in the top ten of my playlist.

"