Search - Psykosonik :: Unlearn

Where Did This Come From?

Antonio Figl | Fremont, CA USA | 11/28/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A million soundtrack albums with impossibly fast songs. That was my introduction to Psykosonik. One of those bands that are good enough to churn out generic songs with bleeps and sundry other effects but are forgotten at the end of the day. Shopping impulse and who knows what other compulsion made me purchase Unlearn. And I still ask: is this the same band? Instead of force feeding us with crazy beats, they have opted for subtler sonic textures and melodies. First and foremost come the melodies, the beats are left far behind. WHat is left is an album of tremendous, dreamy beauty that I hope is just the beginning in a series."

A Timeless Collection of Songs

Cap'n Stoob | USA | 03/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Remember when you were young and the world looked like an open book, waiting for you to jump into its pages and write your own epic? Well, back in 1995, the World Wide Web was that book and a lot of bands hopped onto the cyber-everything bandwagon. The only problem is, as many bands and TV shows find out, references tend to date a song or CD and reduce the long-term listenability of it. Things dated lose relvance quickly...only universal concepts last and stay fresh.



With its earlier release, Psykosonik kind of dated itself as a simple rave-thrash/anthem techno group and that album sounds really corny today...but Unlearn is completely different in that it relies solely on the power of lush, organic synths coupled with steady beats and soaring vocals that don't date the songs with references, but rather develop more complex and diaphanous themes like mental expansion and higher consciousness. It taps into a very primitive root, yet also inspires and blossoms into the conscious mind. Some of the music is almost like aural meditation, yet there are songs with a driving beat that are great for the car.



I love all of the songs on this CD, with "Dreaming Real" being the sort of anthem of the entire work, I think. I've had this CD for the better part of 10 years and it has endured hundreds, if not thousands of listenings. I HIGHLY recommend this CD as the foundation of any electronica collection...or even if you're just looking for an album that will make you dream while wakened."

Much, much better than their first album

Cap'n Stoob | 10/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As many people have said, this album is very different than their first, self-titled release. It sounds much more mature, which is surprising considering it was released a mere two years later. Paul Sebastien sings instead of rapping on this album, which is better, because he has a really great singing voice (and the rapping on the first cd got real cheesy.) This is especially obvious on "The Breathing Room," which is almost an instrumental, only you can hear Paul singing in the background (no lyrics). With that said, every song is really good. Don't be turned off by the sort of mainstream sound of the record, though. This recomendation is coming from someone who likes experimental stuff like Coil, Skinny Puppy and Download, so give it a chance even if you're into more "underground" kinds of music.Oh, and, by the way, as of October 14, 2003, Psykosonik is back. Check out www.psykosonik.com . Judging from the sample that used to be on the site, (which sounds awesome) their new cd sounds like it will be in a similar vein as this one."