Psychic Ills - Mirror Eye

Our review
Customer reviews
Press release

4...according to our Brett on Thu 05 Feb, 2009.

I watched a video for 'Mantis', the first track from the new Psychic Ills album, on that fancy new Pitchfork TV the other day and quite bloody enjoyed it. It's a bit of a psychedelic dub odyssey, like a Pocahaunted record transplanted from Little Big Horn to the Middle East. The ace Jah Wobble-y bassline that runs right through it seems to be expanding and contracting but it's hard to tell if the tempo's actually shifting or if it's just the spacey vibe playing with your mind. I'm struck by visions of hazy deserts on mountain tops and opium-filled oases. I'm feeling a bit weird now.. Brian's face has just turned into a rubber plant and Ant's legs have melted and merged into the floor. The rest of the album doesn't quite live up to that beginning but it's a better ten minutes than most bands manage in their lifetime so it'd be harsh to complain. Proper zone-out echo mischief, 'Mirror Eye' is on The Social Registry, in CD and vinyl (with download code) varieties.

Sprawling opener “Mantis” sets the record’s tone with modulating synths and hand drums that give way to a loose groove, terrestrial guitar patterns and shamanic vocals. If you are still around when it rolls into its ending nearly 11 minutes later, its safe to say that you’re on board. Following that, the open-ended trance rock of the second track, ‘Meta’ fades up as if the band has already been jamming on it long before the listener has been let in. It departs in a similar fashion, save for a brief reprise of reversed tape and whatever remnants of the chorus’ “Meta, Meta, Meta” are hanging around in the listener’s head like a contact high. “Sub Synth” is an off-the-cuff synthesizer splice that descends into the improvised space raga of “Eyes Closed.” I Take You As My Wife Again” continues deeper into the abstract with metallic synths and improvised electronics transitioning into organic percussion and whistles before ultimately arriving at its minimal techno inspired ending. Fingernail Tea” is the most straight forward song and vaguely harkens back to elements of their previous full-length, Dins. The hallucinatory next track, “The Way Of” is the album’s last burst of energy, forming out of spinning synths and clatter, and riding an eastern bass line and watery guitar riff before unravelling under percussion and goat scream mania. final track “Go to the radio” is a come down of sorts combining two main processed loops, an electronic tambura with a circular dubbed-out field recording of a man’s voice repeating the song’s name and message, and perhaps the album’s for that matter. Mirror Eye is the imaginative culmination of a period of exploration for Psychic Ills. A transcendent combination of musics that symbolizes how far the band has and continues to evolve beyond genre - and a fun listen too. This release will be followed by a mini-lp in the winter of other unheard material from this period. Psychic ills’ first new album since their acclaimed debut dins. Ills will be touring extensively around release. Have played with bands such the black angels, ariel pink, dice, tv, animal collective, and gang dance sonic boom. LP version includes a free digital download.

Tracks :
mantis (10.47)
meta (4.21)
sub synth (2.09)
eyes closed (3.11)
i take you as my wife again (9.37)
fingernail tea (5.57)
the way of (4.52)
go to the radio (2.00)

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