[ interview ] [ fan q&a ] [ bio: j.s. clayden ] [ bios: mark clayden ] [ bios: jim davies ] [ bios: jason bowld ] [ bios: dan rayner ] [ p.s.i. intro ]
[ there's no place like home ]
by Craig Young


The problem with art that is innovative and intriguing is that sometimes it takes years to fully appreciate what the artist created and to understand the scope and context in which it was meant to exist. In their 12 years of redefining what music can and should be, techno punkers Pitchshifter have always been ahead of the curve -- in fact, they've oftentimes defined, then redefined, what exactly that curve is. And, as such, they've suffered for the art they've created. Fortunately for us, the band refuses to give in, instead choosing the terms for their music, and to no one compromising that vision.

"We started [the band] from scratch and did this whole thing on our own, and that's a pretty big achievement," vocalist/mastermind of mayhem J.S Clayden tells me. "I am in this zen period with the band where I just appreciate what we do, and what we get to do."

Titled simply P.S.I. (stands for Pitchshifter Industries, as any old school fan would tell you), the band's eighth album is their most realized yet. Fusing their patented breakneck breakbeats with a furious guitar throttling, the album is at once heavy, tight, and very personal. Anyone familiar with the band's history will easily gather the clues in songs like "MyKind" and "Shutdown" -- but that isn't prerequisite knowledge needed to appreciate the album. P.S.I. incorporates the best elements of Pitchshifter's last three releases and offers up 12 (13, when you count the hidden track "Trancer") songs whose musical craftsmanship are second to none.


[ j.s. clayden, jim davies, mark clayden, jason bowld ]

It's no secret that these Nottingham noiseniks are longtime fav's of Earpollution. A glance at the links below will show you several previous interviews that we've done with them in the past. We invite you to read those previous interviews and reviews, and find out more about the band's history, both personal and musical. This time around, however, we thought we'd quiz the members individually on what it means to be a member of Pitchshifter. We also thought that those who know the band best should also be offered a spot at the table, so we invited some of Pitchshifter's fans to ask a few questions of their own.

Pitchshifter have always been known as musical innovators; never taking the same road twice, never making the same album for the sake of cashing in on formula. Their artistic vision has always been at the forefront of the music they make. And while those decisions have not always landed them the appreciation and respect they so righteously deserve, it has kept their artistic vision pure -- something that will endure long after the band. As bassist Mark Clayden so succinctly put it, "I still live day-to-day with all the same beliefs I had when I formed the band in 1989. We have always written the music we wanted to write."

And we have never expected anything less.


On the web:
Pitchshifter (Official site)
Pitchshifter Online (Fan site)

Inside Earpollution:
Interview (October 2000)
Deviant album review
Live review (15 April 2000, Portland, OR)
Interview (December 1999)
www.pitchshifter.com album review
Interview (July 1998)

[ p.s.i. ]
[ give a listen! ] "Eight Days" MP3
96kbs/47sec/565kb


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