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.
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