Psi Com
Encyclopedia
Psi Com was an American gothic rock
band of the early 1980s. Prominent in the underground Los Angeles
music scene, the group is noted for being the first band of the acclaimed vocalist Perry Farrell who went on to achieve greater fame in the band Jane's Addiction
, as well as the bands Porno for Pyros
and Satellite Party
. The band consisted of Perry Farrell
(lead vocalist) , Aaron Sherer (drums and percussion), Vince Duran (lead guitarist), and Kelly Wheeler (bass).
. Farrell responded to the ad, not with the intention of becoming the group's drummer but instead as the singer. Rich agreed to let Farrell into the band as the vocalist in early 1983. The ad for a drummer was left in The Recycler however, because the band was still practicing with the aid of a drum machine. Terry soon left the band.
Sherer called Farrell in response to the ad for a drummer. When Sherer finally joined Duran and Farrell, Psi Com played their first big show, opening for The Cult at L.A.'s -Music Machine Club in the latter part of 1984. as well as some inspired gigs: Rooftop of OkiDog with Minutemen.
When 1985 came, the group realized that they needed a bass player to fill out the bottom end of their sound. As a result, they recruited their friend Wheeler, who moved into a house with Farrell near the University of Southern California
. Wheeler was reportedly tempted into the group by being offered a bass guitar in exchange for his membership into the group. Just after Wheeler joined, the foursome performed at a gig in the middle of the Mojave desert opening for such acts as Sonic Youth
, Redd Kross
and The Meat Puppets. This performance however was regarded as awful as the vocalist Farrell was high on magic mushrooms at the time.
In March 1985, Psi Com made plans to release a five-song, 12-inch EP
. The band entered Radio Tokyo Studios in Venice, California that spring and recorded the songs "Xiola," "Human Condition," "Ho Ka Hey," "Words" and "City of Nine Gates." Ethan James
manned the boards for the sessions, which lasted for one weekend. James was known for producing seminal punk group The Minutemen's most popular album Double Nickels on the Dime
.
In July, Psi Com had 1,500 copies of their self-titled EP produced to release on their own label, Mohini. When the records were delivered from the pressing plant, the band was in shock, as more than half of the EPs were warped. Frustrated by the experience, the band drifted apart musically and personally, and by September, Psi Com was no more.
After the break-up, Farrell was still living in the house that he had shared with Wheeler. Farrell's new housemate—a girl only known as Jane (or Carla Bozulich) -- introduced him to her friend Eric Avery
, who became the bassist in Farrell's new band, Jane's Addiction.
Wheeler spent his time performing with musician Dino Paredes, a bass player and vocalist from bands such as Berlin and the Red Temple Spirits. Duran and Sherer lessened their involvement with bands and only performed part-time with local L.A. groups. However, Sherer did go on to play drums on Mazzy Star
's 1996 album Among My Swan
.
It is rumored that the demise of Psi-Com was a result of Sherer and Duran becoming Hare Krisnas but this was declared to be false by both the men in an interview with the American magazine Musician
Due to the later popularity of Jane's Addiction, the album was subsequently re-released by Triple X Records
on CD in 1993.
The tracklisting is as follows:
1. Ho Ka Hey
2. Human Condition
3. Xiola
4. City of 9 Gates
5. Winds
The first song is titled "Ho Ka Hey." This is a Native American
expression that was used by warriors to psych themselves up when heading into battle, translation = "Good day to die".
City of 9 Gates relates with the Hinduist
theory of Chakra
where-in 9 orifices in the body are metaphorical gates of energy.
"Xiola," the third track on the album, is interesting in that it is the first time Perry experiments with the vocal style he would later implement in Jane's Addiction. For all of the other songs his vocal style is much more low pitched.
Tracklisting for Worktape 1
1. Hopeful
2. Them
3. Psi Com Theme
collector's CD Skin & Bones some time in the early 1990s. It is suggested that these tracks were leaked by an unknown representative at Triple X records. There exist two different versions of these songs, with slightly different instrumental tracks and mixing on each one. There also exist purely instrumental versions of the stated 3 songs. These are available. on the Jane's Addiction bootleg CD Pigs in Zen.
Tracklisting for Psi Com Demos:
1. 14th Floor
2. Cat (aka In The Holly Grove)
3. Karuna (aka Finger Puppets)
The songs from the Psi Com Demos, Worktape 1, and the notable live bootlegs are all available to download in the Mp3
format at: the following link
that the band had bought for him and played it through an SWR bass amplifier
. Vince Duran played a late 70s Fender Stratocaster through a Roland JC 120 Jazz Chorus amplifier. The percussionist Aaron Sherer played at a set of DW drums while Perry Farrell contributed to percussion by drumming on church bells, hubcaps and even a Chevy engine block. For certain vocal effects he used an Ibanez EM-1000 analogue echo unit.
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
band of the early 1980s. Prominent in the underground Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
music scene, the group is noted for being the first band of the acclaimed vocalist Perry Farrell who went on to achieve greater fame in the band Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
, as well as the bands Porno for Pyros
Porno for Pyros
Porno for Pyros was an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1992, following the initial break-up of Jane's Addiction...
and Satellite Party
The Satellite Party
Satellite Party is an alternative rock band conceived by Perry Farrell, former frontman for Jane's Addiction and Porno for Pyros, following the demise of Jane's Addiction in 2004. Other members currently include Carl Restivo and Farrell's wife, Etty Lau Farrell...
. The band consisted of Perry Farrell
Perry Farrell
Perry Farrell is the frontman for the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction. Farrell created the touring festival Lollapalooza as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction in 1991; it has since evolved into an annual destination festival. Farrell continues to produce Lollapalooza with partners William...
(lead vocalist) , Aaron Sherer (drums and percussion), Vince Duran (lead guitarist), and Kelly Wheeler (bass).
History
The first incarnation of Psi Com was initiated in 1981 when a man named Rich Robinson, his wife Mariska Leyssius, a man named Terry, and Vince Duran formed what is now known as Psi Com. Being without a drummer, they placed a classified ad in the free weekly L.A. newspaper The RecyclerThe Recycler
The Recycler is a Los Angeles based, classifieds only newspaper, started by Gunter and Nancy Schaldach in 1973. The Recycler was based in Silverlake and was subsequently sold to the Times Mirror Company in 1998....
. Farrell responded to the ad, not with the intention of becoming the group's drummer but instead as the singer. Rich agreed to let Farrell into the band as the vocalist in early 1983. The ad for a drummer was left in The Recycler however, because the band was still practicing with the aid of a drum machine. Terry soon left the band.
Sherer called Farrell in response to the ad for a drummer. When Sherer finally joined Duran and Farrell, Psi Com played their first big show, opening for The Cult at L.A.'s -Music Machine Club in the latter part of 1984. as well as some inspired gigs: Rooftop of OkiDog with Minutemen.
When 1985 came, the group realized that they needed a bass player to fill out the bottom end of their sound. As a result, they recruited their friend Wheeler, who moved into a house with Farrell near the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. Wheeler was reportedly tempted into the group by being offered a bass guitar in exchange for his membership into the group. Just after Wheeler joined, the foursome performed at a gig in the middle of the Mojave desert opening for such acts as Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
, Redd Kross
Redd Kross
Redd Kross, a rock band from Hawthorne, California had their roots in 1978 in a band called The Tourists begun by Jeff and Steve McDonald while the brothers were still in middle school...
and The Meat Puppets. This performance however was regarded as awful as the vocalist Farrell was high on magic mushrooms at the time.
In March 1985, Psi Com made plans to release a five-song, 12-inch EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
. The band entered Radio Tokyo Studios in Venice, California that spring and recorded the songs "Xiola," "Human Condition," "Ho Ka Hey," "Words" and "City of Nine Gates." Ethan James
Ethan James
Ethan James could refer to:* Ethan James * Ethan James , British fashion company* The fictional Power Rangers character Ethan James...
manned the boards for the sessions, which lasted for one weekend. James was known for producing seminal punk group The Minutemen's most popular album Double Nickels on the Dime
Double Nickels on the Dime
Double Nickels on the Dime is the third studio album by American punk trio Minutemen, released on the Californian independent record label SST Records in 1984...
.
In July, Psi Com had 1,500 copies of their self-titled EP produced to release on their own label, Mohini. When the records were delivered from the pressing plant, the band was in shock, as more than half of the EPs were warped. Frustrated by the experience, the band drifted apart musically and personally, and by September, Psi Com was no more.
After the break-up, Farrell was still living in the house that he had shared with Wheeler. Farrell's new housemate—a girl only known as Jane (or Carla Bozulich) -- introduced him to her friend Eric Avery
Eric Avery
Eric Adam Avery is an American musician and is the former bass player for the rock band Jane's Addiction. Avery played in Jane's Addiction initially from 1985 to 1991, and rejoined the band in 2008 before departing again in 2010....
, who became the bassist in Farrell's new band, Jane's Addiction.
Wheeler spent his time performing with musician Dino Paredes, a bass player and vocalist from bands such as Berlin and the Red Temple Spirits. Duran and Sherer lessened their involvement with bands and only performed part-time with local L.A. groups. However, Sherer did go on to play drums on Mazzy Star
Mazzy Star
Mazzy Star is an American alternative rock band formed in Santa Monica, California, in 1989 from the group Opal, a collaboration of guitarist David Roback and bassist Kendra Smith...
's 1996 album Among My Swan
Among My Swan
Among My Swan is the third album by the band Mazzy Star. Although Among My Swan did not contain any US Billboard Hot 100 hits like its predecessor, So Tonight That I Might See, this album did garner the band its highest-ranking single on the UK Singles Chart, when "Flowers In December" reached #40...
.
It is rumored that the demise of Psi-Com was a result of Sherer and Duran becoming Hare Krisnas but this was declared to be false by both the men in an interview with the American magazine Musician
Musician (magazine)
Musician was a monthly magazine that covered news and information about American popular music. Initially called "Music America", it was founded in 1976 by Sam Holdsworth and Gordon Baird. The two friends borrowed $20,000 from relatives and started the publication in a barn in Colorado...
Psi Com
The band released only one (self-titled) EP. It was recorded at Radio Tokyo in March 1985. It was originally released in July 1985 on Mohini Records in a limited 1500 copy, vinyl only release. Unfortunately only about half of these records were actually printed correctly, and both variations are fairly rare on today's market.Due to the later popularity of Jane's Addiction, the album was subsequently re-released by Triple X Records
Triple X Records
Triple X Records is a Los Angeles based record company. They are the label for bands such as Bo Diddley, The Vandals, Jane's Addiction, Social Distortion, Human Drama, Of Cabbages And Kings, Angry Samoans, Bad Manners, Stephen Pearcy, Dr...
on CD in 1993.
The tracklisting is as follows:
1. Ho Ka Hey
2. Human Condition
3. Xiola
4. City of 9 Gates
5. Winds
The first song is titled "Ho Ka Hey." This is a Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
expression that was used by warriors to psych themselves up when heading into battle, translation = "Good day to die".
City of 9 Gates relates with the Hinduist
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
theory of Chakra
Chakra
Chakra is a concept originating in Hindu texts, featured in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Its name derives from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning" .Chakra is a concept referring to wheel-like vortices...
where-in 9 orifices in the body are metaphorical gates of energy.
"Xiola," the third track on the album, is interesting in that it is the first time Perry experiments with the vocal style he would later implement in Jane's Addiction. For all of the other songs his vocal style is much more low pitched.
Worktape 1
On the 27th of March 1984 at Pacifica Studios in Los Angeles, Psi Com recorded and a rough-mixed a three song demo cassette. The worktape was engineered by Glenn Feit. Additional copies of this cassette were manufactured and sold at Psi Com concerts.Tracklisting for Worktape 1
1. Hopeful
2. Them
3. Psi Com Theme
Psi Com Demos
A demo of three Psi-Com tracks that have been speculated to have had possible inclusion on the Psi-Com EP (Incorrect, these were entirely different recording sessions, years apart and with different members {Kelly on bass}) were surfaced onto the bootlegBootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
collector's CD Skin & Bones some time in the early 1990s. It is suggested that these tracks were leaked by an unknown representative at Triple X records. There exist two different versions of these songs, with slightly different instrumental tracks and mixing on each one. There also exist purely instrumental versions of the stated 3 songs. These are available. on the Jane's Addiction bootleg CD Pigs in Zen.
Tracklisting for Psi Com Demos:
1. 14th Floor
2. Cat (aka In The Holly Grove)
3. Karuna (aka Finger Puppets)
Live bootlegs
There are also a number of live bootleg copies that have circulated around the fan-community The most noticeable of these were.- "Silhouette"
- "Greedy Was The Begger"
- "Follow The Insated"
The songs from the Psi Com Demos, Worktape 1, and the notable live bootlegs are all available to download in the Mp3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
format at: the following link
Equipment
To achieve their distinct sound on their EP, Psi Com used a noticeable and unique line of equipment. The bassist, Kelly Wheeler used a full-scale, small-bodied IbanezIbanez
is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce...
that the band had bought for him and played it through an SWR bass amplifier
Amplifier
Generally, an amplifier or simply amp, is a device for increasing the power of a signal.In popular use, the term usually describes an electronic amplifier, in which the input "signal" is usually a voltage or a current. In audio applications, amplifiers drive the loudspeakers used in PA systems to...
. Vince Duran played a late 70s Fender Stratocaster through a Roland JC 120 Jazz Chorus amplifier. The percussionist Aaron Sherer played at a set of DW drums while Perry Farrell contributed to percussion by drumming on church bells, hubcaps and even a Chevy engine block. For certain vocal effects he used an Ibanez EM-1000 analogue echo unit.