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Psyence Fiction

 
Album Review: Psyence Fiction
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Psyence Fiction

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  • Artist: UNKLE
  • Rating: StarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: September 29, 1998
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Electronica

Review

James Lavelle and DJ Shadow are unequal partners in UNKLE, with the former providing the concept and the latter providing music, which naturally overshadows the concept, since the only clear concept -- apart from futuristic sound effects, video-game samples, and merging trip-hop with rock -- is collaborating with a variety of musicians, from superstars to cult favorites Kool G Rap, Alice Temple, and Mark Hollis (who provides uncredited piano on "Chaos"). Since Shadow's prime gift is for instrumentals, the prospect of him collaborating with vocalists is more intriguing than enticing, and Psyence Fiction is appropriately divided between brilliance and failed experiments. Shadow and Lavelle aren't breaking new territory here -- beneath the harder rock edge, full-fledged songs, and occasional melodicism, the album stays on the course Endtroducing... set. Shadow isn't given room to run wild with his soundscapes, and only a couple of cuts, such as the explosive opener, "Guns Blazing," equal the sonic collages of his debut. Initially, that may be a disappointment, but UNKLE gains momentum on repeated listens. Portions of the record still sound a little awkward -- Mike D's contribution suffers primarily from recycled Hello Nasty rhyme schemes -- yet those moments are overshadowed by Shadow's imagination and unpredictable highlights, such as Temple's chilly "Bloodstain" or Badly Drawn Boy's claustrophobic "Nursery Rhyme," as well as the masterstrokes fronted by Richard Ashcroft (a sweeping, neo-symphonic "Lonely Soul") and Thom Yorke (the moody "Rabbit in Your Headlights"). These moments might not add up to an overpowering record, but in some ways Psyence Fiction is something better -- a superstar project that doesn't play it safe and actually has its share of rich, rewarding music. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Guns Blazing (Drums of Death, Pt. 1) Kool G Rap, Josh Davis UNKLE (5:01)
UNKLE (Main Title Theme) Alice Temple, Josh Davis UNKLE (3:24)
Bloodstain (Lyrics) Alice Temple, Josh Davis UNKLE (5:57)
Unreal (Lyrics) Jules Blattner Group, Josh Davis UNKLE (5:10)
Lonely Soul Richard Ashcroft, Will Malone, DJ Shadow, Josh Davis UNKLE (8:56)
Getting Ahead in the Lucrative Field of Artist Management Josh Davis UNKLE (:54)
Nursery Rhyme/Breather Josh Davis UNKLE (4:45)
Celestial Annihilation (Lyrics) Josh Davis UNKLE (4:45)
The Knock (Drums of Death), Pt. 2 Josh Davis UNKLE (3:57)
Chaos UNKLE (4:42)
Rabbit in Your Headlights Thom Yorke, Josh Davis UNKLE (6:20)
Outro UNKLE (1:06)

Credits

Richard Ashcroft (Vocals), Sie Medway-Smith (Engineer), DJ Shadow (Producer), UNKLE (Main Performer), James Lavelle (Vocals), James Lavelle (Engineer), Jim Abbiss (Mixing)
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Wikipedia: Psyence Fiction
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Psyence Fiction
Studio album by Unkle
Released September 29, 1998
Recorded London, UK
Genre Electronica, downtempo, trip hop
Length 54:57
Label Mo'Wax
Professional reviews
Unkle chronology
Psyence Fiction
(1998)		 Never, Never, Land
(2003)

Psyence Fiction is the debut album by the group Unkle, released in 1998 for Mo'Wax.

"Unreal" is an instrumental version of the song "Be There" (featuring Ian Brown), which was released a year later as a single. On some early presses of the album, instrumental versions of "Guns Blazing" and "The Knock" were added as tracks 13 & 14. On some re-releases of this album, "Be There" was added as track 13. Some versions (mainly the Japanese release, but also the US promotional copy) contain the hidden track "Intro (optional)" as "track zero", which is actually the pre-gap (index 0) of track 1. This can be accessed by "rewinding" the first track on some CD players.

"Lonely Soul" was featured in an Assassin's Creed trailer for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.[1] It was also featured on the soundtrack to the film The Beach. Psyence Fiction debuted at #15 in Australia. Made #1 on KTUH's charts on the week of October 12, 1998.[2]

Contents

Recording

  • "Guns Blazing (Drums of Death, Pt. 1)" and "Nursery Rhyme/Breather" were mixed and recorded at The Record Plant in Hollywood.
  • Vocals for "Guns Blazing (Drums of Death, Pt. 1)" and "Rabbit In Your Headlights" were recorded at The Site in San Rafael, California.

All other mixing and recording took place in London, United Kingdom.

  • "UNKLE Main Title Theme", "Lonely Soul", "Celestial Annihilation", and "The Knock (Drums of Death, Pt. 2)" were mixed at Metropolis.
  • "Bloodstain" and "Chaos" were mixed at Rak Studios.
  • "Bloodstain" vocals were recorded at The Strongroom, "Rabbit In Your Headlights" was also mixed here.
  • "Unreal" was mixed at Matrix.
  • "Lonely Soul" vocals were recorded at Milo.
  • Strings for both "Lonely Soul" and "Celestial Annihilation" were recorded at CTS Studio.

Track listing

UK cassete version


European and American release
# Title Vocals Length
1. "Intro (Optional)" (Included on UK promotional slipsleeve only.)   2:19
2. "Guns Blazing (Drums of Death, Pt. 1)"   Kool G Rap 5:01
3. "UNKLE Main Title Theme"     3:24
4. "Bloodstain"   Alice Temple 5:57
5. "Unreal"     5:10
6. "Lonely Soul"   Richard Ashcroft 8:56
7. "Getting Ahead In The Lucrative Field of Artist Management"     0:56
8. "Nursery Rhyme / Breather"   Badly Drawn Boy 4:45
9. "Celestial Annihilation"     4:44
10. "The Knock (Drums of Death, Pt. 2)"   Mike D 3:58
11. "Chaos"   Atlantique 4:42
12. "Rabbit in Your Headlights"   Thom Yorke 6:20
13. "Outro (Mandatory)"     1:06
14. "Be There" (1999 UK bonus track.) Ian Brown 5:15


Japanese and Australian release
# Title Vocals Length
1. "Intro (Optional)"     2:19
2. "Guns Blazing (Drums of Death, Pt. 1)"   Kool G Rap 5:01
3. "UNKLE Main Title Theme"     3:24
4. "Bloodstain"   Alice Temple 5:57
5. "Unreal"     5:10
6. "Lonely Soul"   Richard Ashcroft 8:56
7. "Getting Ahead in the Lucrative Field of Artist Management"     0:56
8. "Nursery Rhyme / Breather"   Badly Drawn Boy 4:45
9. "Celestial Annihilation"     4:44
10. "The Knock (Drums of Death, Pt. 2)"   Mike D 3:58
11. "Chaos"   Atlantique 4:42
12. "Rabbit in Your Headlights"   Thom Yorke 6:20
13. "Outro (Mandatory)"     1:06
14. "Guns Blazing (Drums of Death, Pt. 1) [Instrumental]"     4:00
15. "The Knock (Drums of Death, Pt. 2) [Instrumental]"     3:52

Samples

  • this zero track is usually found on the Japanese release of the record[3]
  • based on the opening scene of the movie Contact

Personnel

References

  1. ^ "Assassin's Creed: Ubidays 07 Trailer HD". GameTrailers. 22 May 2007. http://www.gametrailers.com/player/19860.html. 
  2. ^ Chow, Vivian (13 October 1998). "Week of October 12, 1998". KTUH FM Honolulu - Alumni. http://ktuh.fm/charts/1998/10/13/week-of-october-12-1998.html. 
  3. ^ "UNKLE – Psyence Fiction". Discogs. http://www.discogs.com/release/205516. 
  4. ^ "Unkle". www.Always on the Run.net. http://www.alwaysontherun.net/unkle.htm#main. 
v • d • e
Unkle
Pablo Clements • James Lavelle
Richard File · Tim Goldsworthy · Masayuki Kudo · Toshio Nakanishi · DJ Shadow
Albums
Singles & EPs
"Rabbit in Your Headlights" · "Be There" · Remix Stories Vol. 1 · Remix Stories Vol. 2 · "Heavy Drug (Surrender Sounds Mix)"
DJ Remixes
Related articles

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