The Shamen | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Combining swirling psychedelic rock with hardcore hip-hop rhythms, the Shamen were one of the first alternative bands to appeal to dance clubs as much as indie rockers. Comprised of Colin Angus, Peter Stephenson, Keith McKenzie, and Derek McKenzie, the Scottish quartet had its roots in the early-80s neo-psychedelic group Alone Again Or. The Shamen officially formed in 1986 and released their first album, Drop, the following year. Drop was filled with varying guitar textures, recalling many late-60s rock groups. After the records release, Angus immersed himself in the emerging acid house/hip-hop club scene, which prompted the departure of Derek McKenzie; he was replaced with William Sinnott, who helped reshape the bands sound into a dense, rhythmic pulse that relied heavily on samples, drum machines, and loud guitars. The band debuted their revamped sound in 1988 with a stage show that featured sexually explicit visuals along with impassioned political rhetoric. During 1988, Peter Stephenson and Keith McKenzie departed, leaving Angus and Sinnott to perform as a duo. With their 1989 album In Gorbachev We Trust, the Shamen expanded their following in Britain and began attracting American listeners. The duo continued to concentrate on dance music throughout 1989, adding rappers to their live shows. Just as the band was heading toward mainstream acceptance, Will Sinnott drowned off the coast of the Canary Islands on May 23, 1991. With the Sinnott familys encouragement, Angus continued the Shamen and the group did indeed begin to score hits, particularly in the U.K. where they amassed five Top 20 singles between 1991 and 1992; "Move Any Mountain (Progen 91)" managed to make it into the American Top 40 at the end of 1991, as well. However, the Shamen fell out of favor during 1993 and their 1994 album Different Drum failed to gain much of an audience. Nevertheless, the group continued to record, releasing Axis Mutatis in 1995, Hempton Manor in 1996, and UV in 1998. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 17 Title: Drop Released: 1987-06-01 Tracks: 14 Duration: 49:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Something About You (03:01) 2 Young till Yesterday (03:57) 3 Passing Away (03:27) 4 World Theatre (03:57) 5 Through With You (03:39) 6 Where Do You Go (02:29) 7 Do What You Will (02:59) 8 Happy Days (03:58) 9 Through My Window (03:51) 10 Velvet Box (03:27) 11 I Dont Like (03:00) 12 Strange Days Dream (03:26) 13 Four Letter Girl (04:12) 14 The Other Side (03:35) |
| Drop : Allmusic album Review : Ecstasy had a shocking effect on the Shamen, widening the gulf between Drops dour psychedelic rock and the later politicized drug-rave apologia in singles like "Move Any Mountain" and "Ebeneezer Goode," but many believed the band leapt across the divide too soon. 1987s "I Dont Like," "Young Till Yesterday," and "World Theatre" were products of a band busy with the rattled monotone of the Chameleons, or the Cure at their "Killing an Arab" best, and linchpin Colin Angus always found a way to work through the textures of acid rock without sacrificing melody. Elsewhere, the band incorporated synthesizers in a style that never felt unnatural or simply an excuse to play smoke and mirrors to a late-80s audience bored of indie guitar music. All of which helped the Shamen take off to bigger and brighter things, of course, but one must wonder if the group would ever have had the same impact if they didnt begin their career with such vaporous unconventionality. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 17 Title: Whats Going Down? Released: 1988 Tracks: 9 Duration: 32:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Christopher Mayhew Says (03:51) 2 Shitting on Britain (02:40) 3 Fire Engine (02:40) 4 Christopher Mayhew Says a Lot (04:26) 5 Knature of a Girl (03:45) 6 Whats Going Down? (02:48) 7 Happy Days (03:55) 8 Sub Knature of a Girl (04:53) 9 The Other Side (03:33) |
 | Album: 3 of 17 Title: Strange Day Dreams Released: 1988 Tracks: 12 Duration: 39:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Do What You Will (02:59) 2 Its All Around (03:20) 3 Grim Reaper of Love (03:21) 4 Long Gone (03:47) 5 Something About You (02:58) 6 Strange Days Dream (live version) (04:06) 7 Golden Hair (01:50) 8 CM Says a Lot (04:28) 9 Fire Engine (02:44) 10 Knature of a Girl (Submission) (04:49) 11 Darkness in Zion (01:54) 12 Strange Days Dream (03:24) |
| Strange Day Dreams : Allmusic album Review : A bit of a catchall release -- one of several such overlapping efforts that seemed to characterize the groups work in the late 80s and early 90s -- Strange Day Dreams contains various B-sides and oddities from the bands psych-revival days starting to shade into later acid house love. The feeling is more the former than the latter, though, thanks to the inclusion of a clutch of Syd Barrett covers -- both "Long Gone" and "Golden Hair" are treated sweetly enough, though theyre not terribly remarkable. Slightly paralleling but not replicating the American Whats Going Down? collection, Strange Day Dreams has no real rhyme or reason to its assembly -- B-sides, A-sides, extended versions, and live versions are all jumbled up together, making it a listen more remarkable on a song-by-song basis. Often the results shimmer -- "Grim Reaper of Love," glowering title aside, is a marvelous combination of late-60s psych(otic) vibes and Cocteau Twins-style blissout, while "Fire Engine" rocks out pretty damn well. Other times the intent is good but the execution isnt quite there -- "Christopher Mayhew Says a Lot" kicks up a reasonably aggro electro-funk background to the found sound sample providing the "lyrics," but its not as monstrous as, say, World Domination Enterprises was around the same time. "Darkness in Zion" takes a far darker and shorter approach that, while not as danceable, is much more successful at setting a mood. The murky live version of the title track could have done with a better recording, but the album does conclude with the studio take that brings out the full Electric Prunes-for-another-decade mania nicely enough. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 17 Title: In Gorbachev We Trust Released: 1989 Tracks: 16 Duration: 58:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Synergy (05:26) 2 Sweet Young Thing (03:35) 3 Raspberry Infundibulum (02:39) 4 War Prayer (03:11) 5 Adam Strange (03:59) 6 Jesus Loves Amerika (Fundamental) (04:39) 7 Transcendental (04:46) 8 Misinformation (03:42) 9 Raptyouare (03:40) 10 In Gorbachev We Trust (03:31) 11 Yellow Cellophane Day (03:06) 12 Mayhew Speaks Out (03:11) 13 Long Gone (03:45) 14 Fire Engine (02:40) 15 Knature of a Girl (03:44) 16 Whats Going Down (02:47) |
| In Gorbachev We Trust : Allmusic album Review : The Shamen began as a fairly straightforward rock band, releasing albums like 1987s Drop that revealed the bands psychedelic inclinations. When the Shamen started becoming a U.K. hitmaking machine in the early 90s, with a string of successful singles like "Move Any Mountain" and "Ebeneezer Goode," it was a different animal altogether. It didnt take long for the Shamen to leave behind the 60s- influenced rock and embrace the dancefloor. 1989s In Gorbachev We Trust is truly the Shamens transitional album; while still incorporating the psychedelic elements, the band began to rely more heavily on the atmospheric synthesized sounds that would eventually help it achieve international success. The opening track "Synergy," like the rest of the album, only gives a hint as to what kind of band the Shamen would become. Although not much different from anything on previous releases such as Drop -- the band hasnt entirely abandoned the somewhat artificial "retro" sound -- "Synergy" incorporates the pulsating beats and keyboard flourishes that would define the Shamens sound. The 1960s influence is also evident in "Sweet Young Thing" (not surprising, since the Monkees had recorded it 20 years previously). The unusual combination of swirling psychedelic guitars with sound effects and the hard-hitting synthesized drums is typical of the albums sound. "Jesus Loves America" is the hardest track here; the scathing lyric ("Jesus loves America/but I dont love neither") and sardonic vocal make the song an uneasy but compelling listen. By the time of Gorbachevs 1989 release, the Shamens primary members were Colin Angus and Will Sinnott. Sinnott drowned in 1990; afterward, Angus pushed the band even further onto the dancefloor, adding rapper Mr. C and various female vocalists. These touches helped flesh out the Shamens sound; Gorbachev, while an impressive effort and an important part of the bands development, lacks the energy and excitement of the Shamens later dance-oriented releases like En-Tact and Boss Drum. On Gorbachev, the Shamen seem a bit unsure of the new direction, often coming across as a less radio-friendly Jesus Jones. But In Gorbachev We Trust is a must for Shamen completists; it is interesting to hear its evolution from somewhat bland 60s-influenced modern rock to melodic, techno-dance staples. Fans of the Shamens later material may find the more primitive-sounding Gorbachev a bit hard to take. But every band has to start somewhere. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 17 Title: Phorward Released: 1989-05 Tracks: 6 Duration: 22:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 You Me and Everything (else) (04:00) 2 Splash 2 (03:15) 3 Negation State (03:27) 4 Reraptyouare (03:53) 5 SDD 89 (04:11) 6 Phorward (04:00) |
 | Album: 6 of 17 Title: En-Tact Released: 1990 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:09:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Human NRG (03:22) 2 Progen (Land of Oz) (04:06) 3 Possible Worlds (03:44) 4 Omega Amigo (04:44) 5 Hyperreal (04:31) 6 Lightspan (05:47) 7 Make It Mine V2.5 (03:57) 8 Oxygen Restriction (03:48) 9 Evil Is Even (13:15) 10 Human NRG (Massey) (04:36) 11 Make It Mine V1.3 (Pirate radio) (04:54) 12 Oxygen Reprise V2.0 (05:19) 13 Hear Me O My People (Orbital - Delays Expected) (07:23) |
| En-Tact : Allmusic album Review : Besides being one of the few early British dance albums worth its weight in artistry as well as sound, En-Tact is a truly historical gathering of the cream of the new dance music; mixing and production come from a cast including Paul Oakenfold, William Orbit, Graham Massey, Orbital, Evil Eddie Richards, the Beatmasters, Meat Beat Manifesto, Joey Beltram, Tommy Musto, the Irresistible Force and Caspar Pound. The Shamen fare well also on their own productions, and the singles "Move Any Mountain," "Make It Mine" and "Hyperreal Orbit" are infectious techno-pop anthems, while "Omega Amigo" is an early ambient classic. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 17 Title: Progeny Released: 1991-03 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:14:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Move Any Mountain (Bang to the Beat of the Drum) (05:43) 2 Move Any Mountain (Beltram dub) (05:25) 3 Move Any Mountain (Rising High dub) (07:24) 4 Move Any Mountain (Alta Vista) (06:12) 5 Move Any Mountain (The Prelude to Paradise) (05:15) 6 Move Any Mountain (666 edit) (04:46) 7 Move Any Mountain (Land of Oz) (05:43) 8 Move Any Mountain (C. mix) (06:46) 9 Move Any Mountain (Beat edit) (03:29) 10 Move Any Mountain (Rude edit) (03:47) 11 Move Any Mountain (Landslide edit) (03:47) 12 Move Any Mountain (F. Troop edit) (03:30) 13 Move Any Mountain (Oz edit) (03:36) 14 Move Any Mountain (Bang edit) (03:34) 15 Move Any Mountain (Sixteen Samples & Beats) (05:39) |
 | Album: 8 of 17 Title: The Face E.P. Released: 1992 Tracks: 8 Duration: 42:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 L.S.I. (Love dub mix) (04:12) 2 Spacetime (Front Ear mix) (04:54) 3 Librae Solidi Denari (Digital Lullaby mix) (03:44) 4 Ebeneezer Goode (Teddy Necker mix) (06:48) 5 L.S.I. (B. 4 L.S.I. mix) (05:25) 6 Spacetime (Quartz Crystal mix) (05:33) 7 Librae Solidi Denari (Full on Robot Chubby mix) (07:15) 8 Ebeneezer Goode (Wot the Dickens mix) (04:34) |
 | Album: 9 of 17 Title: Boss Drum Released: 1992-09-24 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:05:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Boss Drum (06:31) 2 L.S.I.: Love Sex Intelligence (03:50) 3 Space Time (05:01) 4 Librae Solidi Denari (05:26) 5 Ebeneezer Goode (Beatmasters mix) (06:15) 6 Comin’ On (04:30) 7 Phorever People (04:57) 8 Fatman (05:44) 9 Scientas (05:40) 10 Re:Evolution (08:22) 11 Boss Dub (05:25) 12 Phorever Dub (03:54) |
| Boss Drum : Allmusic album Review : The same blend of infectious techno-pop anthems and new-edge effects tracks which spotlighted En-Tact continued unabated on Boss Drum, with Colin Angus new compatriot, combination rapper/DJ Mr. C. The singles "Ebeneezer Goode," "L.S.I. (Love Sex Intelligence)" and "Phorever People" all made the British Top Ten, and album tracks like "Space Time," "Re-Evolution" (with Terence McKenna) and "Scientas" chart the course of the Shamens history with the astral/sociological collective Spiral Tribe. Boss Drum is a more solid collection than En-Tact. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 17 Title: Different Drum Released: 1993 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:19:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Boss Drum (Beatmasters radio mix) (03:50) 2 L.S.I. (Beat edit) (03:45) 3 Ebeneezer Goode (Beat edit) (03:52) 4 Coming on Strong (Beatmasters 7") (03:45) 5 Phorever People (The Beatmasters Heavenly edit) (03:46) 6 Spacetime (Front Ear mix) (04:54) 7 Librae Solidi Denari (Digital Lullaby mix) (03:44) 8 Fatman (Shamen instrumental) (05:48) 9 Scientas (Irresistible Force mix) (06:00) 10 Re:iteration (FSOL mix) (08:44) 11 L.S.I. (Maurices Love Sex instrumental) (06:57) 12 Ebeneezer Goode (I.O.C. Ambient mix) (06:51) 13 De:evolution (Shamen instrumental) (08:24) 14 Coming Unstrung (05:06) 15 Boss Drum (Justin Robertson Lionrock dub mix edit) (03:59) |
 | Album: 11 of 17 Title: On Air Released: 1993 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:01:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Human Energy / Omega Amigo (Richard Skinner Session 28 Jan 1990) (09:35) 2 Progen / Make It Mine (Richard Skinner Session 28 Jan 1990) (10:55) 3 Hyperreal (Peel session 12 Feb 1991) (03:21) 4 Make It Mine (Peel session 12 Feb 1991) (04:04) 5 Possible Worlds (Peel session 12 Feb 1991) (04:20) 6 In the Bag (Peel session 12 Feb 1991) (06:56) 7 Space Time (Mark Goodier session 12 Sept 1992) (05:02) 8 Make It Mine USA (Mark Goodier session 12 Sept 1992) (05:21) 9 Boss Drum (Mark Goodier session 12 Sept 1992) (06:11) 10 Ebeneezer Goode (Mark Goodier session 12 Sept 1992) (05:26) |
 | Album: 12 of 17 Title: Boss Drum / Phorever People Released: 1993 Tracks: 8 Duration: 42:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Boss Drum (Shamen 12″ mix) (06:25) 2 Boss Drum (Beatmasters Boss mix) (05:59) 3 Boss Drum (Shamen dub) (03:50) 4 Phorever People (The Beatmasters East of the Nile mix) (06:28) 5 Phorever People (Kevin Saunderson Technological dub) (04:54) 6 Phorever People (D’s Mellow dub) (04:51) 7 Phorever Dub (03:54) 8 Ebeneezer Goode (Ritchie Hawtin trance dub) (05:53) |
 | Album: 13 of 17 Title: Axis Mutatis Released: 1995-11-23 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:04:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Destination Eschaton (03:55) 2 Transamazonia (03:52) 3 Conquistador (03:57) 4 MK2A (04:05) 5 Neptune (04:17) 6 Prince of Popocatapetl (06:02) 7 Heal (The Seperation) (03:56) 8 Persephones Quest (05:07) 9 Moment (04:00) 10 Axis Mundi (a. Tellos / b. Xibalba / c. Nemeton / d. Eternal Return) (07:05) 11 Eschaton Omega (Deep Melodic Techno) (03:38) 12 Agua azul (11:24) 13 S2 Translation (03:30) |
| Axis Mutatis : Allmusic album Review : Striving for a bit more of an experimental sound with their third full-on electronic album, the Shamen slipped up a bit on the pop charts and thus failed to attract mainstream fans or the emerging listening-techno crowds. The singles "Transamazonia" and "Destination Eschaton" are enjoyable, but their one-two punch cant compare to En-Tacts "Make It Mine"/"Move Any Mountain" or Boss Drums "L.S.I."/"Ebeneezer Goode." The rest of Axis Mutatis veers further into astral-hippie territory, though with fewer results than the past. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 17 Title: Hempton Manor Released: 1996-10-02 Tracks: 10 Duration: 59:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Freya (05:55) 2 Urpflanze (05:50) 3 Cannabeo (06:17) 4 Khat (05:50) 5 Bememe (06:44) 6 Indica (05:51) 7 Rausch (06:09) 8 Kava (05:17) 9 El-fin (05:23) 10 The Monoriff (05:47) |
| Hempton Manor : Allmusic album Review : By the time the controversial Hempton Manor was released in 1996, the Shamen had already endured a very rocky history. The 1987 album Drop introduced a quartet that leaned toward a 1960s-influenced psychedelic rock sound. The album was critically acclaimed, but leader Colin Angus became increasingly influenced by the then-emerging acid house scene, and the addition of member Will Sinnott prompted a major stylistic overhaul. 1989s In Gorbachev We Trust revealed a very different sound for the Shamen, with its inclusion of hip-hop beats and electronic textures, and the band was eventually reduced to the duo of Angus and Sinnott. The Shamen signed to One Little Indian and released its debut album for the label, En-Tact, in 1990. Though the album became the Shamens first major success, tragedy struck when Sinnott drowned a few months after the albums release. The Shamen continued, with rapper Mr. C (a.k.a. Richard West) becoming a full-time member and vocalist Jhelisa Anderson joining the band for the recording of 1992s Boss Drum. The album was a major worldwide success, including in America, where it became a cult favorite. By the mid-90s, the Shamen had cemented its reputation as one of the worlds premier techno acts. In 1995, the Shamen released Axis Mutatis. Though it was a Top 20 hit in the U.K., the album was more complex and less pop-oriented than its predecessor, causing dissension between the band and One Little Indian. Label boss Derek Birket warned limited promotion for the bands next release if it wasnt more commercial. The resultant album, sporting the title Hempton Manor (a reference to the Shamens support of the legalization of marijuana), served as a kiss-off to Birkets demands. The album was made up entirely of instrumentals, virtually guaranteeing little airplay. The albums track listing also presented the Shamens rather harsh opinion of label manager Birket: The first letter of each track on Hempton Manor spelled out the phrase "F*CK BIRKET." Often, artists experiencing record label disputes respond by releasing material of questionable quality. Surprisingly, Hempton Manor is quite good. The album is a solid collection of stylistically diverse instrumentals, incorporating trance, drumnbass, and ambient. Hempton Manor is highly melodic, with tracks like "Indica" and "The Monoriff" recalling the spacey atmospherics of classic Shamen tracks like En-Tacts "Omega Amigo" and Axis Mutatis "MK2A," only without words. Though not a typical Shamen album and released only because of the groups deteriorating relationship with its label, Hempton Manor is a worthy addition to the bands catalog. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 17 Title: Collection Released: 1997-03 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:10:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Omega Omigo (Steve Osbourne mix) (04:45) 2 Move Any Mountain (Beat edit) (03:28) 3 Make It Mine (Progress 1 vox) (04:25) 4 Hypereal (Orbit mix) (03:13) 5 L.S.I. (Beat edit) (03:45) 6 Ebeneezer Goode (Beat edit) (03:51) 7 Boss Drum (The Beatmasters radio mix) (03:49) 8 Phorever People (The Beatmasters Heavenly edit) (03:46) 9 Re-Evolution (Beatmasters mix) (08:24) 10 Comin on Strong (Beat edit) (03:45) 11 Possible Worlds (Shamen Deep PSI) (05:36) 12 Destination Eschaton (The Beatmasters radio edit) (03:54) 13 Transamazonia (The Beatmasters 7") (03:51) 14 Heal (The Separation) (H.E.L.P. new edit) (03:58) 15 MK2A (The Beatmasters New radio edit) (03:59) 16 Indica (Shamen mix) (05:48) |
 | Album: 16 of 17 Title: UV Released: 1998 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:02:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Mercury (03:07) 2 Universal (187 BPM Metamix Minor) (03:40) 3 Palen - K (07:01) 4 Beamship (Brief Sighting) (00:43) 5 I Do (03:34) 6 Pop (08:25) 7 Universal (1999 Dance Vocal) (03:29) 8 Sativa 98 (06:48) 9 Serpent (04:30) 10 U Nations (Mr C Club mix) (06:36) 11 Marca Huasi (04:05) 12 SFYNX (Technical Itch mix) (06:53) 13 Metatron (03:54) |
 | Album: 17 of 17 Title: Hystericool: The Best of the Alternate Mixes Released: 2002-03 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:16:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Ebeneezer Goode (South of Detroit Vocal) (04:35) 2 Boss Drum (Beatmasters Tribal Buzz 12" ) (06:15) 3 Lsi (Shamen Alternative Vocal 12" ) (06:07) 4 Progen (666 edit) (04:48) 5 Omega Amigo (04:41) 6 Hyperreal (William Orbit 12" Mix) (05:46) 7 Lightspan (Renegade Soundwave mix) (04:18) 8 Make It Mine (Mobys Deep mix) (05:21) 9 Possible Worlds (Shamen Deep mix) (05:36) 10 Re: Iteration (Fsl Re: Evolution mix) (08:41) 11 Mk2a (Danny Tenaglia Vocal mix) (07:59) 12 Destination Eschaton (Hardfloor Vocal mix) (07:23) 13 Phorever People (Todd Terry mix) (05:10) |