Psyche

Websites:  http://www.psyche-hq.de/, https://psyche.bandcamp.com/merch/imaginary-life-1983-2005
Origin: Edmonton, Alberta - Leipzig, Germany
Biography:

Performing for the first time in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in late 1982, Darrin and Stephen Huss, known as Evan Panic and Anthony Red respectively, created a sound that shocked and intrigued. Inspired by the noises made by analogue synthesizers, the brothers wanted to create a band that made music with a message and they felt they could best express this through a "do-it-yourself" punk attitude. Their combination of horror and electronics was so good that they toured with Alien Sex Fiend in 1984 and built up quite a large fan base in the French Canadian Province of Quebec.

After securing a record deal with the French New Rose Records in 1985, Psyche was ready to release their debut album Insomnia Theatre to European audiences. The band received rave reviews across Europe for the debut but it wasn't until Psyche opened for renowned synth duo Suicide at Paris' Elysee Montmarte that they could showcase their talent to a large audience, in this case 2,000 electro fans. This event helped to propel Psyche into the spotlight, diversify their already growing fan base, and give them the popularity they needed to headline their first ever tour throughout France, Belgium, Sweden, Holland and Germany.

After their third album, Mystery Hotel, Darrin moved to Montreal and became involved in the industrial band Vanishing Heat with Kevin Komoda. Eventually Darrin teamed up with David Kristian to create a new Psyche album entitled The Influence. The album was performed completely using the Casio FZ1 and David incorporated his own samples that gave Psyche a new sound. Electronic and darker in context, The Influence revitalized the gothic scene. Even though no tracks were released as singles from the album, it proved to be a classic as Lights of Euphoria covered the song "Misery" on their debut album. Following The Influence, the band released Tales from the Darkside in 1990 and Daydream Avenue in 1991.

A series of moves and various side projects ultimately brought the Huss brothers back together again, both taking a short break from the music industry during 1992/1993 in order to figure out the future of Psyche. When they finally returned to the scene in 1993, they released 69 Minutes of History, a compilation of their most played songs from 1987-1991. Almost immediately following, the band released 1994's well received Intimacy. The album was a departure from their normal more danceable electro sound and showed an even darker side of the band. At this point, with Stephen in Canada, Darrin, in Germany, decided to search for a new keyboarder.

This search led Darrin to The Eternal Afflict. The remaining members of this disbanded group asked Darrin to be a vocalist, hence forming the band Inside. After touring in 1999, the band split up, allowing Darrin to concentrate solely on Psyche with new keyboarder Per-Anders Kurenbach. The two released Strange Romance in 1996 and Love Among The Ruined in 1998, both extremely successful.

In 1998 Gero Herrde from Synthetic Symphony/SPV asked that Psyche re-release Insomnia Theatre and Unveiling the Secret so that the material could be re-mastered. When the material was finished and ready to be re-released, Psyche went on the "Back to the 80's" tour with Equatronic and Zoon Politicon. The shows on the tour were said to have been the Psyche's best to date.

2000 marked the formation of the new (and current) lineup of Psyche. The "new" Psyche experimented with new and old material including remixes of the song "Sanctuary". After a few shows with legendary bands Invisible Limits and Sparks, Psyche released their very successful debut on Accession Records entitled Sanctuary in 2001. The release's title track immediately hurled the Psyche name into dance floor vernacular across the world.

As a continuation of the duo's success, Darrin and Remi released Psyche's 9th album, The Hiding Place, which became an instant classic and maintained the number 4 spot on the German Alternative Chart's (DAC) top 100 albums of the year (just below Depeche Mode and New Order!). The success of the "new" Psyche also granted the pair a spot in the lineup of the renowned Wave Gothic Festival in 2003. Also that year, the band released Babylon Deluxe, which was once again a success, also earning a spot on the DAC top ten.

Metropolis Records signed Psyche and released their 'best of' entitled Legacy in 2004. Later that year, Darrin decided to continue Psyche as a solo project and began working on The 11th Hour.

In 2005, after 20 years and ten official albums the Psyche everyone thought they knew ended. They reached The 11th Hour. The album is not a continuation of Psyche's past releases – this is their purgatory and their revelation. As the swan song to the old Psyche to enable their rebirth, The 11th Hour was not "pop" music per se, but a collection of raw nerves, desperation, adrenaline, and erupting passion. This earnest symbiosis is what makes this new incarnation of Psyche as extraordinary as ever.

Psyche came back in 2009 with a new collection entitled Until The Shadows, delving into the mystery that continues to make their music so intriguing. Included are re-mastered and re-recorded early renowned Psyche hits along side rare tracks and previously unreleased original recordings, as well as a brand new mix of “Goodbye Horses.” This collection of Psyche’s odd aural delights right up through the last two decades into the 21st Century have been re-mastered for maximum quality, and sequenced in a way that leaves the impression that Until The Shadows is not just a compilation but may well be the best album Psyche never knew they made!