Psychosomatik – Re/In/Trospective (Album – Psychosomatik)
Genre/Influences: EBM.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: French duo Michael Roussel – Frederic Lecieux are already active for numerous years, but didn’t release new stuff on a regular basis. This album features a selection of new songs, remastered old cuts and remixes.
Content: The French project is devoted to retro-EBM and that’s an influence you’ll instantly recognize. The dark style and unpolished production has something pretty 90s like. Some elements in the production are vaguely evoking giant bands such as Front 242 and FLA. The album also reveals 2 instrumental songs revealing a more elaborated approach. Remixes have been made by Signal Aout 42, Destillat, Blut Reaktor and Shane Aungst.
+ + + : If you like vintage EBM and you’ve a preference for the 90s style, Psychosomatik will definitely give you an adrenaline boost. The influences are quite familiar, but the band tries to create an own approach with an extra dark touch on top. “Bullfighter” is a familiar song from the band and still remains one of their best exponents. The spooky, distorted vocals inject an extra dark touch. There’s also something to say about both instrumental edits “State Of Oppression” and “GroundZero”. Among the remixes I’ve to mention the great contributions from Signal Aout 42 and Destillat.
– – – : The rough and unpolished mixing and production sounds a bit amateuristic, but is an essential aspect to get back to this retro-style.
Conclusion: Psychosomatik brings some good-old memories alive, the album mainly appealing for all those who are into rough and unpolished EBM.
Best songs: “Bullfighter”, “State Of Oppression”, “No Time To Lose – Signal Aout 42 Remix”, “Bullfighter – Destillat Remix”.
Rate: 7.
Artist: www.facebook.com/Psychosomatik-official-110573057735813
About Psychosomatik
Psychosomatik is a French electro-industrial project formed in September 2000 by Michael Roussel (vocals, machines) and Frederic Lecieux (machines), who had been making music together since 1992, according to the Discogs profile. The self-released CDr “Psychopath?” (2003) was followed by “State Of Oppression” on PSK Records on 4 November 2014. In 2020 the duo issued the digital singles “No Time To Lose / Bullfighter”, “Fears (Of Halloween)” and “The Madman (Spankthenun Edit) / No Time To Lose”.
“Re/In/Trospective” was self-released digitally on 5 February 2021, with a CD edition. The band describes it as a compilation of two new tracks, one reworked track, three remastered tracks from “State Of Oppression”, three unreleased tracks and four remixes. The thirteen tracks are “Damage Done”, “Carnal Pleasure”, “The Madman (Spankthenun Edit)”, “Bullfighter”, “No Time To Lose (Negociation Of Peace)”, “State Of Oppression”, “Check The Numbers (feat. Camuscle)”, “Release Me (feat. OBE)”, “Groundzero”, “No Time To Lose (Signal Aout 42 Remix)”, “Bullfighter (Destillat Remix)”, “No Time To Lose (Blut Reaktor Remix)” and “Bullfighter (Shane Aungst Remix)”. Olivier Camus and Teddy Genty add vocals on two tracks, Craig Saunders made the artwork and Roussel mixed and mastered the album at The Ranch. The Spankthenun edit is covered in the Side-Line review of Spankthenun – The Bunker Tapes Vol.2.
Since 2022 Psychosomatik has been the solo project of Michael Roussel. Later digital releases include “Burn” (2022), “Sin” (2023), “Stress EP” (2024) and “Felines” (2025). The project contributed to the Side-Line charity compilation Electronic Bodies (2023), and Shane Aungst included it in the ‘Electronic Bodies’ Mega-Mix released the same year. “Re/In/Trospective” is the project’s first Side-Line review.
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