Genre/Influences: Electro, dark-wave.

Format: Digital, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Psihokratija was originally set up in the late 80s in Yugoslavia (today Serbia). After several changes in the line-up and a split, the project got reactivated. Core members Gorjan Krstić and Zoran Petrović are still on board and joined hands together with Young & Cold Music to unleash this new opus.

Content: You’ll rapidly recognize the 80s spirit running through the work. This is synch music carried by danceable rhythms. The songs are achieved with melody lines, but some songs are still boosted by aggressive sequences. The first part (A side) of the album sounds more hesitant compared to the second part (B side). There you’ll hear harder cuts with an explicit 80s touch. Some of the first songs are more into emotional passages. The vocals are all sung in English getting the work more accessible.

+ + + : The sensible/emotional side of the work sounds fine, but especially with the melody line on top from “Mercyful Dreamer”. I however prefer the final part of the album and the songs “Stormy Days” and “Rob Your Mind”. Both songs are clearly inspired by 80s electro-wave music, but they also have feature an extra kicking aspect the other songs don’t have. Both songs are well-crafted revealing a truly potential.

– – – : This album reveals some great ideas and cool songs, but some songs are missing the little details to speak about a fully successful opus. Especially the first part could be more convincing. 

Conclusion: Psihokratija totally fits with the approach and music taste of Young And Cold Records, but “Eight Wanderings Of The Soul” is not exactly what I would call the referential album of the label.

Best songs: “Stormy Days”, “Rob Your Mind”, “Mercyful Dreamer”.

Rate: (6½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/Psihokratija-190237157674443

Label: https://youngandcold.de /

www.facebook.com/youngandcoldrecords

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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Here’s something for those who have been in the dark electro / EBM scene since the late 80s. Belgrade’s electro/dark/goth act Psihokratija has been reactivated with two new singles, and a complete new album planned for Spring 2018. It’s the first new material we will get from the band in 25 years (!).

Psihokratija was formed in 1987 by Krstić Gorjan (keyboards) and Zoran Petrović (vocals). The duo had previously played together in a few local bands before forming Psihokratija. In 1989 the duo was joined by Weselly Karel (keyboards) and completed their first album, namely the tape “Album Mentalnih Fotografija”.

Although the tape got the band more and more recognition, the trio broke up soon after the release ‘due to conceptual disagreements’. Gorjan reforms the band with a new line-up and completes another album, the concept LP “U Teatru Misterije”, which would see a re-release in 2016 via PMK Records together with the archives album “Diskografija 1988-1991”.

Unfortunately, the revival of the band (and the history of many other electro bands from that time in Serbia) was very short-lived due to the outbreak of the civil wars which were fought from 1991 to 1999/2001 in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and FYR Macedonia.

Now, 25 years later, Gorjan Krstić is reviving Psihokratija once again. Below are 2 videos which have been upped recorded in 2017 and 2018.

Psihokratija – “The Hunting”

Psihokratija ft. Nenad Cvetičanin – “Tiranny Of The Soul”

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Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

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