Originating from the 1980s Kansai noise/industrial scene, Akira Ohashi sensed a similar vibe in jungle—a new offshoot of UK ghetto music—and absorbed it, transforming it into something entirely new: the legendary unit known as Psyche Outs. This album features everything from a mutant form of jungle—which pioneered nerdcore and J-Core through genius and bold sampling and the use of the Amen break—to breakbeats imbued with the mass and substance of industrial music, to futuristic bass tracks offering their own take on two-step and breaks—all packed in without a moment’s respite. Psych Outs’ aesthetic—which brazenly mixed disparate sound sources and subcultures, shocking artists both at home and abroad—was a precursor to 21st-century music (just as it once thrilled Yasuharu Konishi and Kenji Kubo), resonates with the modern jungle scene currently booming worldwide and continues to drive freaks wild to this day.
The track selection and supervision for this compilation were handled by two experts: Yuta Umegaya of Murder Channel and Ian Willett-Jacob, author of Ian’s Nardcore Encyclopedia. Most of the tracks are being released on CD for the first time, and the compilation covers their signature songs, rare tracks, and live recordings, making it perfect for everyone from beginners to die-hard fans. Mastering was handled by Dubplate & Mastering in Germany. Umeya’s top-secret commentary is a must-read!