And The Cows Go Mu
Welsh musician Ian Holloway is the sole entity sitting in PSI’s (or, Psychic Space Invasion’s) control booth. “And the Cows go Mu” is his (or their) fourth and goes the way of Noggin (if memory serves?) and Picastro in employing Chinese funeral money as sleeve art. This apparently gains ‘worth’ only when burnt and transported to the next whorl of existence – I believe I’m halfway there already… But PSI have value now – so that new flamethrower of yours can remain in the broom cupboard – ok? Again, as before… 4 ‘untitleds’ place a faceless string section, vague in number, into the muffled acoustics of an undersea cave. Bizarrely – 9 minutes into the first track – you can actually hear what seems to be a diver’s airways snagging on jagged barbs of steel wreckage! His atmospheric pressure (Pounds per Square Inch?) dropping drastically and it’s almost real enough for you to think about dialling the coastguard. - Steve Prescott, Rumbles
Fourth cd for Welsh artist Ian Holloway, who I think has progressed a lot since his latest "Book of dreams". Not that anything has dramatically changed in PSI's palette, which is still mostly based on sideral electronics, with a considerable dose of musique concrete elements and a tribal-ish rhythmic backbone here and there; but this time Holloway just offers stronger, more mature and engaging material. Something could probably be mixed or arranged better, but the four lengthy tracks flow very well and the attention never flickers. Staying true to his name (and despite the silly title), PSI's music is spacey and trippy but in an entropic, and eventually paranoid way: no romantic stargazing is evoked here. Dark cosmic music which I'd recommend to fans of Elph/Coil or Monos' "Nightfall sunshine". Minimal but nice-looking packaging too, made of Chinese paper to be burned at funeral ceremonies (sic!). - Eugenio Maggi, Chain DLK
As Ian Holloway (aka Psychic Space Invasion) explains in the press notes, "we constantly move between states of awareness and consciousness whether this be by chemical means, sleep, meditation or the simple act of daydreaming. This project seeks to map those shifts, to produce aural representations of these other states and stimulate that state in the listeners". You could probably say "Been there, done that" but - surprise - this album is effectively maintaining its promises, constructed as it is upon a series of lively psychedelic vistas which make good use of well known ingredients - throbbing tensions, projection of repetitive figurations, intelligent looping, pseudo-shamanic drones - carefully deployed and organized according to a transmission order rarely heard in recent times, therefore uncomparable with (more or less) anything else. Imbalances and contrasting signals fulfil our brain's needs in an alternance of shades of pregnant post-mortem electronics and somnolent womb sounds where all that appears decontextualized suddenly becomes the most logical explanation to every unpleasing doubt. Holloway lights up the path through uncertainty while we gradually get used to the absence of a guideline, prepared to face our worst preoccupations without flinching. - Massimo Ricci, Touching Extremes
Psychic Space Invasion is an one-man band, consisting of Ian Holloway and 'And The Cows Go Mu' is his fourth release. According to the information, this a more meditative release than the previous three. This is the first release in the Liminal Animal drone series, 'the liminal phase is the point during a ritual where the participants is journeying between one state of being and another'. Four lengthy cuts of drone music, made up with a variety of cheap machinery, or it seems to me. Textured sounds swirl in and out of the mix, with the addition of percussive elements. I am not sure if I went to another state, but it was quite a pleasant release. - FDW, Vital
Wales — a land of mystical phenomena, weird musical outfits and strange personalities. Forgive me my naiveness but that’s my personal relation with this country and with the impressions I get from there. So, ok I’m so charmed by Wales that Japan already got into the second place of my top three of the countries I strive to visit.
Psychic Space Invasion is an evident example of the kind of oddity and strangness I desire, sometime I even feel so small infront of such energy, but I can also join it easily. The name of that project stuck into my mind for long. Ok, so what does P.S.I. have in common with cows? Don’t know? Ask a granny (as Lithuanians would say). What I hear is some strange organ music passed through the filter separating from the real cognition. However quite chaotic waves echo, like a mad scientist in the climax of his alchemical experiment. He wonders about his results and moves forward towards the unknown areas. Sometimes he obtains a miserable part of the truth. This truth is shown by the instant waves of expressive organ music. Finally the waves are replaced by short sounds and the space gets filled with mysticism.
The second track reminds me of International Space Weather Orchestra but it is closer to the Earth. Cosmic latitudes filled with organic crackles and synth vibrations remind of a working frequency of a train. Something is happening but far from concrete.
The third track sounds like awakening from the lethargic sleep. Coming back to consciousness, though it reminds me of some death ambient aesthetics: sudden delayed sounds, abstract organic rhytmic and so on.
The last track starts with a middle tone pleasant electronic drone loop, which is later polished with a higher one. The composition becomes even sweeter and eventually some periodic electronic crackles join. It’s very interesting to follow them or just to use this recording as a tool for introversion.
I had quite a strong experience with this release. I was walking in the sacred places at night, listening to this CD, I got very strong connection with the present environment, these very wonderfull moments! Recommended! - Arma, Introspect
‘And the Cows Go Mu’ is a four track affair. No track list or meaningless babble sullies the pristine, arty paper cover. Tracks one and two are Flying Saucer Attack-esque soundscapes of peace, tranquility and warm washes of ambience while track three is more of an ‘Erazerhead’ style nightmare of heavy industry. Sheet metal machine music to soundtrack your Night Nurse-aided bedtimes. Fourth and final track returns to the eerie/ambient vibe somewhat and fades away quietly, leaving you to ponder your lost hopes and dreams. - Mark Ritchie, Sniper Glue
