Indie Week: Psyche Origami

Psyche Origami is the thinking man's rap music. You may not have heard of Psyche Origami, but chances are you have heard them. They are one of numerous artists featured during [adult swim] bumps. But if that's all you've heard of them, you're missing out. The real unique thing about Psyche Origami is the lyrics. Their second album, The Standard, for example, is a concept album that uses the idea that the body is a vehicle to focus on a metaphorical gas station as a pit stop on the road of life. I'll give you a minute to pick up the pieces of your mind which has obviously just been blown.

Band info:

 4 Turntables: 1 Mic. A State-Of-The-Art Spin on the Foundations of Hip-hop. Dubbed "head-change music," Psyche Origami's material walks the thin line between "conscious" music and "party" music, with a live show that brings the content of the records to an even higher level.

 The three 12" singles cut from "Is Ellipsis," the first Psyche O full length, enjoyed heavy rotation on college radio nationwide and were a favorite of New York's SURE and California's Heavyweights record pools. The singles were also a top seller in the US and Japan through TRC Distribution. In 2004-05, PO toured 36 US markets. Due in large part to the exposure gained through this aggressive tour schedule, "Is Ellipsis" was picked up by RedEye Distribution and is available in Virgin Megastores, Borders Books and Music, Best Buy and an assortment of independent stores nationwide, as well as online through Amazon.com , I-Tunes, and sandboxautomatic.com.

 Sharing the stage with such heavyweights as De La Soul, Jurassic Five, Talib Kweli, and Ludacris, Psyche O has started to make itself known for entertaining shows that bring back the feel of the 'Golden Age' from which it was spawn. This Atlanta bred act has also been fortunate enough to have music featured on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming as well as various MTV and VH1 reality TV shows!

 "Get Gassed Up" was the second single released from the ambitious PO sophomore effort, "The Standard": a thematic album that uses a metaphorical gas station as a backdrop to convey thoughts centered around the idea that if the body is a vehicle, what would the gas station sound like that refueled it. "The Standard" is a mostly lighthearted Hip-hop exploration of the human condition and of the realities we create, and touches on themes such as convenience, motivation, and service. 'The Standard' reached 1 on the CMJ Music charts and held a top ten position for over 6 weeks. The 'Get Gassed Up' single was picked up by Fat Beats Distribution in August of 2006.

 After 'The Standard', Psyche Origami plans on extending its creative range with a project that is less thematic, but just as powerful in message and scope. "The idea is to keep the listeners on their toes. Our fans are a demanding bunch, and each time we raise the bar to satisy our previous fans as well as continuing to rope in new ones", says Mr. Wyzard, emcee/producer of Psyche Origami. With that said, look out for a new Psyche Origami album in 2010.

 Diskography:

• Is Ellipsis (2004)
• The standard (2005)

Tracks of Note:

I'm not going to review the albums because, well, they're quite long. But I will highlight some of my favorite tracks so you can get a feel for their sound.

"Nuff Teef" Is Ellipsis 
This song has one of the best samples ever. You'll see what I mean.

I'd love to figure out where that came from.

"At Last" Is Ellipsis
I think I like this one so much because it sounds like the precursor of title track from The Standard, which is one of their best tracks in, in my opinion. The bass-line is very smooth and relaxing. This is the kind of song to chill to at night.


"Reversing Gravity" Is Ellipsis
The lyrics to this one really make you think. More heavy base in this one as well as jazzy elements, which seem to be a staple in Psyche Origami's music.


"Wherever You Are" The Standard
A great song about how the world is now so connected it's lead to a massive loss of privacy. This one's not on YouTube, so listen here.

"Commercial Property" The Standard
This is seriously one of the best rap songs ever made. It's about commercialism/consumerism. And doesn't that one guy sound like Will Smith?


"The Standard" The Standard
You've most likely heard this track on an [adult swim] bump. But not the whole thing. It's got a great tune, but it's also a great song.


That's just a few of my favorite tracks of theirs, but that's not to say that the others aren't good. On the contrary, both CDs are brilliant. I strongly recommend both of them.