Phorward

Released

Scottish band The Shamen started out in 1985 as straight-up psyche-rock. By 1987 they were absorbing experimental industrial influences, as shown on their January 1989 In Gorbachev We Trust LP. But their evolution was so rapid that by the time it came out they were already fully immersed in acid house and about to launch their never ending Synergy tour of immersive psychedelic light and live electronic sound. This mini album from later that same year captures the delirium, with stripped back acid remakes of Gorbachev tracks and other iterations of dizzying trance-dancing sounds. Bigger things were coming for The Shamen as a fully-fledged dance act to say the least, but document of a transformation remains some of their best work.

Joe Muggs