With the 2016 mini-LP
Alienist,
Genesis Breyer P-Orridge's long-running
Psychic TV continue with the hard, guitar-driven psychedelic rock sound prevalent in their 21st century iterations, while nodding to their late-'80s/early-'90s acid house era. Since 2007's
Hell Is Invisible...Heaven Is Her/e, they had been known as
PTV3, but by 2014's voodoo-inspired
Snakes they were back to being billed as simply
Psychic TV, and the cover of
Alienist bears the original name. The group upholds its long-standing tradition of covering iconic songs from across the spectrum of psychedelia and classic rock, stretching back to their mid-'80s rendition of
the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" to latter-day takes on
Hawkwind's "Silver Machine" and
Funkadelic's "Maggot Brain." Here, they begin the program with
Harry Nilsson's eternally awesome "Jump into the Fire," which manages to fit perfectly within the band's repertoire; "Ov Power" from their 1982 debut,
Force the Hand of Chance, was built on a groove that was undoubtedly inspired by
Nilsson's hit.
PTV's interpretation is actually pretty straightforward, although it's three minutes longer than the original
Nilsson Schmilsson album version, including two extended breakdowns, during which
Genesis dwells on the line "We can make each other happy." The album's other cover is a version of
the Creation's "How Does It Feel to Feel," which is once again rather faithful to the original, although
Genesis sings the lyrics with a bit of an extra sleazy swagger. "Alienist" is where
Psychic TV reconnect with their dance influences, although the song's 4/4 disco shuffle is beat on live drums, and the bubbling synthesizers are clearly played in real time rather than programmed or sequenced. The song's bassline isn't too far removed from
the Stone Roses' "Fools Gold."
P-Orridge's lyrics are delivered in a dry monotone, and they're concerned with aliens existing inside the brain, running out of time, and other paranoid thoughts. Ultimately, s/he feels "not alone" and the song's dance groove reflects the song's message of inclusion and togetherness rather than isolation.
Alienist is a short but introspective album, reaching back far into the past for inspiration and connecting with unseen positive forces.