REVIEWS
World of Danger
PsychoYogi delivers a World of Danger that perfectly captures today's world: unstable, edgy, teeming with ideas, and deliberately unsettling. PsychoYogi never takes the easy way out. On the contrary, they seem to take a mischievous delight in jolting the listener, drawing them into a universe where rock rubs shoulders with jazz, progressive rock, and a form of baroque, yet profoundly personal, musical theatre.
To achieve this, the album establishes its character from the very first minutes of the eponymous track (the other nine compositions follow) with musical atmospheres that evolve like living organisms, changing rhythm and colour without warning. Angular guitars, expressive brass, mobile bass lines, and playful drums respond to each other in a skilfully controlled chaos. Nothing is static; each track seems capable of veering off at any moment towards fragmented structures and rhythmic breaks reminiscent of progressive rock and the Canterbury scene, while certain improvisations and harmonies flirt with jazz-rock.
Chris Ramsing (Guitar, Vocals), the mastermind behind the band, offers us a density in his compositions that can be disorienting at first, but each subsequent listen to World of Danger reveals a hidden detail, an intention concealed behind an eccentricity that defies standard format. A must-hear!
Gabriel - Prog Critique - 9th January 2026
World of Danger
I will never understand why some great bands get loads of press and comment and others get absolutely nothing. It makes no sense at all to me, but if most of the bands I write about could be described as being underground, then PsychoYogi must have already dug through the molten core of the Earth and are close to coming out somewhere South of New Zealand (yes, I Googled it). I first came across the guys when I was asked to review their fifth album, 2018's 'Accident Prone', since when I have reviewed their next four and now they are back with their tenth.
But, and this is a massive, huge, "but", I am the only person to have reviewed any of these albums on ProgArchives. No-one else, not a single one. Why? Surely it cannot be due to the instrumentation, I mean, progheads like it weird so if the guys want to include both trombone and violin as main instruments why not? The line-up is very stable, with the band again being Chris Ramsing (guitar, vocals), Izzy Stylish (bass), Justin Casey (drums), Ben Woodbine-Craft (violin) and Tim Smart (trombone) and here we again find them playing their own version of Canterbury-inspired Pronk. True, their closest relations are possibly Cardiacs combined with Caravan, with a solid dose of Zappa and The Mothers and even Captain Beefheart, but given the huge love for those bands why have PsychoYogi not been discovered by more progheads? This is a band who are working hard at being truly progressive as opposed to following the regressive norm, yet somehow are being missed by those people who would surely love this if they just gave it some time.
Most people would not think of this as immediate music, wanting to listen to it a few times before deciding on whether it is good or not, but I have long not been normal (ask anyone who knows me) and I love all their releases on first time of playing and then find more each time afterwards. It is eclectic, but to my ears also contains commerciality and melodic references which makes it far easier to get inside than many which are tagged with that sub genre. Their runs and complex duelling are like no other, yet I find it works each and every time. Back in the Seventies there was a TV programme in the UK called "Why don't you just switch off your television set and go and do something less boring instead ..", and I would like to take a leaf from that by saying you should give your ears a rest from the latest mainstream prog and go and listen to something less boring instead. You will not regret it.
Kev Rowland - ProgArchives - 10th March 2026
World of Danger
Monday morning coffee music: ‘World of Danger’, the latest from PsychoYogi. I stand by my previous assessment of these guys: If a ‘Pop’ band could be filed under RIO/Avant-Prog, it’s PsychoYogi. They’re a guitar, bass, drums, trombone, violin, vocals quintet. I especially enjoy songs like ‘Mutual Agenda’, with prominent violin and trombone which gives the music a pleasantly dissonant kind of Fred Frith ‘Gravity’/‘Speechless’ feel. Definitely one of my favourite new band discoveries of the past couple years. Check ‘em out.
Jerry Kranitz
World of Danger
Every year it seems, Chris Ramsing and his ramshackle bunch of aural provocateurs, otherwise known as PsychoYogi release new music, and this year is no different. The rich well of creativity Chris draws from shows no sign of drying up anytime soon either, as the latest release World of Danger proves. If you are familiar with PsychoYogi, you kind of know what to expect. For everyone else, it’s very hard to describe adequately what they sound like, because it’s really unlike anyone else. If you enjoy rather idiosyncratic musical endeavours, such as might be found with bands like Cardiacs, Lost Crowns, A Formal Horse or even Primus, then there’s a very good chance PsychoYogi could be your next great discovery.
Chris Ramsing has a very distinctive vocal delivery, halfway between singing and speaking, and the lyrics are thought provoking barbs aimed at modern life, injustice, stupidity, inequality, and economic and social breakdown. That might not sound like a lot of fun, but Chris has a sense of humour too, and even the more serious themes are wrapped in the unique PsychoYogi musical cloak of unusual melodies, strange lilting rhythms and delightful instrumentation.
The melody is very often carried by the trombone (Tim Smart) and violin (Ben Woodbine-Craft), which complement each other so well, while the inventive rhythm section excels at underpinning these compositions with style, never content to play the obvious. Justin Casey truly plays his drum kit as an instrument every bit as important as the guitar, and enhances the feel of each song with his expressive rhythms. Izzy Stylish is every bit as inventive, playing tricky time signatures with ease, and a wonderful fluidity. Chris Ramsing’s guitar style is individual, but not flamboyant, so can sometimes recede into the background as one is drawn to the rest of the band, but when you focus in, the guitar is always there, adding texture, playing unexpected chords, and occasionally adventurous solo runs of great dexterity and imagination.
World of Danger opens with the title track, and one of the best cuts on the album. For Chris, as with many of us I suspect, our technological world presents challenges.
“Oh my, there isn’t any WiFi, I forgot the password, feeling like a tech nerd. Brain fail, don’t wanna be in tech jail, Feeling like a stranger, in a world of danger”
Musically, it is one of the more elaborate compositions, with a slightly ominous feeling of paranoia, and a complex construction, yet despite this, it is accessible and entertaining. Chris plays a typically off the wall guitar solo, later echoed by a similarly off kilter trombone solo. After a false ending, further guitar exploration nudges the piece to its conclusion.
Sometimes follows, and is a rather more personal song with a waltzing rhythm as Ramsing seems to reminisce on an old friendship. It’s a touching interlude, leading to a bit of a rant on Blue in Rap City. It’s a jazz/blues piece as one might reasonably expect from the amusing title, and Ramsing bemoans the predictability of pop music culture.
“They only count to four and play the same old chord, They took away the melody and now I’m bored. They took away the music, it’s a tragedy, And that is why I’m feeling blue in rap city”
It’s funny, but in a way sums up why a band like PsychoYogi are so important. They aren’t the sort of band you’re going to hear on the radio, unless you listen to quite esoteric programs, simply because they aren’t, and never will be mainstream. It would be nice though if they could be embraced by a few more music fans who might never hear them.
Moron is a reworking of a song from 2020’s Dangerous Devices, and sounds quite different five years on.
“How can we all be living in a world avoiding truth? Ignorance is bliss, grandma was proof. She overdosed on tea, it was the only thing to do. But I always laughed when she said ‘are you a moron too?”
Ramsing’s humour finds further expression on Do That Dance, as any introverts among us will readily identify.
“Standing in a crowded room feeling so alone. Parties always bring me down, can I go home?”
Serious subjects are also tackled though, such as arms sales to oppressive regimes (Mutual Agenda), ecological disaster and human apathy (For The Future), and the haunting final song Wonder Why.
“There’s something troubling me, I can’t begin to see Why children starve to please the rich. I’m sure you all agree, and what will be will be”
There’s a resignation it seems, and yet In Sight of the Goal which precedes it is far more hopeful. Through it all though, the music weaves a rich tapestry of lilting rhythms, a folky simplicity despite the complex melodies, and an almost punk aesthetic which is captivating, creative and delights with each successive listen. World of Danger is another triumph for PsychoYogi, and I earnestly hope it gets the attention it deserves.
Graham Thomas - The Progressive Aspect - 29th December 2025
World of Danger
Chris Ramsing’s band PsychoYogi is hard to describe, Is it jazz? Yes, is it prog? Yes. Is it punk? Yes, but not in the one chord, we can’t play way, but more in the fantastic, leftish, lyrics.. PsychoYogi have their roots firmly in the Canterbury scene. I love that. Their recent new album World of Danger is an absolutely lovely listen. Chris has a singing voice that reminds me of Robert Wyatt without sounding like him. His guitar is never upfront, but it’s there and without it the songs would sound totally different. The whole band sounds great, Drummer Justin Casey elevates every songs with very musical playing, while bassist Izzy Stylish is his exceptional companion. All songs are melodically lead by the trombone (Tim Smart) and violin (Ben Woodbine-Craft). These guys know their craft.
OK, how to describe the album? Think Soft Machine in their early days, think Hatfield and the North, think Matching Mole, but more the feel than the actual music.
I won’t go into the individual songs. They are hard to describe. But I’ve enjoyed and I’m still enjoying this album to the fullest. Gets better with every spin. If you love the Canterbury scene, this is a must buy!
Arne van Os van den Abeelen edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen - Background Magazine
World of Danger
PsychoYogi – World of Danger – They do a lot more than just count to four and play the same old chord. Feels like PsychoYogi have almost been this year’s house band on the Other Rock Show and now the London five piece (Izzy Stylish? Really?) have a rather easy on the ear yet deeply challenging new album that you really should try and check out if you have a moment. In their own words; “the music is challenging, though accessible. Containing an abundance of unusual time signatures and rich chord structures for your musical imagination, with lyrics that question western social values” – and it is rich, beautifully rich and just maybe unique? They are kind of smooth, they flow so well, they’ve got a grip on how the whole thing is working even if they don’t want to do that dance. They do sound like a band to dance to, which really, with all unusual musical moves they maybe shouldn’t be?
I know what yer gonna say you bloody morons, bleedin’ ‘ell, it really is a world of a danger out there and all that gardening and trying to catch the ten to eight ’cause morons can’t be late and we’re running out of time and the problem can’t be neglected if we’re going to avoid disaster. And here where chaos reigns supreme and sanity is just a dream, but this does sound like sanity however far away paradise might be locked in this room with just wi-fi and a TV? Family of man lost and divided? Doves failing to fly?
Is this PsychoYogi’s best album yet? It certainly feels like their most distinctive; never twee when it could be. No, they’re not twee, there’s an attitude here, they sound like they’re singing about nice cups of tea when actually, hang on, he’s trying to bring down the government and those who only count to four and play the same old chord, those playing for the company as his dreams become his nightmares. PsychoYogi are delightfully subversive, more tea vicar? No, they don’t want to be a statistic in anyone’s struggle for power, what are we going to do? Yet another brilliant album (sorry about all these brilliant albums…). Off to the land of wonder why, another one you need to check out…
Marina Organ - ORGANTHING
World of Danger
PsychoYogi are a UK prog band formed in 2010 and led by guitarist/vocalist/composer Chris Ramsing. The line up has evolved since their 2011 debut but has stabilized over the last few releases. Chris recently reached out to me to review the band’s latest album “A World of Danger”, released on November 28, 2025. As with my previous review, while it is not brand new or pre-release, it is certainly not an “old” album. This is their tenth studio album. According to Chris:
“There is no theme, the main thing that connects the tunes is the downfall of mankind in the 21st century, each song has its own story…” As always, I receive no additional compensation other than the review copy of the album, and I always call it like I hear it. This is a cold listen. The line up for the album is:
- Chris Ramsing / guitar, vocal - Izzy Stylish / bass - Tim Smart / trombone - Ben Woodbine-Craft / violin - Justin Casey / drums
(How many prog bands sport a full-time trombonist? I would suspect there are few others, if any!)
Track 1 - World of Danger (5:55)
Jumping right in with the title track. It begins with a cool jazzy rhythm, and Tim Smart’s trombone is prominent from the get-go. This has a very cool groove. The vocals could come out a little more but still sounds good. Chris has a reverse-recorded guitar solo at around the 2-minute mark. Loving the vibe of this. The arrangement is very creative. Izzy and Justin are a very talented rhythm section. The feeling is slightly sinister, like a film noir gangster. This really lives up to its title and sets the stage for a world of danger.
Track 2 - Sometimes (2:49)
This stays jazzy, but with a different groove. Lots of timing changes. I like Justin’s cymbal work; not to mention the guiro and other assorted percussion novelties. The overall effect is slightly disorienting and implies a bit of a break with sanity. The closing verse kind of sums it up: In the asylum we’re safe for a while and there’s no expectations of who we should be, time doesn’t matter and words have no meaning and less information is key.
Another very cool track, albeit a short one!
Track 3 - Blue in Rap City (3:05)
The title is certainly a play on George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”. The jazzy vibes continue, this time in a “joyfully strutting down the street” kind of way. This is such a unique sounding band! This one has a bit of a swing to it, but some odd meters keep you guessing. Izzy is walking all over the bass! Chris plays some classic jazz solos along the way. Tim Smart’s trombone is very prominent. Ben Woodbine-Craft’s violin, thus far, hasn’t stood out, but has contributed in an ensemble serving fashion. Another fun, unique track!
Track 4 - Mutual Agenda (2:59)
The bass and drums play a few short rhythmic phrases, then, right on cue, the band kicks in and Ben is featured on violin. I promise this is a cold listen, typed in real time as I play each track. The contrasts between the instrumental segments are very interesting. The instrumental phrases are like a big band jazz thing, but the verses have vocals with guitar with a chorus effect on it. Another track that is unlike anything I have ever heard! (That’s a good thing).
Track 5 - The Strangest Places (3:01)
An air of mystery and Eastern flavour surrounds this one. Again, I’d like the vocals to be more out front. This feels like a snake-charmer dance. Super-cool! These guys are very talented! I like it! Just wish it were longer!
Track 6 - Do That Dance (2:26)
As we might expect, the jazziness continues. This one is a bit “sultry”. The lyrics deal with individualism, and not falling in line with the crowd: I don’t want to do that dance, smoke that thing or wear those pants, Parties make me feel remote, help me find the antidote. I don’t want to pierce my nose, shave my head or decompose, fake a smile to win romance, I don’t want to do that dance. A quick, fun little track.
Track 7 - Moron (2:56)
This has a tom-tom, smoky night club from back in the day, kind of a vibe. Very quirky! Middle Eastern style melodies help flavor the sound. Another cool, but short, jazzy track.
Track 8 - For the Future (4:30)
Belly-dance vibes abound! Very syncopated rhythms and odd meters are a big part of this. I like the unison instrumental phrases that are as tight as can be. This one makes me bob my head as I’m listening and typing. I like the vocal layering in the closing vocal section. The instruments take over to close it out. Cool tune!
Track 9 - In Sight of the Goal (4:15)
This one is also very syncopated, but not as bouncy as its predecessor. Much of it is in a meter of 7. Their arrangements are all so uniquely “them”. Good track, but maybe not the strongest track on the album.
Track 10 - Wonder Why (3:52)
This one is a little bluesy; yet proggy too. Chris has such a nice, clean guitar tone. The trombone is what really gives the band their flavour. The final verse really asks a profound question:
There’s something troubling me, I can’t begin to see, why children starve to please the rich, I’m sure you all agree and what will be will be.
Kind of the state of the world right now.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:
This album goes to show that progressive isn’t always defined by long tracks and head-spinning technically difficult phrases. That should not imply that this isn’t a very talented band; they indeed are quite talented. This was a very difficult album for me, not in the sense of not liking it–I liked it a lot–but rather in the sense of having references jump into my mind for points of comparison. While I was aware of PsychoYogi prior to hearing this album, I hadn’t heard very much until now. That is a situation that I intend to rectify, as I have added every available album to my streaming library. They don’t sound like anyone that I am familiar with. And that is no easy task with there being so much music out there to listen to under the prog umbrella. Overall, I give this a 4.5 out of 5 (90%). If you already know PsychoYogi, then you already know it’s unique. If, like me before listening to this album, you don’t know them, I would highly recommend checking them out. If their earlier albums are anything like this one, they have carved out a unique niche in our prog world.
Link to articleScott Rich - Scott's Song-By-Song Spotlight - 4th September 2026
Astro Therapy Brain Repair
A new PsychoYogi album is a reason to celebrate as far as I’m concerned. Chris Ramsing and his band make music quite unlike anyone else, and yet it is instantly recognisable as PsychoYogi. Their new album, released last week, is called Astro Therapy Brain Repair, and I’m happy to report that it continues their quirky individual style of avant prog which many of us have grown to love.
They employ trombone (Tim Smart) and violin (Ben Woodbine-Craft) to augment the guitar/bass/drums set up, which gives many of the songs a folky jazz edge, but the peculiar time signatures, chord structures and vocal delivery give them a distinctly avant slant. Whilst this might make them ‘difficult’ for some, once their songs get under your skin, you’ll be hooked, because the off kilter melodies are insidious, worming their way into your brain where they become comfortably at home...
read moreGraham Thomas - 16th November 2024 The Progressive Aspect
Astro Therapy Brain Repair
Here we have the ninth album from PsychoYogi, the fifth I have heard, and I am somewhat amazed to see that to date I am the only person who has reviewed those releases on PA which is nothing short of a crime. PsychoYogi are one of those bands who in some ways really fit the old art rock definition as they are definitely quite different to most of the prog scene, as while they are very English they also incorporate Zappa and Canterbury among some jazz and theatrics, while at all times also channelling plenty of Cardiacs. It seems very strange to me that fans of that band have yet to investigate these guys who are wonderfully active.
There has been a slight line-up change from the last album in that Toby Nowell is not involved this time around, with the rest of the guys still here, Chris Ramsing (guitar, vocals), Izzy Stylish (bass), Justin Casey (drums), Ben Woodbine-Craft (violin) and Tim Smart (trombone ? Tim joined The Specials in 2008 and stayed there until the band broke up following the death of Terry Hall in 2022).
Kev Rowland - 19th October 2024 Progarchives
Dangerous Devices
It was only earlier this year that I was reviewing PsychoYogi's last album, 2018's 'Accident Prone', and now I have had the opportunity to listen to their latest, 'Dangerous Devices'. There has been an expansion in the recording line-up since the last album, with Chris Ramsing (guitar, vocals), Justin Casey (drums), Izzy Stylish (bass) and John Macnaughton (alto and tenor sax) being joined by Toby Nowell (trumpet, alto & soprano sax). But as Toby and John only play together on one track I wonder if there has actually been an overlapping line-up change. This is progressive rock which also owes a great deal to jazz, with brass instrumentation being incredibly important to the overall sound. At times it is almost as if Hatfield and the North and Cardiacs have got together, but with more horns. The guitar is often staccato, the bass incredibly melodic, while the drums are more often to be found playing jazz structures than rock.
This combination of left field weirdness is incredibly commercial and so very easy to listen to ' at least to my poor abused ears: those who tend to sit firmly in the mainstream may find this just a little too out there for their taste. It is music which refuses to be pigeonholed, so while one may say this is Canterbury inspired pronk, that really does miss the point. This is truly experimental music that contains pop elements, jazz which refuses to conform to the norms of that genre, and when they go off on a complete tangent on 'Sooner Than Now' it sounds both ridiculous and in total keeping with the music all at the same time. Here is a band who are deliberately refuse to conform to anyone's expectations: they describe themselves as Leftfield Punk Jazz which is probably as good a description as any. It tells you all you need to know, in that if you want to hear something different which is incredibly easy to enjoy on first playing and just gets better, then this is it.
Kev Rowland - Progarchives
Dangerous Devices
“The music is challenging, though accessible. Containing an abundance of unusual time signatures and rich chord structures for your musical imagination, with lyrics that question western social values.”
That’s how PsychoYogi describe their music and it is an astute description but, for the layman I choose to say that it is the most madcap, leftfield music I’ve heard in a long while. It is music that doesn’t belong in any category and that ploughs its own resolute furrow.
Imagine if Hatfield and the North arrived in a time machine, met up with Billy Bottle and the Multiple, The Cardiacs and Gong and decided to jam (I know, just humour me here please!) and thenHenry Cow stole the time machine and gatecrashed the party.
That’s ‘Dangerous Devices’ in a nutshell. Sounds like utter mayhem and chaos doesn’t it? But, what you get is something that, by rights, I shouldn’t like but I do! It’s madcap, infused with lashings of gentle humour and fills you with not a little joy before exiting stage left after a mere thirty-seven minutes running time.
There’s a feel of mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun to this album and I think that comes from Chris Ramsing and his very precise elocution on the vocals that give it a not insubstantial air of bon viveur and slight aloofness. The music is an utter joy to listen to with Chris’s stylish guitar and the jazz infused bass of Izzy Stylish (yep, he is!) giving a classy touch to songs like the irrepressible title track Dangerous Devices, Masterplan and my personal favourite, Sooner Than Now.
That particular song also sees the wonderful brass of Toby Nowell (Trumpet, Soprano and Alto Sax) and John Macnaughton (Tenor and Alto Sax) given free rein to add a touch of mysticism to the album. Their undoubted skills are on show throughout this unique recording and really enforce the English eccentricity that is at its core.
Holding everything together is Justin Casey (Drums and Percussion) who adds the glue that holds everything together with his excellence behind the kit but these musicians are all masters of their particular dark arts.
So lend your ears to brilliant compositions like Master Plan, Common As Muck, Shadows and the peculiar charms of Words Unspoken and enjoy a journey through the unparalleled bewitchery that PsychoYogi create, you will not experience anything else quite like it.
Martin Hutchinson - Progradar
Accident Prone
Good things are worth waiting for!
Let me take the opportunity to congratulate you: I think this is the first time when I’ve bought four albums of any band during the same evening when I actually heard the band for the first time.
As a prog rock fan always looking for new horizons and having been lured in with the dreamy cover picture of Accident Prone while (virtually) window shopping in Bandcamp, I found it irresistibly refreshing how your music has the somewhat familiar vibe of jazzy progressive rock but also IS progressive in the sense of being still completely different and quite impossible to categorise — in the truly progressive spirit.
While first listening to the said album, I tried to draw parallels between what I heard and the classic prog bands in my collection, but instead of any direct comparison the closest I got was a vision of Gentle Giant recording a soundtrack to Tim Burton's stop-motion animation about a haunted circus with Frank Zappa occasionally wandering into the room (and that’s definitely a positive description!).
To me it sounds like you’re doing exactly what you want, which is the only thing an artist should ever have to care about.
Juuso
Accident Prone
New Ways of Losing sees free-from jazz meet stubborn 70's Prog complete with cape and flared trousers, title track Accident Prone sees The Dave Brubeck Quartet meet 70's era King Crimson and Party For One is like Iggy Pop on weed and acid at the same time. There is never a dull moment throughout this innovative and captivating release, main man Chris Ramsing has a unique vocal style that blends spoken word with what is considered traditional as his lilting voice beguiles you.
'Accident Prone' is a forty minute musical journey through a warped but incredibly intelligent mind and you will be a changed person when you come out the other side after taking in the delights of songs such as Reasons To Pretend and Corporate Shoes with their knowing smiles and dry wit. Remember when you first started watching Lost? You may wonder what the hell is going on but you'll be really enjoying yourself finding out....
Progradar
Shrine
Last year I got to know Psychoyogi's music due to the facebook contact with their axe-man Chris Ramsing, and I have to say, I am lucky to be introduced to these low-profile prog bands because they always have something interesting to share. This is a trio of talented musicians whose music cannot be catalogued as classic progressive rock, instead, you will find here the jazzy side of prog with evident Zappa-esque textures. The band has released four albums, Shrine being their latest, released in 2016. It is a short 34-minute album of 9 tracks that will make you have a good time... read more
Progarchives.com
Shrine
Psychoyogi's fourth album, Shrine, is mandatory listening for anyone who likes their prog to be musically challenging and intellectually stimulating - like a sharper-edged, 21st-century version of Gentle Giant. Combining jazzy grooves, Canterbury-inspired melodic sensibilities and a generous pinch of punk attitude, the nine short, yet subtly-complex songs will keep the listener on their toes.
Weekendprog - Something For The Weekend?
Imagine King Crimson, Jethro Tull, Tom Waits, Zappa, Captain Beefheart and the BBC Youth Jazz Orchestra all playing together. There is some phenomenal playing on here - probably one of the best bunch of musicians that have graced this page.
Rhythm Magazine, UK
A curious racket which borrows from the likes of Frank Zappa and King Crimson... but which stands convincingly on its own two feet.
TNT, England
Psychoyogi are more then a little different. When others are content to cash in on trendy musical resurgences, they attempt what is perhaps, the impossible, a new direction in music. Inconstant time signatures and a rejection of docile adherence to a single musical style are the characteristics of a group that actively seek to challenge their audience. They maintain the stylistic vertigo of They Might Be Giants but are even more disjointed, rendering their work somehow equally transparent and oblique, understandable yet initially inaccessible.
Beat Magazine (Australia)
Psychoyogi has combined an eclectic medley of musical styles to produce a sound that is truly unique. Incorporating a wide range of instruments, Psychoyogi fuse together the sounds of jazz and cabaret, classical and rock to create music, which is stimulating through its very diversity.
They weave Eastern musical strains throughout the songs, with strings moving in haunting, mystical patterns. Chris Ramsing's vocals are distinctive and strong as he entertains listeners with lyrics, which are colourful and often eccentric. Spirited and unconventional, Psychoyogi produce music which belong in a black comic opera! At the same time the jazz arrangements are definitive and strong, keeping the song beats swinging, and the instrumental collusion tongue-in-cheek. In all, Psychoyogi have produced an album whose sound defies practical classification. It is necessary to check this one out for yourself.
Tharunka magazine (Australia)
Dangerous Devices
As with Psychoyogi. Who despite being a mouthful had a gig in June to promote Opulent Trip. PsychoYogi sound like they like to listen to lots of quirky English 60's band like Giles, Giles and Fripp whose angular jazz like leanings and oh so English tales of funny people they delivery with great accuracy. I also detect Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and Soft Machine. The ghost of Kevin Ayers looms large. Singer/guitarist Chris Ramsing holds the thing together with a guitar thats a bright thing with many quick changing chords on it that runs to tinkly solos as the bass plucks out back notes. His voice resembles that of a 1920's crooner meets Viv Stanshall singing into a lozenged shape microphone.
Short instrumentals of the kind heard during afternoon spa recitals are sprinkled throughout but the actual songs are the stand outs. These guys can really play too as evinced in 'Shadows' with its breathy delivery and Zappa like sharp turns in the chord department. I found myself curiously drawn to their work but only because I do like the likes of Giles, Giles and Fripp and Soft Machine and some of Zappa's more quirky output. If those names don't mean anything to you then you may find their output totally alien but I do recommend you at least give them a go, but not before putting on your smoking jacket on first of course.
Idwal Fisher
Amazed by their incredible complex Canterbury / progy / punky / jazzy sound. Complex and relaxed rhythms trigger the mind at the same time.
Carlo Van De Valk