The first CAVE album, "Psychic Psummer," is
back in print after years out of it. Questing
listeners can once again drop the needle on the
launch-pad moment where CAVE came into their own,
evolving into a collective capable of full-length
mastery. Their expertise in collating trippy
dance jams of all colors started here, leading
to further evolutions and triumphs on their
subsequent releases Neverendless, Threace and
last year's Allways.
"Psychic Psummer" was made not long after CAVE
migrated to Chicago from Columbia, Missouri, and
it reflects the hectic loft-style of the their
punk/DIY/house show days. Recorded after a tour
that went bust, leaving them stranded in NYC, and
a subsequent period of silence where everyone
involved considered what next, the sounds of
"Pyschic Psummer" were the sounds of a band
essentially starting over, and are totally in
line with what we know to be THE BEST about CAVE.
Ten years on, these are radical early soundings
of their trademark studio style, with relentless
tempo-keeping, drone-fascination, keys and neat-
cut arrangement/production, alongside guitars
and bass often in overdrive plus dubby, aggro'd-
out chanting in and out of the mix. Fusing their
fascinations with soaring energy, CAVE covered
lots of ground while making an oddly timeless
album. Hopefully this Psummer's the endless one!