The Shamen were an experimental
electronic music band, initially formed in
Aberdeen,
Scotland, by Colin Angus (born
24 August 1961), Derek McKenzie (born
27 February 1964), Keith McKenzie (born
30 August 1961) and
Peter Stephenson (born
1 March 1962) in the 1980s as a
psychedelic-influenced
indie rock act. They found credibility as pioneers of rock/dance crossover, before moving on to international commercial success with "
Ebeneezer Goode" and the
Boss Drum 1992 album.
The Shamen were preceded by Alone Again Or, the Love-inspired name under which they recorded their first singles. After their name change, further singles picked up airplay from John Peel. Released in June 1987, The Shamen's first album Drop illustrated their love of 60s psychedelia, with influences such as Love, Syd Barrett and the 13th Floor Elevators.
By mid-1987, frontman Colin Angus was discovering the sounds of early house music pioneers such as S-Express and M/A/R/R/S and increasing his knowledge of the latest studio gadgetry. By September 1987, the Shamen were applying these techniques to their own music, mixing rock guitars, techno and hip-hop rhythms and sampled radio voices to create the prototype rock-dance sound which was to prove so influential to groups like Pop Will Eat Itself, Jesus Jones and EMF. However, the newfound sound proved too radical for co-founder and vocalist Derek McKenzie, who then left the band in late 1987 to study at university. The Shamen were suddenly one crucial player short. Help was at hand in the charismatic form of Will Sinnott (23 December 1960–23 May 1991), aka Will Sin, who joined the group in October 1987, on bass, freeing up Colin Angus to handle vocal and guitar chores.
"Knature of a Girl" was the first record by the Shamen to feature Sinnott, but it wasn't until June's "Jesus Loves Amerika" single that the techno influence began to show. By this stage, Angus and Sinnott had become hooked on the acid house movement taking place in London, and its music and clubs were to exert a massive influence on the pair. Keith McKenzie and Peter Stephenson were less impressed by these new developments, and left the group the following summer, after the January 1989 release of the In Gorbachev We Trust album, which saw the group further enhancing their sound.
