Psapp
Psapp (pronounced sap) is an experimental electronica band from the United … Read Full Bio ↴Psapp (pronounced sap) is an experimental electronica band from the United Kingdom. The band, a duo consisting of members Carim Clasmann and Galia Durant, are sometimes credited with inventing a musical style known as toytronica.
Galia Durant’s story began in a household running amok with records, art and books. Galia’s mum collected protest songs while her dad is a professorial art historian with an encyclopaedic knowledge of Indian classical music. Galia “loved it all,” finding no real distinction between Woody Guthrie peacenik anthems, Sarangi etudes and her elder brother’s acid jazz albums. After struggling to learn violin and piano (she preferred her 1988 vintage Casio SK-8 sampling keyboard, which the band still use), at 8, Galia graduated from a more-ideas-than-action ‘band’, “GO”, formed with her brother.
Carim Clasmann’s musical youth was spent in German recording studios learning the alchemical business of faders, compressors and microphones. A self-professed failure at the school recorder and a frustrated guitarist, he dabbled in music-making while cutting demos for other people. Quickly rising through the Cologne studio ranks, Carim learned his chops recording bands like Einstürzende Neubauten and Die Toten Hosen and even worked at Can’s famous Inner Space studio, always dallying with music of his own on the side. He moved to London at the close of the ‘90s, working and then taking up residence at the King’s Cross studio/house he and Psapp currently call home.
Carim met Galia through mutual, musically-inclined friends who would often gather at the studio. For a year or so the duo experimented, united by an eclectic taste for Tom Waits, the Cure, Erik Satie, Duke Ellington and “anything that’s silly and uses stupid noises.” Their own ‘silly noises’ married to Galia’s sultry vocals and perspicacious lyrics produced recordings of shimmering originality and nascent charm - an opinion shared by the handful of labels to which Psapp, as they’d by now christened themselves, sent demos toward the end of 2002. A litany of recordings duly followed. Early 2003’s debut EP for Melodic called, instructively, Do Something Wrong was followed by a single, "Difficult Key", the following Autumn. After seeing a live show by Morr Music electronicists ISAN and befriending the band’s Robin Saville, Psapp’s next recordings would appear on Saville’s own Arable imprint, with Winter ‘04’s Buttons And War EP attracting rave notices.
Around this time several Psapp tracks found their way to US music consultants who were universally wowed by the band’s evocative charms. The duo’s music seemed to chime with the TV zeitgeist and their music started to seep into primetime dramas (not to mention a very high profile Volkswagen advert), culminating in the track Cosy In The Rocket being chosen as the theme music to hit ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, which premiered in March 2005. At a stroke, burgeoning inquisitiveness about Psapp turned into an eager US fanbase. Meanwhile, in King’s Cross, dust wasn’t being allowed to settle. A Japanese EP, Northdown appeared in March 2004, swiftly followed by a vinyl-only 4-track nugget, Rear Moth for the discreet Wiaiwya imprint – some tracks from which would appear on the band’s debut album for Arable (also licensed to Leaf for the US and Canada, Third Ear in Japan and Gronland for much of Europe). Released in February 2005, Tiger, My Friend consolidated the burgeoning interest in all things Psapp. MOJO magazine’s four star review – “Arresting, childlike pop confections… effortlessly carved pop sophistication…” was typically hyperbolic. With Psapp duly rising, the major labels soon came a-courting but by autumn 2005 Psapp had spurned their fevered advances, preferring to ink a deal with Domino.
Toward the close of ’05 Psapp embarked on their first live ventures. Translating their records’ layered complexity to the stage was never going to be easy, but with the multi-instrumental Galia and Carim joined by Gwen Cheeseman (violin, floatation toys), Eshan Khadaroo (drums, lumps of wood), and Jim Whelan (bass, keyboards, ashtrays etc), (joined in 2008 by Matt Jones (keyboardist, Ultrasound, Minuteman)), Psapp took to the road around the UK and Europe, eventually honing an exhilarating, ‘in the flesh’ version of their incomparable recorded sound. Initial touring forays successfully completed, Psapp set about buffing their second album to lustrous perfection, pausing only to head down to the Dorchester Hotel to pick up the BMI Award for 2005’s Best TV Theme Tune for ‘Cosy In The Rocket’.
Psapp are known for their humour on stage, throwing cats (hand-made by the band) into the audience and their highly eclectic music videos.
Galia Durant’s story began in a household running amok with records, art and books. Galia’s mum collected protest songs while her dad is a professorial art historian with an encyclopaedic knowledge of Indian classical music. Galia “loved it all,” finding no real distinction between Woody Guthrie peacenik anthems, Sarangi etudes and her elder brother’s acid jazz albums. After struggling to learn violin and piano (she preferred her 1988 vintage Casio SK-8 sampling keyboard, which the band still use), at 8, Galia graduated from a more-ideas-than-action ‘band’, “GO”, formed with her brother.
Carim Clasmann’s musical youth was spent in German recording studios learning the alchemical business of faders, compressors and microphones. A self-professed failure at the school recorder and a frustrated guitarist, he dabbled in music-making while cutting demos for other people. Quickly rising through the Cologne studio ranks, Carim learned his chops recording bands like Einstürzende Neubauten and Die Toten Hosen and even worked at Can’s famous Inner Space studio, always dallying with music of his own on the side. He moved to London at the close of the ‘90s, working and then taking up residence at the King’s Cross studio/house he and Psapp currently call home.
Carim met Galia through mutual, musically-inclined friends who would often gather at the studio. For a year or so the duo experimented, united by an eclectic taste for Tom Waits, the Cure, Erik Satie, Duke Ellington and “anything that’s silly and uses stupid noises.” Their own ‘silly noises’ married to Galia’s sultry vocals and perspicacious lyrics produced recordings of shimmering originality and nascent charm - an opinion shared by the handful of labels to which Psapp, as they’d by now christened themselves, sent demos toward the end of 2002. A litany of recordings duly followed. Early 2003’s debut EP for Melodic called, instructively, Do Something Wrong was followed by a single, "Difficult Key", the following Autumn. After seeing a live show by Morr Music electronicists ISAN and befriending the band’s Robin Saville, Psapp’s next recordings would appear on Saville’s own Arable imprint, with Winter ‘04’s Buttons And War EP attracting rave notices.
Around this time several Psapp tracks found their way to US music consultants who were universally wowed by the band’s evocative charms. The duo’s music seemed to chime with the TV zeitgeist and their music started to seep into primetime dramas (not to mention a very high profile Volkswagen advert), culminating in the track Cosy In The Rocket being chosen as the theme music to hit ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, which premiered in March 2005. At a stroke, burgeoning inquisitiveness about Psapp turned into an eager US fanbase. Meanwhile, in King’s Cross, dust wasn’t being allowed to settle. A Japanese EP, Northdown appeared in March 2004, swiftly followed by a vinyl-only 4-track nugget, Rear Moth for the discreet Wiaiwya imprint – some tracks from which would appear on the band’s debut album for Arable (also licensed to Leaf for the US and Canada, Third Ear in Japan and Gronland for much of Europe). Released in February 2005, Tiger, My Friend consolidated the burgeoning interest in all things Psapp. MOJO magazine’s four star review – “Arresting, childlike pop confections… effortlessly carved pop sophistication…” was typically hyperbolic. With Psapp duly rising, the major labels soon came a-courting but by autumn 2005 Psapp had spurned their fevered advances, preferring to ink a deal with Domino.
Toward the close of ’05 Psapp embarked on their first live ventures. Translating their records’ layered complexity to the stage was never going to be easy, but with the multi-instrumental Galia and Carim joined by Gwen Cheeseman (violin, floatation toys), Eshan Khadaroo (drums, lumps of wood), and Jim Whelan (bass, keyboards, ashtrays etc), (joined in 2008 by Matt Jones (keyboardist, Ultrasound, Minuteman)), Psapp took to the road around the UK and Europe, eventually honing an exhilarating, ‘in the flesh’ version of their incomparable recorded sound. Initial touring forays successfully completed, Psapp set about buffing their second album to lustrous perfection, pausing only to head down to the Dorchester Hotel to pick up the BMI Award for 2005’s Best TV Theme Tune for ‘Cosy In The Rocket’.
Psapp are known for their humour on stage, throwing cats (hand-made by the band) into the audience and their highly eclectic music videos.
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Psapp Lyrics
8. King Kong Ah nah nah nah Ah nah nah nah Ah nah nah nah Ah…
About Fun Take me to a big park Take me to the zoo I…
Always in My Head One step just behind me One stretch is out of hand Some…
Apple Block I'll never be a marine biologist I'll never be a priest I…
Bone Marrow Climb aboard the broken mule Climb aboard today Oh anybody…
Calm Down Bee Sippin' sweet From each part to unfurl The wax and th…
Chapter Give me back my album The shapes change though we're…
Cosy in the Climb, climb into the rocket And we set the fuse to…
Curuncula Oh, go slow You got gold in your fist Eat my hope And…
Dad's Breakdown I once wrote the reasons for having the nervous breakdown…
Dirt Is Falling Leave our things Leave them wrapped in dust Protect our th…
Do Something Wrong To get to the lamppost before the car Clicking light switch…
Eating Spiders There's a man in the street Who tells me that he…
Everybody Wants to Be a Cat Everybody wants to be a cat Because the cat's the only…
Everything Belongs to the Sun Everything belongs to the sun Everything belongs to the sun…
Feel the Fur You're like wax in a mold And you're leaving the fold For…
Fickle Ghost I have got to go Let me ride upon your handlebars Did…
Fix It Put me in the spotlight Oh, I love the white heat Is…
Grand Opening Yeah, that's right! You know what I'm talking about Welcome …
Happy Lamb Keep a hot thought in your head And when you're glowing…
Hi Hello Get out the abacus and count this A funny story with…
Hill of Our Home We've left our homes, For the dusty road, Though it…
I Want That I forgot that there is something hiding in me I know…
Ice Weasel Cold days have only done What I've been meaning to do…
In and Out Tell me something I don't know Tell me why I go…
In My Head One step just behind me One stretch is out of hand Some…
In the Black I found you in the forest And your bed was made…
Infra Red Your spit still clings to bottles in the fridge It brings…
Kevin Paccashio Back when I was in the seventh grade, We used to…
King Kong Ah nah nah nah Ah nah nah nah Ah nah nah nah Ah…
King of You Where's the bone, where's the sack? Where's these things of …
King Og You Where's the bone, where's the sack? Where's these things of…
Leaving In Coffins You used to come, come around the house Now everything you'v…
Make Up Eat up your shame you did not choose to be this…
Mister Ant I see the bricks you bake I see the wood you…
Needle & Thread You're on your last legs Don't need me There is no bac…
Needle and Thread You're on your last legs Don't need me There is no backup …
New Rubbers Come now, come and mourn me It's so easy Now I'm gone My…
Parker A witch hunt A sip of cream A hot tempered bleeding queen …
Part Like Waves Piece me together out of the things that you see I'm…
Pocket (I) (I) In case I ever miss (I, I, I) In case I ever…
Rear Moth Hmmmm You're a lovely fade out You're the last part of a…
Sad Song Everybody hates you, won't tell you why Letter from the doc…
Scissory Mom says it doesn't matter If no one else can see Take…
Screws Are we really going now? Will you get us out of…
Seven You've been my friend You've been my door You've been the …
Side Dish From your point of view Things look skewed Like when you're …
Somewhere There Is a Record of Our Actions You're one dotted line That I can't sign Yet, I'm a boat I…
That I forgot that there is something hiding in me I know…
That's the Spirit Hurry up and let me in It's freezing by the door Why…
The Camel's Back I'm going out with you I don't know what else to…
The Counter Siphon off top layers Leave an etching in the dirt Tracing…
The Monster Song Look out the door, That's what it's for And tell me what…
The Well and the Wall I wrote a page But no one would read I wore the…
The Words Oh Do you remember All the seconds You are awake Yes We…
This Way Your milky black eyes, resting on me. Your hand's like pap…
Tiger You're always the same, you're always the same You're alway…
Tiger My Friend You're always the same, you're always the same You're always…
Tricycle You know and I know How we work and how we…
Upstairs Teach me the way To be humble and good To be quiet…
Velvet Pony Keep the pony in his pen Pony . . . pen Keep…
Wet Box Four o'clock, three o'clock And he was gone! Four o'clock,…
Wet Salt I taste the wet salt, old dirt, hot sweat Of anyone…
What Makes Us Glow I've lived to be seen But you've always been enough when…
Who Knows My Ohs Take off the years nobody hears as we undue this Shut,…
Your Hot Knife Run run run Get your daughters off your back And all the…