Psychowards emerged in a lively setting, born in the living room of Cloud, alongside his friends Joakim Jähnke and Johan Ohlin, whom he met shortly after relocating from America. The trio rehearsed diligently before heading into the studio to record their debut album, "PATIENTS IN LIFES ASYLUM," which was mastered a week later at Cutting Room by Björn Englemann. Following the mastering, they produced a limited edition white label vinyl of the album. Their intense performances garnered a dedicated following, and after selling 500 copies of the vinyl, the band chose to disband while still at the height of their success. Remarkably, this marks the first time the album has been available since 1990, nearly 20 years later.
The band's live debut took place at V-Dala Nation, part of Uppsala University, and was distinct from other offerings in the music and poetry scene at that time. Psychowards showcased their work at venues such as the Stockholm University of Art (Konstfack) and the Hultsfred Festival, sharing the stage with notable figures like Henry Rollins and Diamanda Galas during the Stockholm Poetry Festival in 1990. Their innovative fusion of spoken word and sound explored various themes, including fear in the track "Under My Bed," sexuality in "Skin Geyser" and "White Well Elevator," and suicide in "Think For Yourself." Their song "She Gives Me What I Need" delved into S&M, while "War Is Cool On TV" gained significant radio play and became a signature track for radio stations across Denmark and Germany, still receiving airtime in various European countries.
The band intentionally disbanded as they sought to avoid redundancy in their creative pursuits. However, a decade later, they contributed a track to a compilation released by Soundfront Records and performed an impromptu gig at Barowiak in Uppsala, featuring two original members along with ten guest guitarists. This performance marked their final appearance.
Fans will soon have the opportunity to purchase the long out-of-print Psychowards album through iTunes and other digital distributors worldwide, along with their singles "Sun’s On A Distant Rise" and "War Is Cool On TV."
PATIENT'S IN LIFES ASYLUM
JOAKIM JÄHNKE – BASS
CLOUD – VOCALS, TEXT, AND MADNESS
JOHAN OHLIN – GUITAR
Recorded at Studio 55, Uppsala, Sweden
Engineered by Thomas Eriksson
Produced by Psychowards & Cloud
Arranged by Cloud
All text written and conceived by Cloud, drawn from the manuscript “Box in My Head,” except "Black," co-written with Joakim Jähnke
All sound composed by Psychowards, except: Untitled - background sound excerpt from compositions titled "Electro Kids Part 1" and "Electro Kids Part 2," featuring Kristina and Zephaniah Cloud on vocals, realized at the California State University - San Bernardino Electronic Music Studio in 1985 by Cloud.
Psychowards theme realized at Studio Upside Down in 1988 and composed by Cloud & Erik Westin. Cloud plays extra guitar on "War Is Cool On TV."
Sampling completed by Psychowards & Toth Freidenfeldt
Special thanks to: Michael Hausswolff, Ulrich Hillebrand, Eric Pauser, Thomas Eriksson, Margo Kubiak, Hjalmar & Lakso Reklambyrå, Kristina & Zephaniah Cloud, Karin, Ewa, Erika, M. Funke, Toth, Rackis, Barowiak, Roger L., Uppsala Musikverkstad, Blinde Argus, Musikörat, Skivboden, Chips/Kent/Hasse/Mikael, Hans, Bengt, Sören, Peo, Zoéga Kaffe, and Radium 226.05.
Following knee surgery, Cloud began writing new music. Johan, who had become a dentist and moved to Dalarna, contacted Joakim to record bass and guitar for some of Cloud's new tracks. These sessions led to two albums: "WARNING! PARENTAL TORMENT IS ADVISED!" and the instrumental album "GLOBAL COOLING DUDE!" Several singles, including "Uppsala May 3," "Coffee," "Handle It," "Ride The Future Out," and "TAN," emerged from these recordings, all completed at Studio Black Tower in Knivsta, Sweden, in 2011.