The Shamen – En-Tact

The Shamen – En-Tact

Originally released in 1990, En-Tact is the fourth studio album by Scottish electronic pioneers The Shamen, and a key record in the transition from the psychedelic underground towards the British rave and acid-house explosion of the early 1990s. The album was the first Shamen release to feature Mr. C and represents the group embracing club culture, sampling, electronic production and dance-floor experimentation.

This edition opens with "Move Any Mountain", the track that would become The Shamen's major commercial breakthrough. Originally developed from "Pro›gen", the song was reworked for its 1991 single release and reached No. 4 in the UK Singles Chart. Its infectious techno-pop hook and driving dance rhythm helped take The Shamen from the underground rave scene into the mainstream.

The remainder of En-Tact demonstrates just how deeply the group were connected to the wider electronic music scene. "Human NRG (Massey)" brings in the production influence of Graham Massey of 808 State, while "Possible Worlds: Deep PSI", "Omega Amigo", "Hyperreal Orbit" and "Lightspan" move between acid house, techno, ambient electronics and psychedelic dance music. One Little Independent Records describes "Omega Amigo" as an early ambient classic, while identifying "Move Any Mountain", "Make It Mine" and "Hyperreal Orbit" as infectious techno-pop anthems.

The album's remarkable guest production and remix credits underline its importance within the early-1990s dance underground. Contributors and remixers connected with the project include Paul Oakenfold, William Orbit, Graham Massey, Orbital, Evil Eddie Richards, The Beatmasters, Meat Beat Manifesto, Joey Beltram, Tommy Musto, The Irresistible Force and Caspar Pound. This makes En-Tact not simply a Shamen album, but a fascinating snapshot of the rapidly developing British and international rave culture surrounding it.

The revised sequence represented here contains the versions that became particularly associated with En-Tact's commercial breakthrough, including "Evil Is Even (Edit)", "Hyperreal Orbit", "Make It Mine", "Oxygen Restriction" and "Hear Me". The album reached No. 31 on the UK Albums Chart, with further chart activity following in 1991 as the popularity of "Move Any Mountain" brought new attention to the record.

For collectors of The Shamen, acid house, rave, techno, early-1990s electronic music and British dance culture, En-Tact is an essential period document. It captures a band reinventing themselves at precisely the moment when psychedelic rock, house, techno and rave were beginning to collide, paving the way for the more commercially successful Boss Drum in 1992.

Side A

1. Move Any Mountain
2. Human NRG (Massey)
3. Possible Worlds: Deep Psi
4. Omega Amigo
5. Evil Is Even (Edit)

Side B

1. Hyperreal Orbit
2. Lightspan
3. Make It Mine
4. Oxygen Restriction
5. Hear Me