"Centering their long-lived musical career with live shows soaking in pulsating beats and sexually explicit visuals, Scottish dance-rock group the Shamen heavily influenced the electronic scene of the ‘80s and ‘90s around the globe. The Shamen had several number one hits on the dance music/club play charts including ""Move Any Mountain"" (1991), ""L.S.I. (Love Sex Intelligence)"" (1992), ""Make It Mine"" (1992) and ""Phorever People"" (1993), and the techno rockers will go down in history as one of the first alternative bands to appeal to dance clubs and indie rockers alike.Originally comprised of Colin Angus, Peter Stephenson, Keith McKenzie and Derek McKenzie, the Shamen arose from Aberdeen, Scotland in 1986 and immediately started playing music similar to the ‘80s neo-psychedelic style of the group Alone Again Or. Releasing their first album Drop in 1987, the Shamen started moving toward drug-induced raves and hypnotic music, playing smoke and mirrors in live shows while mixing their sound up with synthesizers. Testing the waters with Drop, the Shamen next delved into the emerging acid house scene of the late ‘80s, dropping band member Derek McKenzie and picking up William Sinnott. Refocusing on drum machines and loud guitars, the Shamen started showcasing their sexuality and edginess, causing Peter Stephenson and Keith McKenzie, two of the band's three original members left in the group, to split ways with the Shamen in 1988.Leaving Angus and Sinnott to create music as a duo under the moniker the Shamen, the two slowly started gaining more success than they had seen before with the original quartet. The group's 1989 album In Gorbachev We Trust was a transitional record of sorts, marking the time when the Shamen strayed away from ‘60s rock and went into the wide world of atmospheric and synthesized sounds. The album led the Shamen into success in the U.K. and the U.S., and although Sinnott drowned in 1990, Angus went on to recruit rapper Mr. C and female vocalists, pumping out hits into the mid '90s."
