The Shamen

The Shamen formed in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1985 by Colin Angus, Derek McKenzie, Keith McKenzie and Peter Stephenson. Originally named Alone Again Or, they adopted the name The Shamen late in 1985.

Their debut album Drop, released in 1987, reflects an interest in 1960s psychedelia. Colin Angus’s discovery of emerging house sounds and groups like M/A/R/R/S quickly pushed their music toward a blend of rock guitars, techno and hip‑hop rhythms, and sampling.

This new direction brought lineup changes: Derek McKenzie left late in 1987. Will Sinnott (aka Will Sin) joined in October 1987 on bass and keyboards, allowing Colin Angus to focus on vocals and guitar. The single Jesus Loves Amerika (1988) embodies this electronic‑rock hybridization.

After the release of In Gorbachev We Trust in 1989, Keith McKenzie and Peter Stephenson also departed. Angus and Sinnott moved to London and immersed themselves in the emerging rave scene.

They launched the legendary Synergy tour, mixing live performance and DJ sets, and released the mini‑album Phorward, a landmark of the acid house movement. Their third album, En‑Tact (1990), propelled them internationally with tracks such as Move Any Mountain, Hyperreal and Make It Mine. Rapper and DJ Mr. C and singer Plavka then joined to bolster vocal duties.

On 23 May 1991, Will Sinnott tragically drowned shortly after filming a video in Tenerife. After a hiatus the band reformed and released the album Boss Drum, a worldwide success certified platinum in the UK, which includes the hit Ebeneezer Goode.

[p]As pioneers of the dance/rock crossover and acid house, The Shamen notably influenced late‑80s bands such as EMF, Jesus Jones and Pop Will Eat Itself.