Psychic Temple

The record label characterizes Psychic Temple simultaneously as a cult, a band, and one individual artistic vision brought to fruition by select leading musicians across the globe. Beyond that promotional framing, Psychic Temple functions as a recording endeavor led by composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Chris Schlarb. Though Schlarb’s broader catalog frequently draws on free jazz and experimental idioms, the material issued under the Psychic Temple name stands among his most approachable work. These recordings fuse pop, Americana, and smooth jazz textures with the more exploratory leanings that define his output overall. Schlarb introduced the Psychic Temple name in 2010 via the self-titled debut album, issued jointly by Asthmatic Kitty Records and his own Sounds Are Active imprint. That first effort enlisted twenty-nine musicians, among them former Minutemen bassist Mike Watt, Rare Grooves drummer Tabor Allen, and Philip Glass collaborator Mick Rossi.

With the follow-up, Psychic Temple II, Schlarb placed greater emphasis on pop songcraft; the album featured guest turns from Sufjan Stevens, Sarah Negahdari of Silversun Pickups, and progressive metal guitarist Paul Masvidal. Issued in 2013, the set presented ensemble renditions of songs by Brian Wilson, Joe Jackson, and Frank Zappa alongside several original Schlarb compositions. In 2016 Schlarb delivered Psychic Temple III, the most expansive entry to date. Cut at his California studio and at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the album integrated country and soul elements alongside its pop and jazz foundations, with appearances by Spooner Oldham, David Hood, Avi Buffalo, and Dave Easley. The same year also saw the release of Psychic Temple Plays Music for Airports—an interpretation of the landmark Brian Eno composition—and the 7" single Two Songs About Cults, which contained a reading of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” Both projects appeared on Joyful Noise, the label that subsequently put out Psychic Temple IV in 2017. In September 2020 Schlarb unveiled the distinctive double-LP Houses of the Holy, recorded so that each of its four sides captured a complete session with a separate ensemble—Cherry Glazerr, the Chicago Underground Trio, the Dream Syndicate, and a full orchestra supporting poet Xololanxinxo—in deliberate avoidance of any filler material.