Psh-Psh

Formed in Caracas, Venezuela. Active from 1981 to 1987-88.

The band found inspiration in the punk movement, dark music (post-punk or goth), and new wave.

(Turn on your volume!)

Members and Sound:

Members:

Paz Alejandra Hidalgo- Guitar and choirs

Esther Cohen- Drums and choirs

Ofelia Brito- Bass and singer

Though they were the original members, the drummer (Esther Cohen), was later replaced by Lorena Gimeno Sassone, who was also member of the band "El Enano de la Catredal". And the guitarist (Paz Hidalgo) was replaced by Tania Diacichi. 

Even though their sound, concept, and time (early 80s) contradicted their statements of not being punk, the truth was Psh Psh was one of the first punk bands of the country.

They did gigs with other famous punk bands of the moment, like Sentimiento Muerto, Zapato 3, or 4to Reich. Their hairstyles, their aesthetic, and clothes were nearer to be punk or new wave than any other genre.

Name origin:

The band did their first gig (with 2 songs) as the opening band for Sentimiento Muerto in a party, the band previously mentioned, did. The public started to whistle to them, doing the type of whistle a man does to catch a girl's attention. Using the public (and their own) irreverence, the band found a name: Psh-Psh. 

More Information:

At some point of their career, as the band said, they were close of signing a contract to release an album with a famous Venezuelan discography. This discography assigned them a producer named Alvaro Falcon to produce their album, later, Pedro Castillo became their producer. But they declined the contract because on their own words, they disliked how the discography wanted them to sound like a Pop band rather than what they actually were. Also, the fact that none of the girls planned on make a living out of their music added to the decision of not staying with the discography. Psh Psh decided on keep going by their own and continue without any big company or big commercialization.

Though they recorded a few songs that later made public on their soundcloud account.

+ Psh Psh, with their new wave and punk influences, became a famous band on the Venezuelan punk movement.

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Ofelia Brito:

On an interview with Rafael Uzcategui, Brito shared her pleasant experience with the band: "Everything that forced us to not spend a lot of money, such as dresses with garbage bags and imitating with our mouths the sound of our instruments, when we didn't have money for practice rooms. Getting on a bus and seeing people listening to our songs, recorded by them when we practiced, being silent, amused, when we saw they didn't recognize us. The affection of the fans, the shows in the Aula Magna, Mata de Coco, and Groucho's. The meetings with other musicians. Meet String, share a women's volleyball match in a hotel with Joan Jett." 

Ofelia Brito also shared a message to all the girls who wanted to create their own bands: "You make your own path. If nobody gives you a place, take courage and give yourself your own place. To be successful in this, you have to be good, if you are not good, you have to present a very original and interesting project, showing all your abilities and limitations."

Oigo Voces (Esquizofrenia): The controversial song (tw)

On another interview, Ofelia Brito expressed her repentance on writing the song Oigo Voces (Esquizofrenia), "I have to say that i regret a lot writing this last song because, while i was studying psychiatry on the University hospital, a girl approached me and told me she was schizophrenic, that she was there because of a suicide attempt. She was a fan of our band, and she loved that song, she tried to kill herself since she identified with the lyrics because the voices chased her, and she thought if she committed suicide, like in the song, the voices would leave her alone. I cried with her and apologized to her, although she didn't understand why. We had the opportunity to talk a few times, and she understood why. I never thought someone would take a song like that one seriously. Since that time, i decided not playing it again, and i learned that when you are in stage, you have the responsibility to take care of the message you are giving."

Links

PSH PSH music 

https://archive.org/details/psh-psh-cassette

https://humanoderechorecords.bandcamp.com/track/oigo-voces-esquizofrenia

https://soundcloud.com/psh-psh (music)