archived brainwashed reviews
Naked Island (Peak Oil, 2017)
This is the debut effort from the duo of Ensemble Economique’s tirelessly prolific Brian Pyle and Je Suis Le Petit Chevalier’s Félicia Atkinson and it is a great one. Consisting of two […]
Ensemble Economique, “Melt Into Nothing” (Denovali, 2014)
Although I absolutely loved 2011’s Crossing the Pass, By Torchlight album, I had a hard time keeping up with the flood of divergent releases Brian Pyle has unleashed over the […]
Esplendor Geométrico, “Arispejal Astisaró” (Geometrik, 1992)
Recently remastered and reissued on their own Geometrik label with radically different cover art and some bonus tracks, this classic 1992 album captures EG in their noisy, rhythmic industrial prime. […]
Severed Heads, “City Slab Horror” (Ink (1985)/Nettwerk (1989)/Medical Records (2014))
Much to my delight, Medical Records has recently reissued two of the arguable jewels of the Severed Heads’ discography: 1983’s Since the Accident and this effort from 1985. Both hail […]
Lawrence English, “Wilderness of Mirrors” (Room40, 2014)
I hate to use the phrase “return to form” to describe this album, as I have enjoyed most of Lawrence English’s divergent recent efforts quite a bit, but Wilderness of […]
Bremen, “Second Launch” (Blackest Ever Black, 2014)
This sprawling double-album is the second release from this Swedish guitar/organ space-rock duo and it absolutely floored me. Built primarily from improvisations, Bremen largely avoids most of the jamminess, heavy-handedness, […]
William Basinski, “Melancholia” (Temporary Residence, 2014)
Newly released on vinyl for the first time (now with actual cover art!), this aptly titled 2003 album shares a surprising amount of common ground with last year’s Nocturnes. The […]
Fennesz, “Bécs” (Editions Mego, 2014)
For reasons that are not immediately apparent to me, Bécs is being billed as the conceptual follow-up to 2001’s landmark Endless Summer. To me, it just sounds like another characteristically […]