archived brainwashed reviews
The Dead C, “Harsh 70’s Reality” (Siltbreeze, 1992)
This 1992 double LP has historically been regarded to be The Dead C’s zenith, though contention for that particular honor has gotten quite a bit more crowded with some of […]
Ensemble Economique, “Crossing The Pass, By Torchlight” (Dekorder, 2011)
Brian Pyle received a lot of attention with 2010’s Psychical (a creepy homage to schlocky slasher films), but it was much too blunt and raw for me to want to […]
Pete Swanson, “Man With Potential” (Type, 2011)
In the wake of the short-lived mid-2000’s noise explosion, many of the genre’s leading lights either moved on or began experimenting with clever ways to make dissonant chaos sound fresh […]
Chris Watson, “El Tren Fantasma” (Touch, 2011)
Roughly ten years ago, BBC’s Radio 4 sent Chris Watson to Mexico to record one of the final continuous cross-country trips for Mexico’s passenger rail system. The resultant album is […]
Throbbing Gristle, “Greatest Hits: Entertainment Through Pain” (Rough Trade (1981) / Mute (1990) / Industrial Records (2011))
As much as I love Throbbing Gristle, I’ve long viewed them as a Marcel Duchamp-like entity: bold, brilliant, and hugely influential, but dramatically less potent outside of their original context […]
TwinSisterMoon, “When Stars Glide Through Solid” (Blackest Rainbow, 2011)
This is the long-awaited reissue of Mehdi Ameziane’s incredibly scarce 2007 solo debut, which was previously only available as a self-released CDr edition of just 30. Naturally, both Twinsistermoon and […]
Tim Hecker, “Dropped Pianos” (Kranky, 2011)
This companion release to this year’s stellar Ravedeath, 1972 draws back the curtain to unveil what Tim Hecker compositions sound like before they are properly ravaged, carved up, and reassembled. […]
Lawrence English, “The Peregrine” (Experimedia (2011)/Room40 (2015))
Lawrence English’s latest release arrived at the perfect time for me, as I am in the throes of both a lengthy fascination with drone and a budding obsession with the […]