V/A :: √∆1 (Massage Brain Cult)

It’s easy to get nostalgic. The past can be a tantalizing prospect. However, the concept of Braindance is not a particularly backward looking idea. This was, and is, music that cut close to the bone, that demanded and extracted attention, a sound that in one breath could be deep and immersive and in the next a toxic cacophony. √∆1 collects artists who live up to this mantra of daring diversity, of devil-may-care debauchery and dynamism. Rephlex may no longer be with us, but with Massage Brain Cult the energy and emotion will certainly live on.

Braindance stuck as a descriptor

Few electronic labels can boast the level of influence enjoyed by the sadly defunct Rephlex. The imprint, infamously founded by Richard D. James and Grant Wilson-Claridge, pioneered many styles of electronic, yet it was the term Braindance that stuck as a descriptor of their sound. Winning the hearts and minds, dance-floors and DJ booths, this style was championed by musicians who sought to re-imagine the drum patterns of analogue machines, to reinvent the melodies of synthesizers and insert the possibilities of computers into their compositions.

Although the doors of Rephlex may have closed, the project of Braindance it pioneered has not. Massage Brain Cult, a label making the leap to vinyl, has been schooled on these sounds and seeks to rekindle the allure of speeding rhythms and acid abstraction with its first compilation√∆1.

Few names will be known on this six tracker. The vast majority of the collaborators have been discovered through net-label trawling and Soundcloud diving. fxbip is one such discovery. The Canadian artist offers the 303 squirming “Equinox.” Claps and snares are the solid ground from which spirals of squawk grow, daring melody shifts and breaks coupled with an overarching harmony give the track an admirable balance.  One name will certainly stand out from the crowd. D’Arcangelo are original disciples of Rephlex, with a spread of releases on the label, and of late have featured on the likes of 030303, Suction, and Analogical Force. “1112” is a cheery chiptune chop-up. Sprightly keys bounce and bump against bass bulges as shards of drum reflect in this sunny encounter.

Bot1500 is also an Analogical Force contributor, with his Matrix EP having come out in 2019. “Rave_5.1” is a perfect illustration of what Massage Brain Cult are all about. Speeding on racing 4×4 beats, samples melt in a fizzy acidic soup. The track is smooth yet thunderous, lazy notes floating above the frantic thump of that relentless kick.

You might think the wheels have come off on the flip with the beat bombardment and sample strewn craziness of Jessica Walrus’ “Peachy Soundmask89,” a piece boiling over into hyperactivity. Mause takes control with the glitched dream of “Ultralife Zprit.” Rhythms are mangled and minced, shredded and shattered with silken lines floating. “Apple Galleon” by Velum Break closes the proceedings. BPM levels haven’t dropped in this full throttle closer. A dizzying number of elements collide, electricity constricting and expanding in the ultra-stimulating close.

It’s easy to get nostalgic. The past can be a tantalizing prospect. However, the concept of braindance is not a particularly backward looking idea. This was, and is, music that cut close to the bone, that demanded and extracted attention, a sound that in one breath could be deep and immersive and in the next a toxic cacophony. √∆1 collects artists who live up to this mantra of daring diversity, of devil-may-care debauchery and dynamism. Rephlex may no longer be with us, but with Massage Brain Cult the energy and emotion will certainly live on.

√∆1 is available on Massage Brain Cult.