Reflections of Darkness - Music Magazine - Brain Leisure

Details: Written by: Sebastian Huhn; Published: 24 July 2008

Title: Methods to Madness
Artist: Brain Leisure
Genre: Electronic
Release Date: April 2007
Label: Vendetta Music

Album Review

Heavily influenced by pioneering bands as Skinny Puppy, Frontline Assembly, Numb, The Klinik etc., French musician Domique Debert recorded his only existing demo tape ‘No TV Sketches, Realities of Fight’ in 1992, becoming a highly sought after rarity and receiving much positive review from the press back then. Following this release came some contributions to compilations until BRAIN LEISURE’s critically-acclaimed debut ‘Mindfire’ saw the lights of day in 1994. Due to personal problems Debert had to take a break to return in 2007 with a new album ‘Methods to Madness’

A peculiarity of the one-man project’s sound is to connect or rather merge his eclectically programmed electronic sound with a kind of abstract instrumental sound collage raising the curiosity of what is to follow to a great extend. Penetrating layers of rich ambience blended with movie samples and field recordings frequently serve as intro and also as a transition to the next song giving birth to an overall cohesive appearing body of work. To give you a few examples we now go in medias res with the first track ‘My Punishment’ beginning with a deep droning melodic oscillation, kicked away suddenly by the sound of shattered glass to be followed by organic percussions joining in with the electronic mid-tempo beat. Dominique’s croaky whispered vocals mould the centre of attention now, supported by the density of dark strings during the chorus parts. The track seamlessly migrates into ‘Defect’ whose chorus is an intense melange of dark vocals and luring atmospherics. For ‘Repent’ Dominique has invited an illustrious you should be familiar with Darrin Huss from PSYCHE supports BRAIN LEISURE with his distinct vocals on a track, started by military drumming and driven by the subliminal scent of a closing danger. With ‘Watch me Falling’, coming a bit later he’s taken a different direction with a more industrial rock oriented number with clattering acoustic drum parts and sampled guitar riffs.

If you found that track was a surprise then just wait what comes next as with ‘Atmosfear’ a down-tuned balladry track invites you into the dark corridors of despair and depression. The rhythmic very appealing instrumented parts stand in sharp contrast to the richly orchestrated parts, coming close to a symphony of decay with their dark pianos, strings and an opera-like voice howling lost in the dark night. ‘Resistance’ throws glitches and eastern instrumentation into the mix and for one more time you can’t escape the intriguing effect of the incredibly thick atmosphere. In ‘I am two’, ‘Methods to Madness’ finds its crowning conclusion in a heart-piercing ballad literally breathing sadness. The Limited edition of the album also includes a bonus CD with remixes of album tracks and updated versions of songs from the first album ‘Mindfire’ such as the forward pushing ‘Beyond The Limits’ incorporating disturbing noise fragments, ‘Never Trust a Smile’, a brooding dark creature putting the orchestral face of BRAIB LEISURE to prominence and ‘Deadful Hate’ with the probably best intro sequence on the whole release. Highlights amongst the remixes surely are DISMANTLED who made a quite more rhythmical version of ‘Atmosfear’ and even WUMPSCUT created a decent instrumental remix of ‘My Punishment’

A great release for sure with incredible and intense melodic structures and an intricate programming. The material is not suitable for any party or club in my opinion, but if you listen to it at home and via headphones it’s just brilliant. Big surprises for me were ‘Atmosfear’ and ‘I am Two’. I would have not expected such tracks here.

Tracklist

01. My Punishment – 5:38
02. Defect – 6:02
03. Counted Time [feat. Deadcell] – 5:56
04. Behind The Mask – 5:05
05. Take You Home – 5:22
06. Repent [feat. Darrin Huss] – 5:15
07. Crawl In Vain – 5:17
08. I Know A Place – 6:12
09. Eaten Alive – 6:08
10. Watch Me Falling – 5:38
11. Atmosfear – 4:14
12. Resistance – 5:45
13. You Are Nothing – 6:23
14. I Am Two – 5:37

Bonus CD (Ltd. Edition only)
01. My Punishment (remix by _wumpscut_) – 5:12
02. Beyond The Limits (2006 Version) – 4:52
03. Atmosfear (remix by Dismantled) – 4:41
04. Never Trust A Smile (2006 Version) – 6:09
05. Resistance (remixed by Velvet Acid Christ) – 5:26
06. Behind The Mask (remixed by BAK XIII) – 5:03
07. Defect (remixed by Trial) – 4:09
08. Atmosfear (remixed by Deadcell) – 4:57
09. Crawl In Vain (remixed by IC434) – 4:49
10. Defect (remixed by Tyske Ludder) – 5:15
11. Behind The Mask (remixed by KIFOTH) – 5:28
12. Deadful Hate (2006 Version) – 8:44
13. Eaten Alive (remixed by ESR) – 6:11
14. My Punishment (remixed by Last Influence Of Brain) – 4:49

Line-up

Dominique Debert – All Music, Production & Vocals

Website

http://www.myspace.com/brainleisure

Cover Picture