Brain Damage (band)
| Company type | Rock group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Founder | Haylock M.S. Ellis, Philippe Poiret |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Brain Damage is a rock group from France, established in 1977 by guitarists Haylock M.S. Ellis and Philippe Poiret, who also contributed keyboards and vocals. In 1983, science fiction author Roland C. Wagner joined the band as the lead singer. Their initial musical approach was a fusion of punk, new wave, and garage rock genres. The ensemble disbanded by the end of 1984, leaving Live au Cithéa (1984) as the only existing recording from that era.
The trio of Ellis, Poiret, and Wagner regrouped in 1988 with fresh members handling the rhythm section, transitioning toward psychedelic garage rock and gaining the moniker 'The French Fuzztones'. Following Poiret's departure in the early 1990s, Ellis and Wagner halted live shows to concentrate on studio work. A 1996 single featured Brain Damage alongside Ellis's side endeavor X-men. Subsequently, a self-titled album was privately released in 1999; both releases are now considered scarce.
In 2006, Brain Damage issued their second album via a Creative Commons license on Jamendo. This compilation covers more than fifteen years of material, merging punk and psychedelic styles with lyrics inspired by science fiction—for instance, "Quand le paysage se déchire," which references Philip K. Dick, and "Un été de serre," based on Norman Spinrad's novel Greenhouse Summer, translated into French by Wagner. Most of their works are currently accessible online as they continue developing new projects, including an upcoming album and a soundtrack for Wagner's forthcoming novel.
Albums
- 1992 : La Ténèbre (cassette)
- 1993 : (T'aimer) C'est aller à la Mort (cassette)
- 1996 : Brain Damage (split single with X-Men)
- 1996 : Envie de huuurler ! (demo cassette)
- 1999 : Brain Damage (CD)
- 2006 : Visages sur l'écran (digital LP)
- 2007 : Brain Damage (digital LP, reissued CD)
- 2007 : Clique sur le mulot (digital single)
- 2007 : 1984 (Live au Cithéa) (digital LP, recorded in 1984)
- 2007 : La Ténèbre (digital single)
- 2007 : Consensus zéro (digital single)
- 2007 : Love-In 67 (digital single)
- 2007 : Pompiers hallucinés (digital LP)
- 2007 : Drop-Out 68 (digital single)
- 2007 : Let's Go 69! (virtual single)
Compilation albums
- 2006 : "Un été de serre" featured on Compilsa vol. 1
- 2007 : "Sur le mont (Timothy Leary)" included in Les Compiles à Marcel vol. 1