Braindead Soundmachine
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1989 in Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Founder | Cole Coonce, Warren Croyle, Lee Howell |
| Defunct | 1994 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Braindead Soundmachine was an American band within the industrial rock genre, established by Cole Coonce, Warren Croyle (known as "Mr. Reality"), and Lee Howell (alias "Ikky Shivers"). They rejected the industrial tag, instead coining the term "metaldisco" to characterize their blend of Black Sabbath-style riffs combined with disco beats and airy female vocals.
History
Following their departure from the Long Beach art-rock group Outer Circle in 1984, Coonce and Howell reunited in Los Angeles in 1989 alongside producer Croyle to form Braindead Soundmachine. Their music merged heavy metal guitar work, disco-infused rhythms, and distinctive analog synthesizer sounds contributed by Shivers.
The lineup included female singers such as Joan Jones (from Sun 60), Khalsoum Salloum, and Jenny Homer ("JenJen") of Downy Mildew. The band adopted an experimental philosophy, adhering to a "no chord changes" guideline. A unique aspect was their conviction that Yoshi, a Japanese transgender woman, represented a deity named "Dogvillasan," a figure referenced throughout their songs.
In 1990, Braindead signed with Chicago’s Wax Trax! Records and released their debut album Come Down from the Hills and Make My Baby. Their singles featured "I'm in Jail" and a rendition of Patsy Cline’s "Walkin' After Midnight," which included remixes by Sascha Konietzko, founder of KMFDM.
Coonce composed the score for Gregg Araki’s 1992 indie film The Living End, which incorporated Braindead’s cover of the title track originally by the Jesus and Mary Chain. As Wax Trax! encountered financial difficulties, Braindead terminated their contract with the label.
Their sophomore album, Give Me Something Hard I Can Take To My Grave, was distributed through Shiver Records in the United States and Artlos in Europe. The group dissolved in 1994 during early sessions for a third album that ultimately remained unreleased. Divergent views on creative direction prompted the founders to leave the music industry and pursue careers in sound engineering for game shows and adult entertainment, as recounted in Coonce’s 2005 memoir Come Down from the Hills and Make My Baby.
In 1995, Braindead briefly regrouped to produce the soundtrack for Dan Zukovic’s cult film The Last Big Thing, a satire addressing Los Angeles’ entertainment scene.
Subsequently, Coonce shifted toward journalism, contributing to publications such as National Dragster, Hot Rod Magazine, and WIRED, and authored Infinity Over Zero, a book exploring land speed records. In 2007, JenJen and Coonce formed Prozac Pop Machine, releasing the single "Shampoo" exclusively as a podcast track.
Croyle advanced to become CEO of Reality Entertainment, a multimedia firm that expanded its focus from speed metal to signing disco icons like KC and the Sunshine Band in 2006. Croyle emphasized KC’s lasting impact on audiences worldwide.
Musical style
Braindead’s musical identity incorporates hip hop drum machine patterns reminiscent of N.W.A., bass lines inspired by Black Sabbath, along with guitar elements drawn from Chic, Fela Kuti, and Funkadelic.
Albums
- Come Down from the Hills and Make My Baby (Wax Trax!, 1991)
- Give Me Something Hard I Can Take to My Grave (Shivers Records, 1993)
Singles and EPs
- "I'm in Jail" backed with "Dogvillasan" (Nitro Records, 1990)
- "I'm in Jail" (Wax Trax!, 1991)
- "Walkin' After Midnight" backed with "Everybody, Everybody" (Wax Trax!, 1992)
- "Where the Pavement Ends" backed with "Soon Come, Goddammit" (Artlos, 1993)
External links
- Braindead Soundmachine Official site
- Braindead Soundmachine on MySpace
- Walkin' After Midnight Official music video
- Prick Magazine Book review
- Los Angeles Alternative Press Book review