Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
) is an American musician and
record producer
A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...
best known for his work with the
shoegaze
Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with dream pop) is a subgenre of indie rock, indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion (music), distortion and effects, a ...
band
Medicine
Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...
, which he founded and led.
Prior to Medicine, he was involved in the post-punk outfit
Savage Republic
Savage Republic (originally named Africa Corps) is an American, Los Angeles–based post-punk band, formed in the early 1980s and known for lengthy songs with an emphasis on percussion and droning guitars.
The group reformed in 2002 and remains ...
, which, according to
Pitchfork Media
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...
, foreshadowed many ideas later explored in the
post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of experimental rock that emphasizes Texture (music), texture, atmosphere, and non-traditional song structures over conventional rock techniques. Post-rock artists often combine rock instrumentation and rock stylings wit ...
genre.
Pitchfork Media
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...
Laner founded his first band, Debt of Nature, at the age of 15 in 1981. He founded Steaming Coils, an experimental avant-rock band (1984–1989).
Laner joined
Savage Republic
Savage Republic (originally named Africa Corps) is an American, Los Angeles–based post-punk band, formed in the early 1980s and known for lengthy songs with an emphasis on percussion and droning guitars.
The group reformed in 2002 and remains ...
as a
percussionist
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
and a
keyboard player
A keyboardist or keyboard player is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instru ...
, and took part in recording two of its albums.
In 1990 he founded
shoegaze
Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with dream pop) is a subgenre of indie rock, indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion (music), distortion and effects, a ...
-
noise pop
Noise pop is a subgenre of alternative and indie rock that developed in the mid-1980s in the United Kingdom and United States. It is defined by its mixture of dissonant noise or feedback with the songcraft more often found in pop music. Shoegaz ...
band called
Medicine
Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...
, promoting a
do-it-yourself
"Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and semi- ...
sound. In 1992 Medicine released its debut album, ''
Shot Forth Self Living
''Shot Forth Self Living'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Medicine, released in 1992 on Def American.
Critical reception
''The New York Times'' noted that "the effects-laden guitar textures and Beth Thompson's and Brad Laner's a ...
''. In 1994 the band contributed one track to the
soundtrack
A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
of the movie ''
The Crow
''The Crow'' is a supernatural superhero comic book series created by James O'Barr revolving around the titular character of the same name. The series, which was originally created by O'Barr as a means of dealing with the death of his fiancà ...
'' and appeared in the movie itself. The band broke up in 1995, briefly reuniting in 2003 as a duo (with Laner and Shannon Lee).
In 1995 he started his solo project Electric Company, which was devoted to IDM,
glitch
A glitch is a short-lived technical fault, such as a transient one that corrects itself, making it difficult to troubleshoot. The term is particularly common in the computing and electronics industries, in circuit bending, as well as among pl ...
, and avant-garde electronics with some elements of ambient and drone. As Electric Company, he released ten full-length albums in nine years (before ceasing activity in 2004). The same year, he also founded
psychedelic
Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary mental states (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips") and a perceived "expansion of consciousness". Also referred to as classic halluci ...
Tool
A tool is an Physical object, object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many Tool use by animals, animals use simple tools, only human bei ...
and
Failure
Failure is the social concept of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and is usually viewed as the opposite of success. The criteria for failure depends on context, and may be relative to a particular observer or belief system. On ...
, with whom he released one album, '' Free Mars''. It received a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
nomination.
In 1996, he collaborated with Dallas-based musical collective Vas Deferens Organization on the album ''
Transcontinental Conspiracy
''Transcontinental Conspiracy'' is an album by Vas Deferens Organization and Brad Laner, released in 1996 by Quaquaversal Vinyl. The album was remastered and re-issued on Niklas Records in 2011, accompanied by the additional track "Scheming Foil ...
''. Laner co-wrote and co-produced the album; several
Mercury Rev
Mercury Rev is an American rock band formed in 1989 in Buffalo, New York, with Thom Monahan. He then followed it up in 2010 with his second solo release, ''Natural Selections''.
Discography
with Debt of Nature
* ''Order: Spoil The Entire State'' (Harbinger Sound 2013)
* ''Robin Diamond's Lungs'' (No Holiday 2025)
cassette releases
* ''Pets Have Fears Too'' (Real Big Dog tapes 1981)
* ''Robin Diamond's Lungs'' (A.R.P.H. tapes 1982)
* ''Idiot Stick'' (Party Sound Tapes 1983)
* ''Pets Have Fears Two'' (Party Sound Tapes 1983)
* ''Food Music'' (Gleet Audio 1983)
* ''1981 Vol. 1'' (Jookie Thrills 1983)
* ''Debt of Nature'' (Goodall Tapes 1986)
* ''Order: Spoil The Entire State (VHS)'' (Goodall Tapes 1986)
* "San Salvador Day" (Goodall Tapes 2014)
* "Salt Meadows" (Lal Lal Lal 2015)
* "Come Flying" (Goodall Tapes 2015)
* "Spring Training" (Goodall Tapes 2015)
* "Small Silver Car" (Lal Lal Lal 2015)
* "The Helix Of Repair" (Lal Lal Lal 2016)
compilation appearances
* ''Feeble Efforts'' (New Alliance 1981)
* ''Mighty Feeble'' (New Alliance 1982)
* ''Life is Boring So Why Not Steal This Record'' (New Underground 1983)
* ''L.A. Mantra'' (Trance Port Tapes 1983)
* ''Live at the Trance Port'' (Trance Port Tapes 1983)
* ''Phantom Takes'' (Trance Port Tapes 1983)
* ''Give Me That Dog Penis Popsicle'' (Gleet Audio 1983)
* ''Sex and Bestiality'' (DF Sadist School 1984)
* ''Perpetual State of Oracular Dream'' (Anomalous 1991)
* "L'Incoronazione" (Hyster Tapes 2015)
with Earth Dies Burning
* ''Songs From The Valley of the Bored Teenager 1981-84'' (Captured Tracks 2013)
* ''Never Creak'' (Rotary Totem 1986)
* ''The Tarkington Table'' (Motiv 1987)
* ''Breaded'' (Nate Starkman & Sons CD 1991; reissued Quaquaversal Vinyl 1994; re-reissued Medical Records with bonus "Unfinished 1989" 7-inch E.P. 2016)
* ''Never Were'' (Tarkington Table cassette 1987)
* ''Studio Cassette'' (Medical Records 2016)
compilation appearances
* ''Bad Alchemy #9'' (No Man's Land 1987)
* ''LAFMS-The Lowest Form of Music Box Set '' (Cortical 1997)
* ''LAFMS-Unboxed'' (Cortical 1997)
note: the song "Blathering Hemispheres" from the "Never Creak" LP appears on both of the above LAFMS comps credited solely to Rick Potts
with To Nije Sala
* ''A Bitter Kermit Haven'' (split LP with What Makes Donna Twirl) (Ralph 1990)
Customs
Customs is an authority or Government agency, agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling International trade, the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out ...
'' (Fundamental 1989)
* ''Live in Europe 1988'' (Nate Starkman & Sons 1989)
* ''Box Set'' (Mobilization 2002)
* ''Procession: An Aural History'' (LTM 2010)
Shot Forth Self Living
''Shot Forth Self Living'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Medicine, released in 1992 on Def American.
Critical reception
''The New York Times'' noted that "the effects-laden guitar textures and Beth Thompson's and Brad Laner's a ...
'' (Def American/Warner Bros. 1992; Reissued with bonus material by Captured Tracks 2012)
*'' The Buried Life'' (American Recordings/Warner Bros. 1993; Reissued with bonus material by Captured Tracks 2012)
*''
Her Highness
Highness (abbreviation HH, oral address Your Highness) is a formal style used to address (in second person) or refer to (in third person) certain members of a reigning or formerly reigning dynasty. It is typically used with a possessive adjec ...
'' (American Recordings/Warner Bros. 1995)
* ''Medicine Box Set'' (Captured Tracks 2012)
* '' Always Starting To Stop'' (live cassette) (Captured Tracks 2012)
* '' To the Happy Few'' (Captured Tracks 2013)
* ''In Session'' (Captured Tracks 2014)
* '' Home Everywhere'' (Captured Tracks 2014)
* ''Selected Early Recordings'' (Bandcamp 2018)
* ''Scarred For Life'' (Drawing Room 2019)
* ''Falls'' (Bandcamp 2020)
* ''Drugs'' (MPLS Ltd 2022)
* ''Her Highness (premiere melange)'' (Laner Archival Service 2023)
* ''Silences'' (Laner Archival Service 2023)
* ''On The Bed'' (Laner Archival Service 2024)
* ''Medicine'' (Laner Archival Service 2024)
Singles and EPs
*"Aruca" (Creation 1992)
*"5ive" (a.k.a. "Come Here To Drink Milk") (Creation 1993)
*"Never Click" (Beggars Banquet, 1993)
*"Sounds Of Medicine" (American 1994; Reissued with bonus material by Captured Tracks 2012)
*"Time Baby 3" (Beggars Banquet, 1994)
*"Off The Vine" (double 7-inch) (Ectoplasm, 1995)
* ''Time Baby 2'' (7-inch) (Captured Tracks 2012)
Compilation appearances
*'' The Crow OST'' (Atlantic, 1994)
*''The Doom Generation OST'' (American Recordings/Warner Bros., 1994)
*''Tigerbeat6 Inc.'' (Tigerbeat6, 2001)
* ''Musique Dessinee 01 - Just A Groove !'' (Production Dessinee Japan 2006)
as Electric Company
* ''
A Pert Cyclic Omen
''A Pert Cyclic Omen'' is the debut album of Brad Laner, Electric Company, released on August 8, 1995, on American Recordings (record label), Onion/American Recordings. Each of its track titles is an anagram of the band name.
Track listing
...
'' (Onion/American Recordings/Warner Bros., 1995)
* '' Electric Company Plays Amnesia'' (Supreme/Island/PolyGram, 1997)
* ''
Studio City
Studio City is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, United States, in the southeast San Fernando Valley, just west of the Cahuenga Pass. It is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 19 ...
62-56
''62-56'' is an EP by the electronic band Electric Company. It was released in 2001 through Tigerbeat6.
Track listing
Personnel
*Brad Laner
Brad Laner (born November 6, 1966, in Los Angeles, California) is an American musician and ...
'' (Tigerbeat6, 2001)
* ''
Greatest Hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...
'' (Tigerbeat6, 2001)
* '' It's Hard to Be a Baby'' (Tigerbeat6, 2003)
* '' Creative Playthings'' (Tigerbeat6, 2004)
* ''26 Mixes For Love (remixes and compilation appearances)'' (Bandcamp 2021)
EPs
* ''Live In Concept'' 10-inch+7-inch (Krown Pocket 1995)
* ''The Kahanek Incident'' (split w/ Furry Things) (Trance Syndicate 1997)
* ''New'' 3-inch CD (Fallt Invalid Object Series 2001)
* ''Greatest Hits Companion 1'' (Tigerbeat6 2001)
* ''Greatest Hits Companion 2'' (Tigerbeat6 2001)
Remixes and compilation appearances
* ''Slow Death in the Metronome Factory'' (World Domination, 1997)
* ''Dugga Dugga Dugga'' (WMO, 1998)
* ''Knots'' (Thousand, 1999)
* ''On-Soluble Words'' (Epic/SME, 1999)
* ''Sadovaja- A Sweet Design'' (Warner Bros. Sweden, 2000)
* ''Kid606 & Friends vol 1'' (Tigerbeat6, 2000)
* ''American Breakbeat'' (Klangkreig, 2000)
* ''Kid606-P.S. You Love Me'' (Mille Plateaux, 2000)
* ''Cex - Oops I Did It Again'' (Tigerbeat6, 2001)
* ''Attitude'' (Tigerbeat6, 2000)
* ''The Cosmic Forces of Mu'' (Planet Mu, 2001)
* ''Tigerbeat6 Inc.'' (Tigerbeat6, 2001)
* ''Criminal 2'' (Planet Mu, 2002)
* ''$ Vol.2'' (Tigerbeat6, 2001)
* ''$ Vol.6'' (Tigerbeat6, 2001)
* ''Marumari The Remixes'' (Carpark, 2002)
* ''45 Seconds Of'' (Simballrec, 2002 )
* ''Lowercase 2'' (Bremsstrahlung, 2002)
* ''Ellen Allien- Weiss.mix'' (B Pitch Control, 2002)
* ''American Breakbeat : Rebuilt'' (Klangkreig, 2002)
* ''Wrong Application'' (Tigerbeat6, 2001)
* ''And The Beat Goes Off'' (Tigerbeat6, 2002)
* ''Paws Across America'' (Tigerbeat6, 2002)
* ''Good Night (Music To Sleep To)'' (Tigerbeat6, 2003)
* ''Stars As Eyes-Loud New Shit'' (Tigerbeat6, 2003)
* ''Open up and Say ...@+%_, ^'' (Tigerbeat6, 2003)
* ''O Superman Remix'' (Staalplaat, 2003)
* ''Audio Sponge 1'' (Daisyworld Japan, 2003)
* ''Neighbors Remixing'' (Adjunct 2009)
* ''Solypsis -Hybrids'' (Component 2019)
as Amnesia
* '' Cherry Flavor Night Time'' (Supreme/Island/PolyGram, 1997)
* '' Lingus'' (Supreme/Island/PolyGram, 1998)
* ''Love Story / A Pretty Sight'' (7-inch) (Krown Pocket, 1997)
as Personal Electronics
* '' The Story of Personal Electronics'' (LOHD, 1998)
Compilation appearance
* ''Blip,Bleep (soundtracks to imaginary videogames)'' (Lucky Kitchen, 1998)
with Vas Deferens Organization
*''
Transcontinental Conspiracy
''Transcontinental Conspiracy'' is an album by Vas Deferens Organization and Brad Laner, released in 1996 by Quaquaversal Vinyl. The album was remastered and re-issued on Niklas Records in 2011, accompanied by the additional track "Scheming Foil ...
Volcano
A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most oft ...
/BMG, 1997)
with Medicine (2002-04 BL duo with Shannon Lee version)
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound (also called the Spector Sound) is a music production formula developed by American record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios, in the 1960s, with assistance from engineer Larry Levine and the conglomerate of session m ...
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound (also called the Spector Sound) is a music production formula developed by American record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios, in the 1960s, with assistance from engineer Larry Levine and the conglomerate of session m ...
, 2002)
*''I Smile To My Eyes'' (Wall of Sound, 2003)
*''As You Do'' (Wall of Sound, 2004)
Remixes and compilation appearances
*''The Faint - Danse Macabre Remixes'' (Astralwerks/Caroline/Virgin/EMI, 2003)
*''Themroc - Into the Light'' (Wall of Sound, 2003)
*''
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound (also called the Spector Sound) is a music production formula developed by American record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios, in the 1960s, with assistance from engineer Larry Levine and the conglomerate of session m ...
10th Anniversary'' (Wall of Sound, 2003)
*''Labels Series'' (EMI International, 2004)
*''Strictly Dub - Modern Dub Classics'' (Sunswept, 2005)
with North Valley Subconscious Orchestra
*''The Right Kind of Nothing'' (Ghostly International, 2006)
with the Internal Tulips
*''Mislead into a Field by a Deformed Deer'' (Planet Mu, 2010)
*''Mellotorn Offline'' (Bandcamp, 2012)
compilation appearance
* ''14 Tracks from Planet Mu'' (Planet Mu, 2011)
post 2000 solo releases as Brad Laner
*''The Subterranean River Caverns of Los Angeles'' (CD soundtrack for a book by
Dani Tull
Daniel Joel Tull (born 1966) is a contemporary American painter, sculptor and musician who lives and works in Los Angeles.
Early life
Tull was born in San Bernardino, California and attended Fairfax High School. In high school he met Micha ...