''The Broadcasting System'' is the fourth and final studio album by American
post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. Like the term " post-punk", the term "post-hardcore" has been applied to a broad conste ...
band
Trenchmouth
Trenchmouth was an American punk band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1988. Throughout its existence, the band mainly consisted of Damon Locks (vocals/percussion), Chris DeZutter (guitar), Wayne Montana (bass), and Fred Armisen (drums).
...
. Produced by Casey Rice, it was released on May 7, 1996 through
Skene! Records Skene! Records was an American DIY punk rock record label founded in Connecticut in 1988 by Jeff Spiegel, then later based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. An early album release was ''Better Yet Connecticut Hardcore'', featuring bands such as Bug Gulp, F ...
. The album marks as a shift to bass-heavy
dub sound from the band's post-hardcore/
math rock
Math rock is a style of Alternative rock, alternative and indie rock with roots in bands such as King Crimson and Rush (band), Rush. It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (including irregular stopping and starting), cou ...
style.
The band broke up following the release of ''The Broadcasting System''. Inspired by the new sound on the album, the band members
Damon Locks
Damon Locks is an American musician, visual artist, and educator, best known for being the lead vocalist of the post-hardcore band Trenchmouth, a member of Exploding Star Orchestra, and cofounding Black Monument Ensemble.
Early life
Born and ra ...
and Wayne Montana formed the band The Eternals.
Critical reception
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
critic Joshua Glazer described the album as "an under-recognized example of the mid-'90s indie scene's fascination with dub/
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
studio techniques." Glazer further wrote: "Although lacking in the power and diversity of Trenchmouth's previous album, ''Trenchmouth Vs. the Light of the Sun'', ''The Broadcasting System'' is a masterful example of the long standing affinity between punk rock and
Jamaican music
The music of Jamaica includes Jamaican folk music and many popular genres, such as mento, ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub music, dancehall, reggae fusion and related styles.
Reggae is especially popular through the fame of Bob Marley. Jamaican mus ...
."
Track listing
# "Picking Up Interference" – 1:33
# "Broadcasting from the Heart" – 6:33
# "The Fire and Wire Colossus" – 4:34
# "In High Contrast" – 5:16
# "Moving with Momentum" – 4:42
# "Overthrower" – 2:43
# "Contrast Beneath the Surface" – 5:23
# "Onus" – 4:57
# "Interference" – 4:35
Personnel
Album credits as adapted from the liner notes.
[Liner notes have been reproduced at ]Discogs
Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...
:
Trenchmouth
*
Fred Armisen
Fereydun Robert Armisen (born December 4, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, musician, and writer. With his comedy partner Carrie Brownstein, he co-created and co-starred in the IFC sketch comedy series '' Portlandia''. He also co-created ...
– drums, percussion, piano, backing vocals
*Chris DeZutter – guitar
*
Damon Locks
Damon Locks is an American musician, visual artist, and educator, best known for being the lead vocalist of the post-hardcore band Trenchmouth, a member of Exploding Star Orchestra, and cofounding Black Monument Ensemble.
Early life
Born and ra ...
– vocals, art direction; mixing (2, 7)
*Wayne Montana – bass guitar; mixing (7)
Other personnel
* Casey Rice – production, mixing, engineering, backing vocals; sounds, programming (as "Designer")
* Richard Warfield Smith – organ, melodica; mixing (1, 7)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Broadcasting System
1996 albums
Skene! Records albums
Trenchmouth albums