Search - Brain Laughter :: Vol. 1-in the Land of Power

Brain Laughter is a loose collective of musicians on the Spotted Peccary Label, with synthesist Howard Givens at the core. Released in 1989, this is the label's first release and remains one of their more potent CDs. Inspired by the landscapes of the desert American Southwest and the mystic writings of Carlos Castaneda, Brain Laughter conjures up dramatic landscapes full of minimalist textures on "Awakening" and orchestrates ethereal spaces on "The Other Side (of Night)." The fugue-like motifs that pop up on songs such as "The Gates of Perception" reveal their progressive rock backgrounds, although these are the least successful elements of the group. They're at their best mixing old-style space synth with more modern (at the time) ambiences. Brain Laughter's debut still sounds fresh 11 years later. --John Diliberto