Brainwasher’s 39 Lightyears From Heaven (Mothland) may have been more than a decade in the making, but it’s not as if Matthew Duckworth Kirksey and Tommy McKenzie were layabouts during that time. For much of it, they were recording and touring the world with the indomitable Wayne Coyne as members of the Flaming Lips. Now the time is finally right to acknowledge the passion project they couldn’t seem to shake.
Brainwasher’s expansive, cinematic take on post-punk and electronica draws from numerous sources, all of them near-and-dear to their hearts, whether it’s Portishead, Nick Cave or David Lynch. It’s anyone’s guess how the album’s pulsing soundscapes and ethereal vocals will translate to the stage for the duo’s one-off show in Oklahoma City on November 28. But it’s bound to be immersive and disorienting. Kirksey and McKenzie have recruited artist Zac Cox to provide visuals for the event. And just so you get the idea, check out the video below for 39 Lightyears track “At Least It Beats An Actor” Cox co-directed with Coyne and Blake Studdard.
MAGNET’s Hobart Rowland gleaned more from Kirksey.
It seems like this album took forever to make. Why?
Yeah, this felt like the project that would never die, no matter how long we put it off working on other projects … and a relatively constant touring schedule with the Flaming Lips. Then, a year or so ago, we’d scheduled some studio time to continue working on it. One of those days, we were driving to the studio and listening to the songs, and it just kind of hit me: ‘I think it’s done.’ It felt really good—and in the end, I think the time helped us. We grew with the music, and we felt good about the finished product.
“Home,” the latest single, is a different sort of road song. Was it inspired by your touring with the Lips?
Yeah. To me, it encapsulates what it feels like to be a wanderer, and to make wherever you are—and whomever you’re with—feel like home. The world is moving so fast around us all the time, and it makes me feel like we’re moving in slow motion, even when we aren’t in one place for very long. It reminds me to cherish these times and experiences and relationships.
Blake Studdard is known for his stellar work on the two Flaming Lips Space Bubble films. How did your personal and creative connection with him shape the visuals for Brainwasher?
Blake is one of us. He’s always looking to get the most out of an experience or a relationship. He’s a friend that you can count on. I was dealing with some extremely difficult family stuff this summer, and he was my crutch—there for anything I needed. And I think his art reflects that. He sees things through to the end, and you know you’re getting his all—even if he’s making a whole video in exchange for a new pair of running shoes.
How did working in fits and starts at studios like Pink Floor in Toronto and Lunar Manor in Oklahoma City influence the sound and vibe of the album?
I think it helped us. The ability to get away—to not get buried too deep in the same ideas and feelings—is a powerful thing. Just getting to listen to a demo when you’re stuck on a 14-hour flight to Melbourne is freeing. It gives you time to reflect and get quiet for a while. I cherish all those times when it’s impossible to work.
Stylistically, 30 Lightyears is all over the place. There’s trip hop, shoegaze, industrial and even new wave. Was there a moment where everything clicked and you realized, “Yeah, this is the Brainwasher sound”?
I always felt like these songs worked together and had a “sound” because of Tommy. The way he plays … He brings his style to everything he does. Sometimes I feel like my ideas are buried in some kind of haze, and the layers and depth of the music he makes lend themselves to my melodies and words. I think we do a good job of bringing influences into our music while keeping it our own. At least I hope we do.
