Economy and Failure is a work stemming from two tumultuous years for Brendan Dougherty: births, deaths and other big changes. The music was made in hotel rooms, airports, cafes and various studios using a basic setup of laptop and headphones. In contrast to his critically acclaimed last LP Sensate (Entr’acte, 2016), which used heavy synth patterns to create jittering rhythmic pulses without drum sounds, Economy and Failure sees the drums return on longer arrangements that bear some resemblance to techno. These tracks are interspersed with shorter études in texture and pulse. The resulting pattern heightens the tension between minimalism and emotional depth, making Economy and Failure a peculiar and poetic piece that the artist himself counts as his most direct and emotionally connected yet.
Philadelphia-born Brendan Dougherty moved to Berlin in 2002 while still working as a drummer in jazz and experimental music contexts. An interest in electronic music and collaboration led to work with some of the most prominent names in European performance art scene (Meg Stuart, Adam Linder, Jeremy Wade). After ten years of working and touring with these projects, he set his focus on solo music and has been releasing his output on Entr’acte, Utech, Shoebill and Aural Terrains.
Präsens Editionen, the publisher behind zweikommasieben Magazin, will release Economy and Failure on June 1st 2018. “Below”, the track we’re premiering here, is one of the more beat-orientated cuts on the album and one could even see it being played at a big-room techno-club, even if the stuttering bassline points to more experimental flight lines. Economy and Failure is already up for pre-order on the Präsens Editionen webshop and various other online outlets. With a limited first pressing run of an initial 300 copies you probably should think about a pre-order to get your hands on the LP, beautifully designed by Kaj Lehmann.