Brainstatik has been recording since 1995
By:Vanessa S. Holt
CROSSWICKS The setting sun will provide the light show Sat-urday when the group Brainstatik takes to the stage on the Village Green to create its special brand of cosmic, progressive music for the annual Crosswicks Community Association Concert on the Green.
This is the third appearance by the band at the outdoor concert, which raises money for the Crosswicks Community Association through snack and drink sales. The concert itself is free and the audience is invited to bring blankets, chairs and picnic dinners.
Self-described as an "improvisational electro-ambient world space music" band, the duo known as Brainstatik have been recording music together since 1995 with a number of different musicians who contribute to their live or recorded material.
Ken Palmer, 45, of Crosswicks and Rob Burger, 48, of Stockton met through a mutual interest in Macintosh computers and graphic art that drew them both to a Princeton Macintosh users group.
Mr. Burger has been playing guitar since he was 9 years old and has an interest in improvisatory and progressive rock music. He contributes electric and synth guitar and percussion to Brainstatik’s live and studio performances.
A self-taught keyboardist, Mr. Palmer began playing in high school and found his musical roots in 1970s progressive bands such as Yes, King Crimson and Gentle Giant as well as world music from Celtic, African and Asian cultures.
Their own sound ranges from astral vistas populated by synthesized sitars and tablas to worlds that could be underwater or on another planet. Creating textures that range from soft and otherworldly to dark and electric, they have been releasing a self-produced compact disc almost every year since they began their jam sessions.
Mr. Palmer’s brother, Wayne, is the sound engineer, overseeing production on four-track recording equipment that is later moved to a computer for mixing.
Both of the main musicians in the band have been playing in groups or by themselves for years.
"I was in a band in college and a New Wave band in the 80s, neither of which went anywhere," joked Mr. Palmer. "Then for 10 years I did music on my own, so when Rob and I met, I was itching to do something with other people."
Mr. Burger has been playing since he was 12 in cover bands, high school rock bands, a funk jazz band in college and even a New Wave group.
"I’ve always been playing on my own in between," he said.
The first two years the members of Brainstatik played music together it was as the Little Green Men, but when they discovered there were other bands with the same name they decided to come up with something else.
"We like the word brain," said Mr. Palmer. "Brainstatik is a phenomenon, an underlying current in your brain," he said.
They added the "k" on the end to give it a German feel, recalling classic electronic and progressive bands such as Kraftwerk.
"The first time we got together, we just clicked musically," said Mr. Palmer. "The improvisations came right out."
The starting point for a song can be anything, he said. A spontaneously created rhythm, a single note, or a vague idea evolves into a song that they may or may not be able to duplicate in the future.
"Sometimes we won’t even talk to each other, we just start playing," said Mr. Burger.
"Things will happen that we think we couldn’t have done if we had planned it," said Mr. Palmer. "We have a lot of fun."
The band’s drummer, John Fair, is a Crosswicks resident as well. The lineup has changed several times over the years, with different bass players and drummers, but the core members have always been the same Ken and Rob.
Busy with jobs and families, the members of Brainstatik dedicate at least one long weekend afternoon a month to recording their "homegrown, home-burned" compact discs.
This year, the band put up a Web site and is working on finding more opportunities to play live music. In addition to the Concert on the Green this weekend they will play live on the radio at 10 p.m. Aug. 30 on WPRB 103.3 FM in Princeton. They have previously received airplay on the Friday night radio show hosted by "Dr. Cosmo."
"After seven years, I think it’s time to come out from under the rock," said Mr. Palmer.
Many of their listeners have remarked that their music reminds them of suspense, horror or science fiction movie soundtracks, said the duo.
"I’d like to investigate that as an avenue to pursue," said Mr. Palmer.
They are looking for more venues to play their music live, said Mr. Palmer. Their music is recorded live, after all.
"We don’t overdub or ‘fix’ anything," said Mr. Palmer. The songs may be shortened by fading in the beginning or end, but otherwise, their improvs are the final product.
Song titles such as "Moonbeat," "On Angels’ Wings" and "Dancing Dwarfs" suggest fantasy worlds from the mystical to the humorous, while others, like "Awaken Asleep" and "We Drone Alone" reflect the music’s introspective, dreamlike qualities.
Mr. Palmer said some of the song titles just come to him after listening to the piece 15 or 20 times and other times he collects phrases he hears in passing.
"I believe strongly in happy accidents," said Mr. Palmer, describing their approach as "Dadaist."
"That’s what I enjoy most about improvised music," said Mr. Burger. "You don’t know where it’s going to go. Magic happens, and it takes you to places you never would have gone before. The music takes on a life of its own."
Mr. Palmer said he enjoys some of the questions that people ask the band after the show, like "What was that weird sound coming from the guitar?"
"Sometimes we’re not sure what the sounds were!" he laughed.
This Saturday Brainstatik will feature several guest musicians, including John Fair on drums, Christine Uberti playing samples and George Mahlberg playing the Chapman stick, a combination 12-string bass and guitar that is played with the fingers.
"We replicate the kind of sounds and the key that it’s in, and we just let it go," said Mr. Burger.
Brainstatik will perform from 6 to 8 p.m. on the Village Green behind the Crosswicks Community House on Saturday, Aug. 3. Rain date is Aug. 24. Snacks and drinks will be available, with all proceeds going to the Crosswicks Community Association.
For more information about the band, visit its Web site at www.brainstatik.com.