discography

TECHNICOLOR BAND WALKS THE BLUE CIRCLE

Technicolor Band is a revolving-cast, cross-genre improv unit based in Bloomington, IN.

The group, initially instigated by multi-instrumentalists David Brown and Caleb Hickman as a regular gathering to explore improvisation behind closed doors, eventually made its way into public via a residency at a 50 cap bar called Orbit Room. Over the next two years a core lineup formed around the quintet of Brown (keys, percussion, tape manipulation), Hickman (alto sax, electronics), Chuck Roldan (drums, percussion), Brendan Keller-Tuberg (double bass), and Aja Essex (baritone sax).

The band’s debut, Technicolor Band Opens The Green Door, featured early recordings from longform improvisations at Brown’s home studio. Those free-form explorations were then edited, deconstructed, and rearranged by Brown into a song cycle.

The live shows, meanwhile, were pushing toward something more organic, with the increasingly well-acquainted players constructing and deconstructing musical moments on the spot. The longform performances began to have an album-like ebb and flow, some moments somber and meditative, others boisterous and disordered. Luckily, those moments were almost always recorded. Whether in multi-track by WFHB radio volunteers or on sketchy handheld field recorders, the well of documentation of Technicolor Band’s 2024 activity is deep.

Technicolor Band Walks The Blue Circle, forthcoming on Torn Light Records, is the result of that year of live shows. The album draws from three performances in very different spaces—a storefront info shop, a county history museum, a basement bar in an alley—arranged to capture the breadth and scope of the group’s output.

TECHNICOLOR BAND

We want to live! We want peace! We want medicine, food and education!

This improvisation was recorded in front of an audience and simultaneously broadcast live on WFHB on November 15, 2023 – five and a half weeks into the ongoing genocide in Palestine. We wanted to use our time on the air to amplify and react to the plea of the children of Gaza City. The child’s voice is from a press conference recorded on November 8, 2023 in front of Al-Shifa Hospital.

David Brown: keys, percussion, loops
Caleb Hickman: alto sax, effects
Chuck Roldan: drums, percussion
Brendan Keller-Tuberg: upright bass

Recorded live @ Backspace in Bloomington, IN 11/15/2023
Broadcast simultaneously on WFHB’s “Local Live”
Broadcast Producer and Engineer: Jar Turner
Audio Engineer: Jared Coyle
Remixed by David Brown @ The Green Door, February 2024
Mastered By John Dawson

• 90% of the profits from this release will go to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund: http://www.pcrf.net
• 10% of the profits from this release will go to WFHB: wfhb.org

TECHNICOLOR BAND OPENS THE GREEN DOOR

‘Technicolor Band Opens The Green Door’ is the first collection of recordings by Bloomington, IN cross-grenre imrpov unit Technicolor Band.

ANGUSTIA (2023)

WATER CHILD IN TECHNICOLOR (2023)

Repetitions calm and wild, deconstructed compositions reconstructed and repurposed, improvisations wrangled into new pastures.

NEW BIRD SOUNDS (2022)

from Medium Sound:
“New Bird Sounds, by Bloomington based composer David Brown, is an audio journey that blasts off from Southwest Indiana then flys straight up into the sonic stratosphere. New ear adventures around every aural corner, the album pops with captivating tones both catchy and mysterious. Warped and withered tape experiments intermingle with acoustic rhythms, droning strings and improvisational horns n keys. A beautiful document of contemporary Hoosier electronic folk & vibed out, expansive compositions.”

BLUE, GREEN, AND OTHER SOUNDS (2021)

Textural dirges and poly-rhythmic instrumentals for listening at 10 am local time as the light comes in through the window. A synesthetic exploration, sometimes including English words, created to both ward off and lean into an ongoing panic attack.

JENNIFER LYNN CHRISTIE & DAVID BROWN

“INSIDE THE CAVE” (2020)

The second collaboration by JLC and DB, this soundtrack was originally conceived for a live performance in early 2020. The performance utilized processed voice as well as a series of endless loops (melodic, textural, synthesized, and organic) which were mixed live to accompany the reading. This studio version recreates the performance with only minor embellishment. “Inside The Cave” was published by Always Crashing in spring of 2021 and has since been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

IS SIMILAR TO (2020) 

A return to “songs” with “words” — featuring what has become the typical whirlwind of stylistically diverse forms and techniques: “Pop music.” Released by Earth Libraries during an actual global pandemic. The perfect soundtrack to the end of an empire.

A SIMPLE DESCRIPTION OF COMPLICATED THINGS (2020)

Recorded live to tape in front of an audience by Phil Connor at In The West in New Brunswick, NJ on March 29, 2018.

THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (2019)

A continuous 77 minute piece written and recorded by DB to accompany the 1920 German Expressionist masterpiece. Full Film and promo spot below. Listen to the full score here.

LET’S HAVE A SEANCE! (2019)

American Primative finger style guitar meets tape manipulation and drone. A cinematic transversal experience at the limits of acoustic guitar, reforming the sounds of 60s popular strummed psychedelia around an intuitive narrative of impending menace and release. Released by Midwaste Tapes. Art by Damon Carruesco.

THE DAISY BLADES – FLASH FREAKOUT (2019)

A collaboration between DB and Gabe Chiarello of the highly underrated New Jersey group Sink Tapes. A fogged-out, low-cost, mid-fi pop record for the low income set. Recorded by DB and GC at Pale Birds Eye in Bloomington, Indiana.

MEDS (2018)

Running the gamut from shimmering pop music to decomposed gamelan tape loops, this new full-length is the most fully realized version of David Brown’s personality in audio form. Recorded by Marcus Lappin and Nathan Gill.

SELECTED INSTRUMENTALS, DRONES, AND UNRELEASED TRACKS (2018)

A collection of various tonal experiments, themes to greet the rising sun, and dirges to dismiss the ending day, all arranged to flow together in a way most satisfying to the human user 01101001101.

JENNIFER LYNN CHRISTIE & DAVID BROWN

“BORIS THE BLOODHOUND” (2017)

This is a warped book on tape experience, inspired by the scholastic 45s of childhood. Story written and narrated by JLC / music & sounds performed and recorded by DB. Published by Opossum Lit in April, 2017. (Full text & feature here)

BATTLE FLOWERS (2017)

A minimal acid-folk offering. Recorded under the influence of Bert Jansch and Syd Barrett, and in the ever-extending shadow of Leonard Cohen.

MORE CLINICAL PSYCHEDELIA (2016)

SIDE A: Further explorations of pop music’s deconstruction! The robots would be proud!

SIDE B: Slide on down that slide and let’s see what kind of thinking we can get done!

DAVID BROWN AND THE TOMORROWMEN – S/T (2016)

Pop and folk songs paired with epic tape loop meditations to form a musically schizophrenic song cycle. All instruments played by DB. Recorded by Chris Wittman.

DESERT STORM THE 2nd (2015)

Time travel IS possible! Here we have the soundtrack to a short story written by David Brown at a very young age — a tale of war, death, loss, and giant aliens from another dimension. All sounds by DB. Narrated by Dustin Monk.

LISTEN! THE SONGS OF JOHN AND YOKO (2015)

This EP, a short collection of songs by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, was originally given away in an edition of 50 of Record Store Day 2015.

DALMATIAN (2014)

A short EP of electronic repetitions, with one low-key ditty about death tossed in for good measure.

DAVID BROWN IS LOSING HIS MIND (2013)

The first proper solo effort, an EP of equal parts synthesized wandering and pop hooks, was the first of many works recorded in DB’s attic studio, Jurassic Park (RIP).

DAS BASTARD (2013)

This collection of covers was originally given away on Record Store Day 2013.

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with SECONDARY MODERN:

member, 2005-2016; vocals, guitar, keys, percussion, principal songwriter.

ANIMAL CHATTER (2015)

VENUS BIRDS (2014)

NEW COLONY (2013)

HELP! LIVE ON RSD (2013)

Yes, that Help. Done for no real reason with our buddy Marcus Lappin playing second guitar.

S/T (2012)

VAUDEVILLE GHOSTS (2010)

THIN CITIES (2008) [listen]

VANILLA TO AN ENGLISHMAN (2007) [listen]

A FINANCE OPERA (2005) [listen]

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with FREEDOM RIDE:

FREEDOM RIDE SAYS HELLO (2012)

DB played electric piano and synth in this short-lived exploration of human volatility.

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with THE BLACK FORTYS:

member, 2007-2010; keys, guitar.

KASKASKIA ISLAND (2009)

outta print, outta sight:

JNANA VEDA (2008)

HELICOPTERS (2007)

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with THE OTHERLY BROTHERS:

LIVE AT A PLAZA RECORDS PARTY! (2015)

A setlist full of obscure Everly Brothers songs, initially started to make money off of baby boomers with stuffed pockets and bloodshot eyes. The only document is on this odd collection (also feat. Secondary Modern, The Flowers of Evil, and more).

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CONTRIBUTIONS:

KAY KRULL – SATURN IN LOVE [2022]

production / engineering, guitars, keys, bass, vocals

ARLIN PEEBLES – SPARE PARTS (2015)

recording engineer, mixing.

THE FLOWERS OF EVIL – DREAMHEAD (2014)

production, recording engineer, mixing, tack piano, percussion, omnichord, backing vocals.

WILLIAM FEIGNS – THE LIFE AND DEATH OF WILLIAM FEIGNS (2014)

guitar, keys, backing vocals.

BEN VAUGHAN – S/T (2014)

organ, electric piano on “gospel song”.

WATERSNAKES (music: 2012 / film: 2014)

10 pieces by DB, Marcus Lappin, and Josh Murphy, edited by DB and later put to film by Josh Murphy.

THE JEWELS – INTRODUCING (2012)

mix engineer, guitar on “Okraschoten”

JESSICA JO JOLLY (2012)

guitar / bass / keys / vocals. Songs by JJJ. Hopefully this whole album will be released someday. Not sure what happened…