Brain Damage

Launched in Saint-Étienne in 1999 by Martin Nathan with Raphaël Talis, Brain Damage sits within French dub while it early on opens up to more experimental forms, between reggae, electronic, spoken word, and the post-punk heritage. Initially conceived as a duo, later continued by Martin Nathan alone with numerous guests, Brain Damage develops a sound marked by deep bass, precise spatial work, slow or jagged rhythms, and a constant attention to voices, spoken as well as sung. After the first milestones with Bipolar Disorder in 1999, the project grows with Always Greener (On The Other Side) in 2002 and Ashes to Ashes / Dub to Dub in 2004, before a phase more open to artistic crossovers on Spoken Dub Manifesto vol. 1 in 2006, Short Cuts in 2008 and Burning Before Sunset in 2010. Brain Damage then moves between dub scenes, independent music and festivals in France as well as abroad, while multiplying collaborations, notably with High Tone on High Damage in 2011, Vibronics on Empire Soldiers in 2013, then with several Jamaican singers on Walk the Walk in 2015 and Talk the Talk in 2016. The following years extend this trajectory with Liberation Time in 2017 alongside Harrison Stafford, ¡Ya no más! in 2018 in Spanish, Beyond the Blue with Big Youth in 2021, Dreaming From an Iron Gate with Groundation in 2023, then Oide Oide in 2025 with Emiko Ota and Mad Professor.