…pounding under my feet, SINGLE/VIDEO: ADAM BROOKES – Piece of Mind
Adam Brookes – Piece of Mind is available at Bandcamp.
by Walter Price
I must’ve said it earnestly a half dozen times over the years, that former Dangermaker frontman, Adam Brookes, in whichever incarnation he’s creating in, makes big music. And as a solo artist, his electro-pop has as much to do with the hallowed sounds of New Order as it does with Thompson Twins and OMD with a smidge of Camouflage for good measure. But that’s not to say he’s purely a throwback artist, its to let you know that he’s continuing the beloved tradition of soundtrack ready New Wave. And his new single, “Piece of Mind”, furthers his message.
Explaining the track’s origin and his music-making journey, Brookes told the GTC, “Much of the new music I’m writing lately seems to be directly affected by the experience of living in an ever-changing place like San Francisco and feeling a little like a fish out of water, even though I’ve lived in the city for 20 years now and put down roots with my family. I don’t always mind that feeling, it can be inspiring actually, but also isolating and challenge your sense of self.
“Piece of Mind” is a song I first started writing a few years ago and went through several iterations on, first inspired more out of anger & frustration and eventually isolation & anxiety over a feeling of not belonging as much. The fact that it happened around the time that I walked away from Dangermaker is probably no coincidence either. Originally it was a more hard-hitting guitar rock song, which evolved into something more electro-pop as I drew on influences like Depeche Mode and New Order and more contemporary bands like The War on Drugs for my solo project, somewhere where pop meets rock meets electronic music. I am aware that piece of mind and peace of mind are two different things, although in my life lately one often leads to another, hence the song title. I have a piece of mind to give if you want to hear it, but peace of mind still eludes me sometimes…”
You can watch the new 80s-tech-inspired video below. “Piece of Mind” is available via Breakup Records.
PIECE of MIND
Artist photo by Britobrien photography
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“New solo single PIECE OF MIND brings a more summery, minimal, electronic feel than we’ve heard from Dangermaker’s singer-songwriter before. Initial experiments with electronic production recently led to commissioned compositions for The North Face and Brookes realized that certain life-long musical influences had previously been neglected. Rather than force-fitting those ideas into an existing box, this new project is left free to land where it may, fusing electronic and hip-hop influences just as much as rock, pop, R&B or anything else. Brookes has appeared at Bottlerock Napa and Live 105’s BFD Music Festivals among others like SXSW & CMJ nationally, and his music heard on radio, television & film, ahead of his 2020 solo LP release.” – Public Display PR