Brendan Dougherty - Economy and Failure (2018)

Brendan Dougherty’s LP Economy and Failure is a work stemming from two tumultuous years for the artist: 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 Dougherty’s 2016 LP Sensate (Entr’acte), which used heavy synth patterns to create jittering rhythmic pulses without drum sounds, Econ-omy and Failure sees the drums return on longer arrangements that bear some re-semblance 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.