Switzerland-based Krautrock band born out of a 60's jazz group featuring Belgian born keyboardist Joel Vandroogenbroeck. They are considered by many to be pioneers of early European psychedelic and spaced-out cosmic music. Brainticket was most active in the early 1970s, and known for its use of exotic instruments and jazz-inspired compositions. The only constant member has been Belgian musician Joel Vandroogenbroeck. The band continued to perform concerts and release albums in the 2000s. Vandroogenbroeck died in 2019.
The band was originally called
Cottonwoodhill (as can be seen on a 1970 single) but by 1971 that name became the title of their debut album and the band's name was Brainticket. The album featured British vocalist
Dawn Muir, and it immediately ran into controversy for its association with psychedelic drugs. Much to groups annoyance, the album came with a warning label stating "only listen once a day to this record. Your brain might be destroyed.” This approach led to the album being banned in several countries.
After the untimely death of guitarist
Ron Bryer, Vandroogenbroeck moved to Italy and met an American woman named Carole Muriel. Joined by a pair of Swiss musicians, guitarist Rolf Hug and bassist Martin Sacher, and percussionist Barni Palm, the new line-up released 1972’s Psychonaut, issued at the time in Italy and Germany only. This album was more accessible and song-oriented than its predecessor while still maintaining a unique and progressive sound.
A rock opera collaboration followed, [url=https://www.discogs.com/master/436180-Tito-Schipa-Jr-Orfeo-9]Orfeo9[/url], before Vandroogenbroeck, Muriel and Palm began work on an album based on the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Celestial Ocean told the story of after-life Egyptian kings traveling through space and time, from the desert land to the pyramids. Released in 1973, the album was hailed as the definitive Brainticket experience.
Adventure in 1980 and Voyage in 1982 were released before Brainticket were disbanded. Vandroogenbroeck then made a series of recordings for the German library label Coloursound, who supplied ambient and mood music film and TV documentaries. Various synonyms were used for these releases
1983 Brainticket reunited with Willy Seefeldt, Hans Deyssenroth and Bruno Spoerri for a concert in Zurich at the symposium "Computer And Music". More concerts and festivals followed in the following year. In 1985, Brainticket released a cassette of a live concert in Zurich, New Age Concert, performed by Vandroogenbroeck, Seefeldt, Hans Deyssenroth, and singer Stephanie Wolff.
The Brainticket name was used for the 2000 album Alchemic Universe with Carole Muriel and Lance Bunda.
In August 2011, a newly formed Brainticket lineup, led by Vandroogenbroeck, toured with progressive-rock band Nektar, which had Brainticket performing their very first American concert on August 17, 2011, at B.B. King's in New York City. Brainticket music started to excite again, another tour was planned for 2013 with Nik Turner.
Joel Vandroogenbroeck died on December 23, 2019, in Guadalajara, Mexico
