Heartbeats and Brainwaves
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Heartbeats and Brainwaves
| type = Studio
| artist = Electric Six
| cover = Electric Six - Heartbeats and Brainwaves.png
| alt =
| released = {{start date|2011|10|11}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 53:08
| label = Metropolis
| producer = John Nash
| prev_title = Zodiac
| prev_year = 2010
| next_title = Mustang
(2013)
-
Absolute Pleasure
| next_year = 2012
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Heartbeats and Brainwaves
| type = Studio
| single1 = Interchangeable Knife (Dubai Bros. Remix)" / "French Bacon (Phantasmagoria Remix)
| single1date = 2011
}}
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/heartbeats-and-brainwaves-mw0002205065|title=Heartbeats and Brainwaves – Electric Six {{!}} Album|website=AllMusic|last=Heaney|first=Gregory|access-date=April 16, 2024}}
| rev2 = Classic Rock
| rev2score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/electric-six-heartbeats-and-brainwaves|title=Electric Six: Heartbeats and Brainwaves|magazine=Classic Rock|via=Loudersound|last=Stubbs|first=David|date=December 18, 2011|access-date=April 16, 2024}}
| rev3 = PopMatters
| rev3score = 5/10{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/150721-electric-six-heartbeats-and-brainwaves-2495923577.html|title=Electric Six: Heartbeats and Brainwaves|website=PopMatters|last=Schiller|first=Mike|date=November 7, 2011|access-date=April 16, 2024}}
| rev4 = Tom Hull – on the Web
| rev4score = B–{{cite web|url=https://tomhull.com/ocston/nm/get_gl.php?n=electric+six|title=Grade List: Electric Six|website=Tom Hull – on the Web|first=Hull|last=Tom Hull|access-date=23 March 2025}}
| noprose = yes
}}
Heartbeats and Brainwaves is the eighth album by Detroit rock band Electric Six. It was released on October 11, 2011.{{cite web|url=http://www.metropolis-mailorder.com/product.php?prodnum=MET+745|title=Innovative Pop, Rock and Electronic Music – Metropolis Records|website=Metropolis-mailorder.com|accessdate=2 January 2018}}
It was released as a CD, digital download and a colored double vinyl set which is sold at the band's live shows.
A video for "Psychic Visions" starring Dick Valentine and directed by Justin J. Lowe was uploaded on April 30, 2012, marking the band's first video for three years.{{Cite web |url=http://www.electricsix.com/newsarchive.php |title=Electric Six |access-date=2012-05-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509192429/http://www.electricsix.com/newsarchive.php |archive-date=2012-05-09 |url-status=dead}}
Production
The album was the first time that Johnny Na$hinal, the band's guitarist, produced one of their records.{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.hourdetroit.com/community/charged-up-detroits-electric-six/ |title=Charged Up: Detroit's Electric Six |magazine=Hour Detroit |access-date=2024-04-16}} He would go on to produce every subsequent Electric Six album except for 2018's Bride of the Devil.
It made heavy use of the band's home studios for recording sessions.{{Cite web |url=https://www.goldenplec.com/interview-electric-six/ |title=Interview: Electric Six |website=GoldenPlec |access-date=2024-04-16}} However, professional recording studios were still used, especially when recording the female backing vocals.{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.ocweekly.com/dick-valentine-of-electric-6-on-their-new-record-sasha-baron-cohen-as-freddie-mercury-and-the-stock-market-6598766/ |title=Dick Valentine of Electric 6 on Their New Record, Sasha Baron Cohen as Freddie Mercury and the Stock Market |magazine=OC Weekly |access-date=2024-04-16}}
Unusually for the band (whose songs are typically written by Valentine), he asked each member of the band to submit at least two songs to the album, with some submitting three.{{Cite web |url=https://dailytrojan.com/2011/10/17/electric-six-attempts-to-extricate-old-sound/ |title=Electric Six attempts to extricate old sound |access-date=2024-04-16}}
In an interview with St. Louis Magazine, Dick Valentine revealed that he wrote the album's opening track, "Psychic Visions", after seeing the words on a neon sign in Brooklyn.{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.stlmag.com/culture/Interview-with-Dick-Valentine-of-Electric-Six/ |title=Danger! High Voltage!: Interview with Dick Valentine of Electric Six |magazine=St. Louis Magazine |access-date=2024-04-16}} Speaking to Michigan Live, he stated that they tried not to overthink the album and revealed that the band wrote the song "Eye Contact" "in the span of like one hour".{{Cite web |url=https://www.mlive.com/entertainment/flint/2011/12/electric_six_thrives_on_origin.html |title=Electric Six thrives on originality |website=Michigan Live |access-date=2024-04-16}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing = Tyler Spencer.
| headline = Heartbeats and Brainwaves track listing
| title1 = Psychic Visions
| length1 = 3:39
| title2 = French Bacon
| length2 = 3:38
| title3 = Gridlock!
| length3 = 3:14
| title4 = It Gets Hot
| length4 = 3:51
| title5 = The Intergalactic Version
| length5 = 3:11
| title6 = Interchangeable Knife
| length6 = 2:32
| title7 = Food Dog
| length7 = 3:58
| title8 = Hello! I See You!
| length8 = 3:56
| title9 = Bleed for the Artist
| length9 = 3:35
| title10 = We Use the Same Products
| length10 = 3:57
| title11 = Eye Contact
| length11 = 4:13
| title12 = Free Samples
| length12 = 4:20
| title13 = I Go Through Phases
| length13 = 3:44
| title14 = Heartbeats and Brainwaves
| length14 = 5:00
}}
Personnel
- Dick Valentine – vocals
- Tait Nucleus? – synthesizer
- The Colonel – guitar
- {{proper name|Johnny Na$hinal}} – guitar
- Percussion World – drums
- Smorgasbord – bass
- Andy D. – vocals (track 4)
- E. Abbott Joñes – vocals (track 6)
- She Bits – background vocals (track 6)
- Adam Cox – musician
- Audrey Cichocki – musician
- Chad Thompson – musician
- Liz Whittman – musician
- Jason Pearce – musician
- Mark Mallman – musician
- Renata Del Signore – musician
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Electric Six}}
{{Authority control}}