Brain Drain is a Sydney based artist who straddles the divide between structure and improvisation, often revelling in the contrast between the two. His primarily guitar-driven pieces centre around creating both mood and rhythm through loops and using this repetition as a foundation on which to improvise. Since 2010, Brain Drain has released three albums: a self-titled debut cassette, the follow-up Wahine Division, and the collaborative album, Popolice Versus Brain Drain.

This podcast features a full set from Brain Drain, broadcast live to air on New Weird Australia in May 2011, plus an artist interview and tracks from his first two releases.

Official Brain Drain site: braindrain3053.tumblr.com

Live tracks featured in this podcast: Double Chocolate Stout, Black T, No-Hitter, Theme.

(April 2011) Severed Heads are regarded as being one of the most influential experimental and electronic bands in Australia, pioneering the use of tape loops and samples in the late 70s and early 80s, and forging an innovative career that stretched across three decades. Retiring in 2010, Severed Heads nonetheless came together once again in May 2011 to play a series of shows with electro-pioneer Gary Numan, and, prior to the tour, gave their final live to air performance on NEW WEIRD AUSTRALIA.

Over 50 minutes in length, this exclusive Severed Heads set is in two parts - a 'pop' set featuring well-known classic tracks from the back catalogue, and a shorter 'weird' set, with the band recreating early material with Ableton Live. In between, Stu Buchanan discusses the legacy, 'the retrospective era' and upcoming solo activity with Severed Heads frontman, Tom Ellard.

Live tracks featured in this podcast: (Part One) Now, An Explosive New Movie / Pilot In Hell / Harold And Cindy Hospital / Kittenette / Petrol / Pilots Hate You / Choose Evil / Heart Of The Party / Dead Eyes Opened. (Part Two) Ken Burns Effect / Gashing The Old Mae West / Wonder Of All The World

Breathing Shrine is a psychedelic / noise / drone band from Melbourne. After touring the USA twice as a duo under the name of Grey Daturas, Bonnie Mercer (guitar) and Rob Mayson (bass & drums) decided to continue under the new name of Breathing Shrine. Ahead of one of their rare live appearances in Sydney, Bonnie & Rob join Stu Buchanan to discuss the birth of Breathing Shrine, the freedom that it now affords them and what the future may, or may not, have in store.  The podcast also includes a performance from Breathing Shrine, recorded live on New Weird Australia, titled '27-01-2011'.