alias.

1976 – 2018

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Photo of Brendan 'Alias' Whitney

About Alias

An influential rapper, producer and co-founder of the Anticon record label, Brendon “Alias” Whitney was also a devoted husband, father and friend.

The world lost Brendon to an undiagnosed heart condition on March 30, 2018. He leaves behind a musical legacy that spans more than a dozen albums and EPs. He also lives on through his wife and two daughters. This website is a tribute to Alias and a destination for fans of his music — old and new.

Discography

Less is Orchestra album cover art

Less is Orchestra

2018

Two best friends, Alias and Adam "Doseone" Drucker, finally make the album they'd been meaning to for twenty years. Where two seasoned artists at the height of their abilities return to the spirit of collaboration that launched their careers and find that old fire waiting. Where, amid day jobs and a mild sense of encroaching obscurity, they made their best work, ever, together.

Pitch Black Prism album cover art

Pitch Black Prism

2014

Pitch Black Prism is the last solo studio album by Alias. It was released on Anticon in 2014. The album was preceded by the free EP, Indigo.

"Fever Dream gave us a glimpse of his experimental potential three years ago, and he has followed further down the path of exploration with Pitch Black Prism." -Rebecca M. Williams, Exclaim!

Fever Dream album cover art

Fever Dream

2011

Fever Dream is Alias' most inspired and dynamic record in years. Spurred by the psychedelic sound and off-kilter groove of electronic experimentalists like Flying Lotus, Modeselektor and Bibio, he ditched quantized beats, embraced warmth, and set the whole thing wobbling to a warped dance pulse.

"Alias has excelled by undermining himself, and the effect is nothing short of brilliant.” - Alex Youn, http://ConsequenceofSound.com

Resurgam album cover art

Resurgam

2008

In August of 2007, after 8 years of innovating in Oakland, Alias went home to Portland, Maine. To snow and real seasons, to fresh air and familiarity. Resurgam is the solo studio album he made there. It was released on Anticon in 2008 and features guest appearances from Yoni Wolf and The One AM Radio. The title is Latin for "I shall rise again”, which is the city motto of Portland.

Collected Remixes album cover art

Collected Remixes

2007

Here Alias reworks, reinvents, remixes and otherwise welds his personal touch to the respective works of a wide range of peers. More than it’s title suggests, “Collected Remixes” stands as a cohesive body of work, showing the incredible breadth and flexibility of Alias’ production talents.

"Needless to say, Alias adapts seamlessly to the diverse cast and packs power into the disc’s 11 tracks. Recommended.” - David Ma, http://xlr8r.com

Brookland/Oaklyn album cover art

Brookland/Oaklyn

2006

Brookland/Oaklyn is the debut, bicoastal collaboration between the production/beatmaking of anticon's Alias and the voice and inspiration of Rona "Tarsier" Rapadas of New York's cinematronic duo, Healamonster & Tarsier. The project began with one fluke email and remained faceless for 21 months as they recorded their respective musical roles (without first meeting or even knowing the other).

"Here Alias returns to the hard drums and boom-bap-infused atmospheres which tinted Muted; Tarsier walks a beautiful line somewhere between Bjork and Beth Gibbons.” - Anticon.com

Dr. C / Five Year Eve album cover art

Dr. C / Five Year Eve

2006

One gets the feeling that before meeting in person, Alias and Tarsier crossed paths someplace else, perhaps in some digital dreamscape out on the astral plane. "Dr. C," the lead-off single from the duo's upcoming full-length, Brookland/Oaklyn, drops us directly into this ethereal fantasy world.

Eyes Closed EP album cover art

Eyes Closed EP

2006

The Eyes Closed EP is five beautifully arranged instrumental songs of filtered polyrhythmic percussion, fat chopped drums, droney synths, lush string samples and TV/radio overdubs with anti-imperialist sentiment. A departure from early sample-heavy, loop-based Alias productions, tracks laden with washy keyboards and eerie guitar relied more on his multi-instrumental talents and signaled the transformation to come on Muted.

Plane That Draws A White Line album cover art

Plane That Draws A White Line

2006

Brendon "Alias" Whitney and Rona "Tarsier" Rapadas have always been something of an odd couple -- he from southern Maine, she from Culver City, CA -- they met after switching coasts (he'd moved to California and she'd moved to Brooklyn) and gradually became a team after spending some time swapping music by mail. Their collaborations eventually culminated in the album Brookland/Oaklyn, and Plane That Draws a White Line is an odds-and-sods EP compilation is made up of tracks from that album along with remixes, outtakes, and alternate versions.

Lillian album cover art

Lillian

2005

Lillian is the only collaborative studio album by Alias (Brendon Whitney) & Ehren (Ehren Whitney). It was released on Anticon in 2005. The album is named after their grandmother.

"It's a troubling, sweet record that's more than willing to immerse itself in abstraction and a lack of clarity, stimulating thought instead of giving distinct answers, which makes it quite a powerful accomplishment. - Marisa Brown, Ravi

Unseen Sights EP album cover art

Unseen Sights EP

2004

Alias’s follow-up 12-inch to his critically acclaimed Muted record features Markus Acher of the Notwist and pedestrian. Both tracks demonstrate alias’s compositional talent and flexibility as he blurs the lines between several music genres. In a addition to the title track and “The Physical Voice,” the single also features two new exclusive instrumental tracks by alias: “Autumn Afternoons” and “Something Borrowed,” as well as exclusive instrumentals of both “Unseen Sights” and “The Physical Voice.”

Muted album cover art

Muted

2003

Alias reached a new maturity in his production and sound on Muted, and used it to explore (and at times parody) the “boundaries” between what is considered hip-hop and what is considered electronica, to incredible effect. More than ever before, this record demonstrated Alias’s compositional talent and flexibility. He sounds equally at home providing the melancholy backing for Markus Acher’s (The Notwist) plaintive crooning on “Unseen Sights,” as he does supporting the staccato raps of the Pedestrian on “The Physical Voice.”

The Other Side of the Looking Glass album cover art

The Other Side of the Looking Glass

2002

Alias’ debut full length. This collection of introspective lyrics rapped over ethereal, minor-chord drones, dark samples, and aggressive, dubbed-out drum beats was recorded in home studios between December 1998 and October 2001.

"The Other Side of the Looking Glass without question grows hip-hop outward in almost every way...Alias discovered the rabbit hole, and this masterpiece reports back its deepest recesses in meaningful ways." - Stanton Swihart, All Music Guide