Braintax originally performed as a duo, but former member DJ T.E.S.T. left in the mid-1990s. T.E.S.T. only appeared on one official Braintax release - the 1992 debut EP, Fat Head. Christie retained the recording name and it has since become synonymous with him as a solo artist.
Though Christie had been involved in the underground breakdancing and rapping scenes for a number of years, his career effectively started with the release of the Fat Head EP. Perhaps most noted was track 5, "Talk About The Future," sampling Quincy Jones's "Summer In The City." The sample was used in response to American hip hop act The Pharcyde's use of it in its track "Passin Me By," from album Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde. Braintax's lyrics reflected a maturity beyond his years and this track in particular was a sign of what was to come.
Throughout his career, Braintax's lyrics have been thoughful, hard hitting and reflective, ranging from politics to spirituality and the state of hip hop music to the war in Iraq. Decrying the fake posturing and the laziness of UK hip hop acts, Braintax, along with a slew of cohorts such as Blade, Harry Love and Lewis Parker, triggered a renaissance in the UK hip hop scene, both setting the pace and paving the way for new artists and labels. As well as the variation in production styles, the depth and complexity of Braintax's lyrics are a clue to his success. Though he may not like it, philosophical musings, such as those on "Oceans" (Biro Funk, 2001), on the essence of contentment and the struggle to find peace in the modern world, appeal to a wide audience and, significantly, a middle class audience. In any case, Braintax has been a pioneer of the renaissance in UK hip hop and remains heavily involved, constantly pushing the music forward: "If there is a point it should be that we benefit more from music we relate to than from that we just listen to."
Joe Christie has also recorded or appeared under the pseudonyms Brando Flux and Joey Brains.
Futureghost
Braintax Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We lost touch, wish I didn't think so much
What we had's now faded way beyond my clutch
Drifted off with the wind, warm breeze through big streets
Summer time in the city but I feel weak
The air's thick round Oxford St., fountains running by Centre Point
where we used to meet
It's all changed now since they paved the roads
Cars cause havoc
Meanwhile, in the area around Piccadilly where I first caught malaria
For 5 years we felt the temperature soar
Caught a stale water droplet off a roof on my bottom lip
You can feel the air thick around your body
The sun looks hazy, enough to drive me crazy
Stop! Wait! Somebody quick I feel sick
There's poison in the air you need to get me fixed up
No food or drink please, I'll only sick it up
No credit down the oxygen shop, I'll have to stick it up!
There's something not quite right though
Politicians let it go and let it grow, now the fog glows
Kinda eerie, the tourist trade dried up,
The Japanese are home all wired-up - virtual holidays
So why the f#@k d'you want to come here ?
It's 2052 you could put a headset on and disappear
Who me? I'm just passing,
Paying homage to my loved ones who were struck down in action
Like Lee and Lisa who were hi-tech geniuses
They robbed banks to fund the rallies for air rights
Sabotaged the building of the London Roof
Lee fell from a crane and maimed Lisa on the way down
Freefall, screaming their slogan - "Tear the roof off !"
They scraped up the bodies for whatever that was proof off
It's like The Day of the Triffids, the day the virus took a grip
Worse than AIDS, reminiscent of the plague in 26
And still throughout the city I can feel the devastation
Headed to the airport, beggars at the train station
Can't accost me, they can't see me just my reflection
I scare souls setting off the sniffer dogs
Messin up the x-ray detection I move unseen
Untouchable spectre still I feel unclean
Shanty towns fly by like spots of colour
Corrugated iron makes a comeback this summer
Heathrow looks grim, fields of tents
And families who can't remember if they came or went
Hold my heaven-breath here cos I smell the scent
H2O changed formula and floods the gents in terminal 4
I pick through the mouldy floor
I've seen enough here, going on my global tour
So my plane takes off from the sickly smoke
It's just me, other ghosts and bunch of rich folk
On the last flight, heading off to die in peace
And see sunshine, I guess we'll all soon meet
As the air pressure changed I could feel the sense
Of the water on my neck dripping down through the vents
I feel strange - something's wrong here!
Acid rain, cold as ice, see me slumped in the seat
Wondering how I died twice!?
In Braintax's song "Futureghost," the lyrics reflect a dystopian future of a contaminated London. The song is like a first-person narrative of someone who has left London and looking at the catastrophic events that have unfolded in the city after an outbreak of a virus. As the singer traverses through the city, they recall memories of the past and their loved ones who had stood up against the injustices in London. The air is contaminated, people are sick, and families are lost. Towards the end of the song, the singer is on a plane with other wealthy people, heading off to die in peace, with the realisation that they too will soon become a part of the destruction that had already consumed London.
The song paints a vivid picture of the post-apocalyptic city with its descriptive lyrics. Braintax's use of poetic language adds to the depth and emotion of the song. The lyrics are introspective, and the overall tone of the song is melancholic, reflecting on what could have been different.
Overall, "Futureghost" is a haunting portrayal of a future of our society if we are not mindful of the consequences of our actions.
Line by Line Meaning
We lost touch, wish I didn't think so much
I miss the closeness we used to have, I regret overthinking things that may have led to the decay of our relationship
What we had's now faded way beyond my clutch
Our relationship has gone past the point of saving
Drifted off with the wind, warm breeze through big streets
Our relationship slowly faded away and disappeared into thin air
Summer time in the city but I feel weak
Despite the beautiful season, I am feeling vulnerable and helpless
It's all changed now since they paved the roads
The place where we used to meet has gone through significant changes
And closed the area to traffic cos when bombs explode -
The government has closed off the area due to the potential danger of bombings
Cars cause havoc
Cars can cause a lot of damage and chaos during an attack
Meanwhile, in the area around Piccadilly where I first caught malaria
While all this is happening, I recall previously experiencing sickness in another location
For 5 years we felt the temperature soar
The weather has been extremely hot for the past 5 years
Caught a stale water droplet off a roof on my bottom lip
I unknowingly drank contaminated water from a roof
You can feel the air thick around your body
The environment is heavy and oppressive and can be felt physically
The sun looks hazy, enough to drive me crazy
The sun appears distorted and unclear, which is causing me stress
Stop! Wait! Somebody quick I feel sick
I suddenly feel unwell and need immediate assistance
There's poison in the air you need to get me fixed up
The air is toxic and I need medical help to recover
No food or drink please, I'll only sick it up
I can't eat or drink anything as I will most likely vomit
No credit down the oxygen shop, I'll have to stick it up!
I have no money to buy oxygen so I will have to steal it
There's something not quite right though
Despite the obvious dangers, something seems to be off
Politicians let it go and let it grow, now the fog glows
The politicians ignored the dangers and as a result, the toxic air has become worse
Kinda eerie, the tourist trade dried up,
The situation has become so dire that tourism has completely stopped
The Japanese are home all wired-up - virtual holidays
People have resorted to taking virtual vacations from home due to the dangerous conditions outside
So why the f#@k d'you want to come here ?
In a world like ours, why would anyone want to risk their lives to visit this place?
It's 2052 you could put a headset on and disappear
Virtual reality is advanced enough that people can escape their reality without putting their lives in danger
Who me? I'm just passing,
I am just briefly visiting this area
Paying homage to my loved ones who were struck down in action
I am paying my respects to those who lost their lives fighting for change
Like Lee and Lisa who were hi-tech geniuses
I am honoring the memory of two people who were very skilled in technology
They robbed banks to fund the rallies for air rights
They resorted to committing crimes to gain resources to protest for better air quality
Sabotaged the building of the London Roof
They were involved in disrupting the construction of a structure that would have contributed to the toxic conditions
Lee fell from a crane and maimed Lisa on the way down
While trying to fight for change, Lee and Lisa suffered serious physical injuries
Freefall, screaming their slogan - "Tear the roof off !"
As they fell, they were still promoting their cause
They scraped up the bodies for whatever that was proof off
Their deaths were seen as evidence of the danger they tried to fight against
It's like The Day of the Triffids, the day the virus took a grip
The current state of the environment is reminiscent of a post-apocalyptic world
Worse than AIDS, reminiscent of the plague in 26
The situation is very dire and comparable to some of the deadliest diseases in history
And still throughout the city I can feel the devastation
Despite trying to move on, the destruction caused by the situation is still evident
Headed to the airport, beggars at the train station
The effects of the situation have led to widespread poverty
Can't accost me, they can't see me just my reflection
The beggars don't actually ask me for anything, they are just focused on their own suffering
I scare souls setting off the sniffer dogs
The toxic environment has affected me such that my presence can cause disturbance in dogs
Messin up the x-ray detection I move unseen
The air quality is so poor that it affects the technology meant to detect people
Untouchable spectre still I feel unclean
Despite being invisible, I am still affected by the toxicity of the air
Shanty towns fly by like spots of colour
I can see from a distance the makeshift homes of people affected by the situation
Corrugated iron makes a comeback this summer
Corrugated iron is being used to build homes due to limited resources
Heathrow looks grim, fields of tents
The airport looks very unpleasant, with tents and makeshift structures everywhere
And families who can't remember if they came or went
The unstable conditions have led to displacement and confusion among families
Hold my heaven-breath here cos I smell the scent
I have to hold my breath because the smell of something unpleasant is in the air
H2O changed formula and floods the gents in terminal 4
The water quality is so poor that it can cause flooding in bathrooms
I pick through the mouldy floor
The conditions are so poor that even the floors have become mouldy
I've seen enough here, going on my global tour
I've had enough of this place and now plan to visit other parts of the world
So my plane takes off from the sickly smoke
The air pollution is so bad that it appears like smoke
It's just me, other ghosts and bunch of rich folk
The only people still in the area are the wealthy and myself and others who are affected by the situation
On the last flight, heading off to die in peace
We are all heading towards death due to the conditions of the environment
And see sunshine, I guess we'll all soon meet
We can hope to see better days in the afterlife
As the air pressure changed I could feel the sense
As we fly higher, we can feel the difference in air quality
Of the water on my neck dripping down through the vents
The water quality is so poor that it can be felt on the plane's mechanisms
I feel strange - something's wrong here!
Even on the plane, I can't escape the adverse effects of the toxic environment
Acid rain, cold as ice, see me slumped in the seat
Even during the flight, I am still experiencing the harsh conditions of the environment
Wondering how I died twice!?
The effects of the environment are so severe that it feels like I am dying again even on the flight
Contributed by Ava N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.