The thundering, adventurous math-rockers Battles are about to look a whole lot different. As Battles have just announced in a statement on the Warp Records website, Tyondai Braxton has left the band.
Braxton also works as a solo artist, and the band's statement claims that the amicable split came when his solo work clashed with the band's efforts to tour and to complete the follow-up to their 2007 album Mirrored. With Braxton's departure, the band has canceled planned October shows at the ATP Release the Bats event in London and at New York's Le Poisson Rouge.
Battles will continue on without Braxton, but they'll be a very different band. He was the closest thing the egalitarian unit had to a frontman.
Here's the complete text of the band's statement:
"Battles and Tyondai would like to let their fans know they have chosen to follow their own musical paths.
Due to Battles' ambitions of finishing their second studio album followed by commitments to a full touring schedule in 2011, and Tyondai's own commitments as a solo artist and his desire not to tour, both Battles and Tyondai have decided to move on without each other.
It is a sad but amicable split.
Battles wishes Tyondai all the best"
