The instrumental sound of The Babylonian Tiles is a swirling, keyboard heavy mix of psychedelia and goth-rock, with occasional touches of blues and even a dash of soul. Over this complex stew floats the vocals of founder and band mastermind Bryna Golden, whose style has been compared to Indian and Asian music, but whose musical foundation is rooted in jazz. Bryna Golden comes from a musical family; her mother, Shelley Moore, is a celebrated interpreter of jazz standards, while her father was something of an amateur music historian. Bryna learned a lot about note bending and vocal improvisation from her mother, but when she started getting involved in the LA music scene it was primarily as a keyboardist rather than a singer. Her instrumental style was unusual even then, as she had years of classical piano training and couldn't help but add flourishes that were definitely not part of the genre as practiced in the LA club scene. Beginning in 1981 Bryna played with a variety of local punk bands, some of which opened for major acts like Redd Kross, Social Distortion, and TSOL, but none of which had any releases of their own. By 1985 Bryna had become interested in putting together a band to play a mix of psychedelia and goth-rock, but it took her some time to find other musicians who shared her vision. It wasn't until 1989 that The Babylonian Tiles, then composed of Bryna with guitarist Tim Thayer, drummer Brian Schreiber, and Marcus Mindte, played their first gigs. The group immediately became a presence on the LA scene and in 1991 released a tape-only EP called What Do Your Parents Think Of The Colours You Enjoy. While it was slightly crude it received wide local distribution and was sold at shows and eclectic local stores, and it consolidated their fan base. The Babylonian Tiles' first real album wasn't until 1993 when Basking In The Sun At Midnight was released by the influential but poorly distributed Nate Starkman and Son label. (It was re-released only a year later by the Saint Thomas label, because demand had far outstripped supply. Saint Thomas also re-released What Do Your Parents Think on CD.) Shortly after the album's release Mindte became the first of several bassists to leave the group, and he was replaced by Richard Cleary for the band's 1995 US tour and the subsequent album, Green Midnight Glow". There was no real change in the band's sound on the album, which was dominated by the interplay between guitar and keyboard and Bryna's odd, coolly detached singing style. (Bryna's vocals have aptly been compared to Nico's early work, and the contrast with the high-energy music is the kind of dynamic you either love or hate.) The nationwide tour did wonders for The Babylonian Tiles' profile, bringing the band invitations to participate in several compilation albums. Among the performances that resulted was a cover of the tune "Ballad Of The Hip Death Goddess" by the Boston psychedelic band The Ultimate Spinach. The song's author, Ian Bruce-Douglas, heard the cover and flipped over it, writing "As far as I'm concerned, Bryna Golden IS the hip death goddess." Bryna was delighted, and has used the phrase as her nickname ever since. Another fan was Steve Farmer of the Amboy Dukes, who played several shows with the band and co-wrote songs with Bryna for a planned album. The band was already in the recording studio when a dispute with the record company led to the album's cancellation, and authorized versions of those tracks have never been released. Richard Cleary had been playing in The Babylonian Tiles while working in other bands, and when schedule conflicts became a problem became obvious that a full-time bassist was needed. Texan Christian Ramsey auditioned and joined the band, playing in a heavier, more assertive style that deepened the sound considerably. It was this version of the band that released Teknicolour Aftermath, which is probably their most musically complex work to date. Unfortunately Ramsey left the band in 2000, and after auditioning other bassists for a while The Babylonian Tiles elected to continued as a trio instead. The group remains active in the Los Angeles scene and occasionally tours more widely, but as of 2002 no further recordings have seen the light of day. ~ Richard Foss, All Music Guide