Biography

Austin, Texas dark punk rippers Institute combined the anarcho-punk of forebears like Warsaw and Crisis, Dada's absurdism, and dark atmospheres into their own volatile concoction. Signing to Sacred Bones shortly after their self-released demo made the rounds, the band brought their dissonant assault into full focus on their 2015 debut full-length Catharsis. Institute was formed in 2013 when Moses Brown of the Austin hardcore band Glue began writing and recording songs on his own. After sketching out some rough song ideas on a four-track, he was joined by Wiccans bassist Adam Cahoon, fellow Glue member Arak Avakian on guitar, and Albert, the drummer from Recide. The four players fleshed-out Brown's charged sketches in the form of a demo that was ultimately reissued as a self-titled EP on Deranged; A 7" on Katorga Works followed in June of 2014. Institute made their debut on Sacred Bones in October 2014 with the Salt EP, which found them taking a slightly more focused yet wide-ranging approach. Drummer Barry Elkanick of Houston's Back to Back joined the fold for Institute's first full-length, 2015's Catharsis, which was engineered by Ben Greenberg of Uniform and the Men. The band reunited with Greenberg on 2017's Subordination, which added elements of glam and hard rock -- as well as a more overtly political outlook -- to their propulsive sound. This sound sharpened as it grew more frustrated on third album Readjusting the Locks, released on Sacred Bones in 2019. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi