Career
Early solo work and Battles (2000–2009)
After receiving his degree, Braxton moved to New York City in 2000. He became active in New York City's experimental music scene, developing a solo practice centered on guitar, voice, effects pedals, and live looping. His performances used layers of recorded and processed sound to create dense, evolving textures, establishing an approach to electronic composition and sound design that would remain central throughout his career. During this period he released an album of solo electronic music History That Has No Effect on JMZ Records (2002).
In 2002, Braxton co-founded the experimental rock band Battles with Ian Williams, Dave Konopka, and John Stanier. The band used electronics, effects processing, and unconventional performance techniques, resulting in a sound that combined elements of experimental rock, electronic music, and contemporary composition. Following the release of a series of EPs, the group gained international recognition with Mirrored (2007), released on Warp Records which was hailed by Time and Pitchfork as among the ten best records of the year and established the group as one of the most acclaimed independent bands of the decade. Extensive international touring followed, including appearances at major festivals such as Glastonbury, Brian Eno's Luminous Festival, Coachella, and Fuji Rock.
Orchestral works, commissions, and HIVE (2009–2018)
Braxton's second solo album, Central Market (2009), marked a shift toward orchestral and electroacoustic composition. Released on Warp Records and performed with the Wordless Music Orchestra, the work combined chamber orchestra, electronics, and unorthodox approach to studio production. The album's name is a nod to both Igor Stravinsky's Petrushka (the fairytale-like bazaar that opens that ballet) and the worldwide market crash of 2008. It was subsequently performed by orchestras through out the world including BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic and was later adapted into the ballet Closing Bell by choreographer John Heginbotham.
Following his departure from Battles, Braxton focused increasingly on commissions for ensembles, orchestras, and interdisciplinary projects. Works from this period include TREMS for Bang on a Can All-Stars, "Uffe's Woodshop" reorchestrated for string quartet for Kronos Quartet, Music for Ensemble & Pitch Shifter / Delay for new music ensemble Yarn/Wire, and Fly By Wire, a chamber orchestra work commissioned by Carnegie Hall for Alarm Will Sound. During this period Braxton also collaborated with artists including German electronic duo Mouse on Mars, visual artist Thomas Demand, and composer Philip Glass, performing as a duo at the 2012 edition of All Tomorrow's Parties in New York City.
Beginning in the early 2010s, Braxton expanded his use of electronic systems in both performance and composition. These interests culminated in HIVE, a multimedia work commissioned by Works & Process at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and premiered in the rotunda of the museum in 2013.
Combining modular synthesizers, percussion and performance structures designed by artist Uffe Surland Van Tams, the work toured internationally, including at Oval Space in London, Sacrum Profanum in Krakow, Mutek in Montreal and the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. Material developed for the project formed the basis of HIVE1 (2015), Braxton's debut release for Nonesuch Records, followed by the Oranged Out EP in 2016.
Telekinesis, recent works, and academic career (2018–present)
In 2018, Braxton premiered Telekinesis, a large work for electric guitars, orchestra, choir, and electronics, with the BBC Concert Orchestra and BBC Singers with André de Ridder conducting at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. Co-commissioned by Southbank Centre and Musica nova Helsinki, the piece was subsequently performed by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Helsinki, Finland again with de Ridder in 2019. A studio recording featuring Metropolis Ensemble, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, and The Crossing was released in 2022 by Nonesuch and New Amsterdam Records.
In 2022, Braxton joined the faculty of Princeton University, where he teaches composition.
Works composed during this period include Vacancy (2022), a work for chamber orchestra and electronics commissioned by the German ensemble Stargaze and Sunny X (2023), a work for percussion quartet and electronics commissioned by Third Coast Percussion was premiered at Carnegie Hall. Drawing on Braxton's continuing interest in percussion and electronic music, the work was subsequently released on Third Coast Percussion's album Between Breaths.
Since 2023 he has presented a new body of electronic work at venues and festivals in Europe and North America. This material formed the basis of Splayed Werks (2026), released by Erased Tapes Records, a studio album centered on modular synthesis, electronic composition, and live-performance-derived material.
