In the midst of that all-too-brief period in the 90s when strange, noisy rock was at the apex of pop culture, Brainiac (also spelled 3RA1N1AC) stood out for their electrifying live shows and futuristic synth-fueled, punk-riddled sonic experiments that sometimes felt like they could’ve been beamed down from an alien spaceship. Founded in Dayton, Ohio, in 1992 by a group of childhood friends and led by multi-instrumentalist and musical prodigy Tim Taylor, Brainiac broke from the underground into the spotlight at a time where every major record company was looking to sign “the next Nirvana.” But in a blink it was all gone: Taylor died in a 1997 car crash at age 28, and the surviving members parted ways. Through archival footage, interviews, and animation, Brainiac: Transmissions After Zero sheds light on what it’s like to move on following tragedy, while beautifully telling the story of creative weirdos who developed their own musical language and whose influence continues to pulse through independent music culture today. Directed by Eric Mahoney.