An Introduction to Italian Death Industrial by Per Najbjerg Odderskov

The Brvtalist is proud to present an essay and mixtape on the the history and aesthetics of Italian Death Industrial. Written and composed by Denmark's Per Najbjerg Odderskov, this is an incredible introduction to an often overlooked sub-genre. We were familiar with Per's excellent project Lidane Livering, and when we discovered his side project, Destruktionsanstalt, we were inspired to learn more about the Italian Death Industrial sound. Per graciously provided us with text and music. Read and listen more below:

The Aesthetics of Italian Death Industrial

by Per Najbjerg Odderskov

Industrial is a genre which nearly everyone has talked about at one time or another. However, Death-industrial still lies dormant, but is a vibrant, obscure subgenre with a strong cult following. Nearly every fan and sicko who´s into death-industrial knows that if it is made-in-Italy, its good quality is almost certain. If you take a peek on discogs and notice the price of early Atrax Morgue tapes, or if you look around on Facebook in every forum/group dedicated to boring harsh noise and lame power electronics, you´ll always be sure to find people worshiping the Italian sound (almost!). There is no question, the sound of Italian death-industrial is as immortal as a classic horror flick by Argento or Fulci. Like it or not, the genre manages to keep showing its ugly face. Let´s discuss what this is all about:

Death-industrial as a genre, was born out of the mind of a Swedish guy named Roger Karmanic in 1985. His first releases as Lille Roger, are more or less considered to be the first death-industrial releases ever (do get the Golden Shower collection!). Later on he would turn the project into Brighter Death Now in 1989, and the sound of death-industrial was spread out into our world.

Marco Corbelli was getting into Brighter Death Now in 1993 and was inspired. He was also into the works of Maurizio Bianchi (MB) and Mauthausen Orchestra (borh early Italian experimental industrial/Power-Electronics acts). He would then go on (as a rather isolated teenager), to create the solid masterpiece titled "In Search Of Death" - a very naaive, simplistic, efficient and atmospheric piece of dark electronics. He called this project Atrax Morgue. Atrax (a very poisenious and highly aggressive funnelweb spider from Australian) and then just Morgue. He then laid the first foundations for his label, Slaughter Productions, which still stands out to be one of coolest cult labels in the genre today. Sadly, it was unable to continue after Marco Corbelli commited suicide but the sound and atmosphere still haunts us.

So how does one explain how the sound of Italian death-industrial, and how does it differ from the sound of Swedish acts like Brighter Death Now and Megaptera, or U.S Gruntsplatter and Steel Hook Prosthesis? The Italian sound is always incredibly minimalistic, dirty, hypnotic and highly atmospheric at the same time. Never having multilayered samples piled untop of each other like a big cake, or having that glossy hightech sound. You almost have that vintage synth sound from kraut-rock and early progressive rock bands (think early Tangerine Dream, Cluster and Goblin), which is then combined with elements of soundtrack-ish ambience and minimal elements of harsh industrial-noise. That is all well documented on Slaughter Production's EXCELLENT and ESSENTIAL compilation, Death Odours 1. Further, what type of imagery is used in the aesthetics of the genre? Well, anything rotten, death-ish, sexually disturbed, pedophile, suicide, necrophilia, sadism, torture, bondage, serial killer fetish, hospitals, morgues, ancient funeral rites, occultism, danse macabre, Italian horror movies and/or churchyards (skulls, skulls and skulls). That goes for the cover-art as well as the themes working within the genre. So, if Black Doom Death metal doesn't give you that extra edge, give this a try!

What is the foundation of Italian death-industrial? What bands are essential to the genre? Well, Brighter Death Now is of course the beginning of it all but I will now name 2 of the most essentiel bands to have inspired this sound.

Italy has Mauruzio Bianchi, which have grinded microscopic and depressive industrial harshness since 1980! His work has been on such notorious cult labels like Come Organisation, Broken Flag and Sterile Records. A good beginners album, with him in his early years, would be his grand masterpiece of misery, "Symphony For A Genocide". This classic has luckily been reissued many times, so it should be easy to get. An extra piece of info about this album - even Genesis P. Orridge found this album too despressive that s/he called it uterly pointless!! Anyways, Maurzio Bianchi is very dark and challenging, but yet still soothing with an incredible depth to it. His work is an absolute must. Beside such acts like Esplendor Geometrico, he is surely one of the grand pioneers and godfathers of industrial and noise.

Another Italian act of note is Mauthausen Orchestra, who released their first material in 1982. In a sense, they/he were there before the brutality of Grey Wolves, Con-Dom and Genocide Organ. Some artists and critics even claimed back then, that Italian Power Electronics was alot more brutal and sadistic than even U.K noisebaters Whitehouse! Mauthausen Orchestra was one of the first Italian acts to implement the power-electronics style. Urashima have luckily reissued the classic works of this project on LP.

I have always been in love with death-industrial (Both the Swedish and the Italian), and therefore started my own death-industrial project, Destruktionsanstalt, back in 2002. I made one album, which was supposed to be released on Legion Sudan. Sadly, this never happened as the label closed down. Now 12 years later, I've decided to resurrect this project of morbidness. Many thanks to Sébastien Biquet Bach, who got this project onto his own French label Requiem Rate of Return. The idea will be to release a new Destruktionsanstalt album and the older, still un-released debut album. The older album contains a more harsh and primitive sound like early Lille Roger and Brighter Death Now. The new album has a clean focus on Italian death-Industrial while having a psychedelic touch. I hope people (with a weird morbid taste) will enjoy it as much as I did creating it!

For more information, please visit Soundcloud, Facebook and Requiem Rate of Return.

Mixtape Tracklist:

1 - MB - Treblinka - 09:10
2 - Mauthaursen Orchestra - Necrofallatio - 09:11 to 12:12
3 - Atrax Morgue - Vaginal Spectrum - 12-13 to 16:10
4 - Progretto Morte - Dissekt Mind - 16:13 to 20:19
5 - T.S C. Manson - Un Fraterno Messaggio 20:20 to 31.20
6 - Nigredo - Aurora Niger - 31:21 to 39:17
7 - RRR - Ed Killer - 39:21 to 47:05

Acid Fountain - "Forest-music"

The Brvtalist is proud to premiere the new video from France's Acid Fountain. One of our favorite projects on Paris' amazing Hylé Tapes, we were thrilled to hear that "Forest-music" got a proper video. What we saw blew us away as the imagery perfectly compliments the track and encapsulates our idea of what Acid Fountain is about. This is excellent experimental electronics with a very quiet rhythmic quality that slowly draws you in deeper and deeper.

This beautiful piece of visual art is created by Sybil Montet. Ms. Montet is a director and video-artist. She is currently working on her first documentary about the Swedish Noise scene, and will soon release a clip for June & Antoni Maiovvi. The Brvtalist has been extremely impressed with all of the work we have seen so far and could not be more excited about her upcoming documentary.

Without further introduction, below please find the new video for Acid Fountain's "Forest-music".

"Forest-music" from the album "Fauna Diction" released on Hylé Tapes: https://hyletapes.bandcamp.com/album/fauna-diction Video by Sybil Montet: http://sybilmontet.com/ http://sybilmontet.tumblr.com/ Music by Acid Fountain: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Acid-Fountain/562155070473091 https://soundcloud.com/acidfountain All rights reserved.

For more Acid Fountain, please visit Bandcamp.

-JRS

Iris Van Herpen: Transforming Fashion

This Fall, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta will become the first U.S. museum to present a major exhibition of work by visionary Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen. A truly unique artist, Van Herpen is known for her combination of fine craftsmanship and futuristic techniques. Her work is among the first, and still most impressive examples, of 3-D printed fashion in the world. She is inspired by the arts, sciences, music and philosophy and her designs contain layers of these disciplines. She has long been a favorite of The Brvtalist as we always admire people who successfully fuse artistry with technology. Expect to see silhouettes, details and geometry that will completely alter your view on what fashion can be. From the museum:

Van Herpen has garnered international acclaim for her couture designs, which interweave traditional handwork with groundbreaking 3D-printing technology, computer modeling, and engraving constructed in collaboration with architects, engineers and digital design specialists. Her visually impressive, sculptural designs – often featuring unusual materials such as magnets, umbrella ribs and synthetic boat rigging – create silhouettes that appear both organic and futuristic. Her work has been worn by style icons such as Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Bjork and has graced the runways of Amsterdam, London and Paris. The exhibition will feature 45 outfits carefully selected from 15 of van Herpen's collections designed from 2008 through 2015, offering a comprehensive visual survey of her design career.

This is a must see exhibition for fans of fashion, art and technology. It is co-organized with the Groninger Museum (Netherlands) and will debut at the High before continuing on a North American tour. For more information please visit the High Museum.

-JRS

crystallization, july 2010photo by bart oomes, no 6 studios © iris van herpen — crystallization, july 2010
photo by bart oomes, no 6 studios © iris van herpen

mummification, january 2009photo by bart oomes, no 6 studios © iris van herpen — mummification, january 2009
photo by bart oomes, no 6 studios © iris van herpen

capriole, july 2011photo by bart oomes, no 6 studios © iris van herpen — capriole, july 2011
photo by bart oomes, no 6 studios © iris van herpen

New Brvtalism No. 024 - Yeti Popstar

The sky begins to change and smoke rises. Your image looks familiar but you don't feel the same. In a matter of moments you become a stranger to yourself.

The Brvtalist is proud to present a new mix by Yeti Poster. David H. Sekulla is a Brussels-based German producer who is behind projects such as Ascii Witchcraft, Abstract Fields, Transient Reflections and Velvet Underwear. He is also known for collaborations with artists like Victoria Lukas (Zerkalo), Shazzula (Aqua Nebula Oscillator) and Hanin Elias (Atari Teenage Riot / Fantome). He also served as the artistic director of Brussels cult venue DNA and occasionally DJs.

We were first introduced to David's work through our friend Beta Evers. We heard Ascii Witchcraft's "Effective Frequencies" (out on Lynch Law Records) and had to find out more. That lead us to discovering these other great projects that all have David's signature quality of dark, seductive sounds that incorporate dark wave, noise and dance. We are very excited about his contribution to the series which reminds us of an ominous ritual taking place. For more music and information please visit Soundcloud and Facebook.

-JRS

Ascii Witchcraft - Voices ( Lynch Law Records )
Dawamesk - Autumnal Mutation ( H.A.K. )
Shazzula & Yeti Popstar - Noitavalas ( ▲WI╪CHBØØK▲ )
Abstract Fields - Liberation Works ( Unreleased )
Ultraphallus – The Red Print ( Riot Season )
Khan feat. Diamanda Galás - Aman ( Playhouse )
Hanin Elias - Sirens ( D.H.R )
Manasyt & Beta Evers - Devotion ( Bunker Records )
Daily Fauli - Speed ( Gry Records )
Andreas Ammer & FM Einheit – Canto XXXI ( EGO )
Zerkalo - Experiment zero ( Frustrated Funk )
Jean Delouvroy - Norden ( Self-Released )
Ascii Witchcraft - In The Silence ( Lynch Law Records )
Velvet Underwear - Noise Reflexion n°69 ( Roulette Rekordz )

Lucio Fontana at Tornabuoni Art London

Tornabuoni Art is an art gallery specializing in Italian art from the second half of the 20th century. This year, the gallery has added a new space in London, which is a perfect compliment to the gallery's already impressive list of exhibition spaces in Florence, Milan, Paris and more. The Casamonti family opened the gallery in 1981 and owns the world's largest collection of Lucio Fontana works. When we saw that the gallery would open the London space with an all Fontana show, it immediately piqued our interest.

LUCIO FONTANA - Concetto spaziale, 1957 (Courtesy Tornabuoni Art, London) — LUCIO FONTANA - Concetto spaziale, 1957 (Courtesy Tornabuoni Art, London)

Lucio Fontana was an Italian artist primarily known as being the founder of "Spatialism". In 1946 he published the "Manifesto blanco" in Argentina which essentially outlined the main ideas of this new movement. Fontana sought to synthesize sound, space, color, movement and time to create a new form of art. Embracing new science and technology were also major tenets of Spatialism. Fontana would go on to inspire countless other artists and Spatialism would become an important art movement of the later half of the 20th century.

The Brvtalist has always been fond of Fontana's works, particularly his "Slash" series in which he made deep cuts in monochrome paintings creating new fields of depth and space. We always support artists who embrace new developments in the world and Fontana frequently worked with neon lighting, television and more. The new Tornabuoni London space looks to be a great location for the gallery and we couldn't think of a better way to kick things off. For more information please visit http://www.tornabuoniarte.it

-JRS

Clockwise from left:

LUCIO FONTANA

Concetto spaziale, Attese, 1964

Courtesy Tornabuoni Art, London

LUCIO FONTANA

Concetto spaziale, 1962

Courtesy Tornabuoni Art, London

LUCIO FONTANA

Concetto spaziale, attese, 1959

Courtesy Tornabuoni Art, London

LUCIO FONTANA

Concetto spaziale, 1953

Courtesy Tornabuoni Art, London

The Barbican: Architecture and Light

Oblique Publishing and photographer Alan Ainsworth present a new book focusing on one of Britain's finest examples of post-war architecture. The Barbican is Europe’s largest multi-arts and conference venue and one of London’s best examples of Brutalist architecture. It was developed from designs by architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon as part of a utopian vision to transform an area of London left devastated by bombing during the Second World War. As a whole, The Barbican has both a residential component while also housing some of London's most prestigious cultural arts institutions.

Chamberlin, Powell & Bon, worked with an instinctive sense of place. The importance they attached to light in pursuit of this goal was an important element of their designs for modern urban life. In this new book, Alan Ainsworth explores for the first time how the architects’ concern for light created extraordinary visual effects which helps create a genuine sense of place. These are captured by his striking black and white photography in an unusual and refreshing view of one of the great architectural achievements of post-war Britain.

The Brvtalist could not be more thrilled about a book of this kind. The idea goes beyond architecture, but looks at even more layers of brutalism and its tenets. Chamberlin, Powell & Bon were heavily influenced by Le Corbusier and The Barbican is a modern architectural marvel. Ainsworth's photographs give the structure a fresh new meaning and provide a whole new perspective on one of Britain greatest achievements. The book also contains an impressive number of contributors including Brvtalist featured and C20 Society director Catherine Croft. Available in print and digital format through Amazon and directly from Oblique.

-JRS

New Brvtalism No. 023 - Black Sheet Servitude

Enter a room that is beyond comprehension. Darkness encapsulates you and your body seizes. A flickering candle provides the only light. Soon they descend upon you.

The Brvtalist is proud to present a new mix by California's Black Sheet Servitude. Elements of noise, death industrial and even black metal make up an incredibly unique brand of "Torture Electronics". Coupled with dark, BDSM imagery and a brvtal aesthetic, we were immediately drawn to this project and had to find out more. We reached out to the group and they graciously agreed to provide a mix and answer some of our questions. Please find the Q&A below:

The Brvtalist: Talk about the history of BSS. Who are the members, when was it started and why?

Abattoir Stalag: Black Sheet Servitude was conceptualized many years ago, but was actually formed in 2012. Members would be: My wife, Necro Doll and Myself, with the addition of guests from time to time. What we refer to as the "Black S.S." which would be anyone who has been associated with or worked with us, even in the smallest of ways. B.S.S. was initially began as an outlet for all the negatives in our lives and the world around us as well as impulses towards many perverse and violent thoughts that, for our own sanity, needed a place to go.The project was based around a few things. One being a quote that has been in my head for longer than I can remember. "I Exist To Create That Which Shall Destroy." The other being the concept behind the name.In the B.D.S.M. community, There is what is known as a "Black Sheet Party" where a black plastic sheet is placed on the floor and a woman lies in the center. She is then gang-banged mercilessly and due to the "Black Sheet" the mess of human fluids are easily disposed of. The "Servitude" in our moniker can refer to several things both within and outside of the Bondage/Slave and Master themes that we incorporate. But much like the "Black Sheet Parties, We make it our mission to fuck shit up and make a mess. Necro and I both suffer from severe anxiety disorders, so that was another reason we began this. You can kind of think of it as "Primal Scream Therapy." We have so much fucked up shit in our heads on a daily basis that it's unbelievable. The way I see it, I could either act on these thoughts and impulses and spend the rest of my life behind bars, or I can unleash all this rage, hate and perversity through B.S.S. and be temporarily done with it...It's an endless cycle.

TB: I Was immediately drawn to the noise and death industrial influences with black metal aesthetic. Do you come from black metal or other extreme metal bands? Talk about some of the things that inspired this combination.

Abattoir: I was raised with metal. As a child while other kids were listening to top of the charts pop hits and radio rock, I was blasting Mercyful Fate, Venom, Kreator, Sodom, etc. We are both heavily into Black Metal, Death Metal, Early Industrial, All kinds of shit. Pretty much anything dark, heavy or sinister. I have been in more Black Metal and "Extreme" bands than I can count. As far as what inspired it, It was always there in some form or another, be it the music we listen to or the films we watch. Some have described us as "Cinematic" which I suppose is fitting at times since we incorporate a lot of themes similar to those of Horror, Torture, and Snuff films. All these things have a very hostile and lo-fi vibe to them that has always appealed to me. Black Metal, B-Movies, Certain works of art and literature like 120 Days of Sodom by The Marquis De Sade, The Eleven Thousand Rods by Guillaume Apollinaire or Sadism & Masochism by Wilhelm Stekel have all had an impact on me personally as well as countless bands in the Power Electronics, Death Industrial and Black Metal underground.

Necro Doll: I love the theatrics and brutality of Black Metal as well as the Cinematic nature of Power Electronics, so for me they fit well together. What drew me to Black Metal in the beginning was the visuals and aesthetic. I am full blooded Apache Indian and The Corpse-Paint used by Black Metal bands reminds me of Native war paint. Being that music should be challenging or confrontational in my opinion, this is a great image to match the sounds. This is something that we applied to Black Sheet Servitude as well. So that is one of the reasons for the combination for me. Plus we like to pay tribute to those who influenced or inspired us. We are both artists as well so of course the visual and artistic aspects are important to us alongside the music.We try to "paint a picture" in sound (Although with B.S.S. it's most likely painted in blood) but having those grim depictions to go along with it really shows you what we're talking about. Being that I too come from a metal background. Album art is a big part of the experience. Every Metal collector knows what I am talking about.

TB: How does BSS release its material? Is it cassette only? What labels have you worked with?

Abattoir: Well a lot of our music is available on Bandcamp for name your price downloads, But since we don't have a paypal account we don't make anything off B.S.S. (Not that anyone is into this shit to make money, and if so then they are in the wrong place and missed the point.) So if you enter "zero" you can score some free shit. As far as physical releases they have been mostly cassettes released by small labels with the last release, the Odour Sonour/B.S.S. split being a pro-cdr. All of the physical material is available from the labels or you can get them from us, Although I am out of copies of some of the earlier releases myself. Labels we have worked with include: Crud Archives (Who are sadly no longer around.) Enemata Productions, P.E. Mafia, and the latest, being the CD, is available through Exabyss Recordings. We are very active in the underground and do all we can to keep it alive and thriving. I do reviews and interviews on my webzine, "Traumatic Static" and buy releases whenever I can. We like to go through small labels as a way of contributing to the cause and they usually understand and support our approach and ideas. In my experiences some of the "Bigger" labels seem to have restrictions on what is "acceptable" in terms of art and packaging and with B.S.S. there is no place for censorship. If we had the financial means to do so we would have started up our own label a long time ago. Hopefully someday in the future we can do this, Not only for our own releases but for those of artists we respect and like as well. Back to the "Cassette only" question - I have always been a cassette collector but have never limited myself to only one format. The majority of our releases have been cassettes thus far but we have no problem with our music being released on CD, CDr, Vinyl, Etc.

TB: Talk about any current or upcoming releases and how they build on previous works? What direction are you trying to take BSS?

Abattoir: We have a couple finished releases that will be coming out any time now through our friend Sarah Wreck's label "Dungeon Dweller." One being a split cassette with Phantasm Nocturnes and the other being a CDr version of the "Your Pain/My Pleasure E.P." which was released on cassette through Crud Archives.There will also be a split C20 with The Black Scorpio Underground which explores deeper into our Black Metal influence in ways but it will by no means be a Metal release. Currently we are working on a Full-Length Cassette called "Moral Debauchery" which is scheduled for release through the Italian label Signora Ward. The label typically specializes in Harsh Noise Wall releases themed around sexual fetishes and perverse subjects. Although we are not and never will be a HNW band, The label understands and appreciates our aesthetic and approached us to offer a spot for B.S.S. We typically try to do something a little different with each release without straying too far from who we are as artists. The new album will expand in the direction we took on the Odour Sonour split.Still heavy and punishing but with more attention paid to atmospherics and cinematic elements. Some of the tracks are a little "quieter" this time around and explore a more Death Industrial or Harsh/Blackened Ambient direction, but it will definatley be a Black Sheet Servitude album. I suppose you can view it as a collection of all the elements we have used in the past as well as a few new additions to the sound as we have aquired new gear in our arsenal.Our direction will always expand on the "We exist to create that which shall destroy" idea. We just like to fuck shit up in various ways. We call our style of Noise "Torture Electronics." So that should give you an idea of what to expect.

Necro Doll: We always experiment with new sounds and ideas, whether they are field recordings, samples, pedals or new ways to manipulate vocals. Most of the Noise elements are done by Abattoir with additional textures and atmospheres created by myself from time to time. It usually flows pretty well so we make a good team and Abattoir always knows where to mix the stuff I come up with. Our direction is always where the music takes us. B.S.S. is like it's own entity and we are the vessels. We both push each other to do our bests so we are always building on previous works and moving forward. Luckily for us we seem to have an unlimited supply of hostile and confrontational ideas so we will persue them as far as possible.

TB: Anything else you would like to add?

Abattoir: Thank you Jeremy for taking the time to do this interview and for all the interest and support, It has been a pleasure. Also thanks to anyone who has shown support, listened to our shit, bought a release or offered to do a split with us.Keep an eye out for the new releases coming from Dungeon Dweller and Signora Ward.

Necro Doll: Thanks and Hails! New shit soon! Prepare!

The Brvtalist would like to thank Abattoir Stalag and Necro Doll for contributing a killer mix and these great, insightful responses. This is a project that immediately resonated with us and we felt it was important to share it with the world. We love their latest track titled "She Doesn't Know I'm Watching" and we look forward to more from this amazing project. For more information and music please visit Facebook, Soundcloud and Bandcamp.

-JRS

Bustié - "Breeding"

The Brvtalist is proud to present the first video by Los Angeles-based artist Bustié. A solo project from Andrew Flores (ex-Ssleaze, current Remorseless), Bustié is an excellent combination of filthy electro-cash, industrial and punk. "Breeding", directed, shot and edited by Chad Fjerstad, is a beautifully twisted journey into the depths of intimacy.

Bustié is Andrew Flores. "Breeding" Directed, shot, and edited by Chad Fjerstad July 2015.

One week from today will also mark the live debut of this great project at one of our favorite new parties, Oscillator. For more information please visit Facebook.

-JRS

Odiseo Vol. 6

Now available for preorder, Odiseo Vol. 6 by Spain's Folch Studio. Folch is a high concept design agency that specializes in branding and marketing. The agency also develops their own projects and one has always caught our eye. Odiseo is an adult entertainment magazine that juxtaposes erotic imagery with avant-garde visual art and highlights the interplay between the two. Each volume is extremely unique (and limited) and showcases a different theme. Vol. 6 is "dedicated to the mutually interdependent dialectic between Nature and Artifice."

Included in this edition, the editorial “Intimate Failure and Exhilarating Fun” by photographer Arnaud Lajeunie; Barrie Hullegie’s and Mar Ordóñez’s editorials and a delicate and suggestive photo essay by Paul Jung. Writings are by Eugenia Lapteva, Jonathan Lahey Dronsfield. Also in the current issue, Fiktion’s second installment (chapters 1–4 of Popppappp, by Momus). Jesús Umbría’s Archive on Hajime Sorayama and an audiovisual essay by Albert Moya cap the publication.

We immediately fell in love the with the magazine's high quality design aesthetic and beautifully shot photo essays. Further, Vol. 6's theme could not be more perfect. Using elements of nature and pairing them with eroticism, helps to highlight the primal nature of our most basic instincts and desires. This is an amazing magazine for fans of photography, visual art and eroticism. For more information and preorders, please visit Folch Studio.

-JRS

*click to enlarge

Conrad Schnitzler & Pyrolator - Con-Struct

Out now on Bureau b, an incredible project that combines sonic exploration and modern electronic music. Conrad Schnitzler (1937–2011), composer and concept artist, is one of the most important representatives of Germany’s electronic music avant-garde. A student of Joseph Beuys, he founded Berlin’s legendary Zodiak Free Arts Lab, a subculture club, in 1967/68, was a member of Tangerine Dream (together with Klaus Schulze and Edgar Froese) and Kluster (with Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius) and also released countless solo albums. Pyrolator, born Kurt Dahlke in 1958, co-founder of the legendary German label and publisher Ata Tak, member of various seminal post-punk bands such as D.A.F. and Der Plan, also released solo albums under his artist name from 1979 onwards.

Con-Struct was born out of a fusion of past works and present ideals. Schnitzler liked to embark on daily excursions through the sonic diversity of his synthesizers. Finding exceptional sounds with great regularity, he preserved them for use in combination with each other in subsequent live performances. He thus amassed a vast sound archive of his discoveries over time. When the m=minmal label in Berlin reissued two Conrad Schnitzler albums at the outset of the 2010 decade, label honcho Jens Stru¨ver was granted access to this audio library. Stru¨ver came up with the idea of con-structing new compositions, not remixes, from the archived material. On completion of the first Con-Struct album, he decided to develop the concept into a series, with different electronic musicians invited into Schnitzler’s unique world of sound. Andreas Reihse (Kreidler) was responsible for the second instalment in 2013 and Stru¨ver chose solo artist Kurt Dahlke, alias Pyrolator (and one third of Der Plan), to assume Conrad Schnitzler’s mantle for the next.

The result is a beautifully harmonious marriage of avant-garde sonic works and progressive, sophisticated production value. Pyrolator's use of Schnitzler's sounds fuses wonderfully with his unique brand of modern, experimental electronic music. The Brvtalist is pleased to present the first official video of the project titled "289-5". Piecing together archival footage and visual art, the video acts as a great companion piece to the track:

From "Conrad Schitzler & Pyrolator - Con-struct", out on Bureau B on July 17th 2015 // http://bureau-b.de/con-struct.php VIDEO INFO // VIDEO EDITED BY PYROLATOR Documentary sequences show Conrad Schnitzler walking on the street with a speaker attached to his body during one of his typical performances as the "lebendige Klangwolke" (living sound cloud).

This is a great, high concept album that successfully looks to the past to progress even more in to the future. For more information, please visit Bureau b.

-JRS