New Brvtalism No. 045

A presence lurks on the tip of your senses. The delicate fear follows your every move. A quiet existence is now a harrowing shriek.

The Brvtalist is proud to present a new mix by Cute Heels. The solo project of Colombian-born artist Victor Lenis, Cute Heels is one of the most versatile and exciting producers operating in the realms of techno, electro, ebm and industrial today. Now based in Europe, Lenis has released material on standout labels such as Dark Entries and Gooiland Elektro and his unique brand of proto-techno has resonated through dance floors throughout the world. His latest release, Sympathy for Lust and Pray, is the perfect example of his industrialized, linear synth devastations, that are oozing with ebm-tinged romance. Lenis also has a release on the newly formed Kess Kill and more music for Dark Entries is on the way.

New Brvtalism No. 045 comes just ahead of Lenis' West Coast appearances. First up, is a live performance at our very own party. Happening at Complex on Sunday, February 28th, The Brvtalist + Blk Rainbow present a special evening of music featuring Cute Heels (*live), Ariisk and HIDE, with Dark Entries' own Josh Cheon as DJ. The following Sunday, March 6th, Cute Heels will be DJing Thee Rave Dungeon at The Lash along with Silent Servant, Remy Marc, Blair Minor and more. Please visit Facebook and Soundcloud for more music and information.

-JRS

Track list:

I - Cute Heels - SV Forest (Dark Entries)
II - Aural Treat - I smell Decay (Black Leather Records)
III - Daze - Death Whirl (Lobster Theremin)
IV - Realmz - Circulation (Sonic Groove)
V - I Y - Objection (Dynamic Reflection)
VI - I Y - Primary (Dynamic Reflection)
VII - Hennning Baer. On Craft SFT Mix (Sonic Groove)
VIII - Cute Heels - East (Dos Tonos Records)
IX - Ekman - 2 To The 64th Minus 1 (Gooiland Elektro)
X - Habits Of Hate - Limelight Roles (Electronic Explorations)
XI - Forward Strategy Group - Mandate (Perc Trax)
XII - Broken English - Channel 83 (Cititrax)
XIII - Cute Heels - Symphaty For Lust And Pary (Black Leather Records)
XIV - Cute Heels - Third Skin / The Hacker Remix (Dark Entries )

Sustain by Obscur

The Brvtalist is proud to present the latest campaign by one of our absolute favorite brands, Obscur. Swedish designer Richard Söderberg has become a master of embracing dark, atmospheric moods and infusing this spirit into fashion forward clothing, accessories and objects. From brvtal footwear, to striking coats to even motorcycles, Obscur has advanced well beyond just clothing. When we saw photos of the latest collection, entitled "Sustain", at the brand's presentation in Paris, we knew we had to get the collection on site. Soon after, we spoke with Söderberg and he shared images from their latest photo shoot. We also discussed his creative process, brand and inspiration. Please find the images and Q&A below:

*click images to enlarge

The Brvtalist: What is the mission of Obscur and how did the brand come about?

Richard Söderberg: Its a progression and regression of the self (myself).

TB: What are some of your influences at the moment?

RS: I feel like the longer you work within a certain field, the more complex and complicated things get. You start analyzing yourself more, your work, your ambitions, your perception, your environment - it can be very intrusive to your creative process. You also start analyzing your inspirations, what they are, and why they are. What I find more interesting than inspiration itself is actually what opens your eyes to the inspiration, and to your creativity. In my case it's about reaching a kind of primal state to remove the filters in my mind, and to narrow my span of attention. To reach this state there are a number of ways but I truly love to get lost in music, preferably with some drinks, putting me into an almost dreamlike state where there is only me and the world I want to create. Another incredibly meditating experience is riding a motorcycle, which is also hugely influential in my work.

TB: Talk about the latest collection, Sustain. What is the concept behind it and how does it build on previous material?

RS: Slightly contradicting, the latest collection was pretty much built on the filters I'm talking about in the previous question. With many different challenging silhouettes and details that I've been working on in the past, I came to the conclusion that no matter which angle I'm looking at, being original and ground-breaking within wearable garments is extremely difficult today - if not impossible. So how do you move on from having explored the extremes of the clothing spectrum, finding that there is not much more to explore psychologically? For me, the answer was to re-boot and to conform to conservative shapes that makes the garment more discrete and subtle. To give the garment room to breathe, to let other elements come into play such as the context of the garment, the material, the face and soul of the wearer. Let the human wear the garment, instead of letting the garment wear the human, which I see far too often in fashion.

TB: I love that the brand has extended into objects, such as the Yamaha motorcycle. Talk a little bit about how that came about how is it an extension of the label?

RS: Believe it or not, I have developed an extremely conservative way of looking at clothing. Thereby, the creative expression through clothing becomes very narrow - and this is where I start looking for other ways of expressing myself.
Ever since I was little I have always been fascinated by metal, weight, severe shapes and everything that was reminiscent of danger or things that you were supposed to stay away from as a child. Also, when constructing things that are heavy or large, you immediately get the satisfaction that something is changing and progressing. The more you work on it, the larger it becomes, the heavier it becomes, and the greater the impact becomes, visually. Take that metal, apply a variety of industrial tools to create something special that ends up breathing exploding gasoline. I simply had to do it.

TB: What's next for Obscur?

RS: Only time will tell!

The Brvtalist would like to thank Richard Söderberg and Obscur for these incredible images and great discussion. We always admire artists who are continually evolving and not confined by traditional formats, mediums and parameters of the industry in which they operate. Obscur is much more than a clothing brand, but a vehicle of self expression that knows no bounds. We look forward to seeing more work from this amazing creative mind. For more information and online boutique please visit Obscur.

-JRS

Credits:
Photos - Cristina Cipriani
Styling - Andrei Yakovlev Mich
Model - Valentin Tszin

CLOG x GUNS

Since 2011, we can think of very few publishers who have been as innovative and thought provoking as Clog. Releasing books in the fields of architecture, social sciences and more, we have been inspired by the company's ability to put out physical editions in a way that is new, fresh and able to maintain a balance that both academics and casual readers can relate to. Clog is committed to slowing things down and allowing readers to fully digest topics ranging from Brutalism (a personal favorite), Landmarks, Guggenheim and even Science Fiction. When we first picked up their release on Brutalism it was a truly eyeopening experience. The book's ability to explore multiple viewpoints on the topic in a easily readable format was amazing. On top of that, each book is even presented in a way that reflects the topic which it explores.

Near the end of 2015, Clog made an announcement that they would soon embark in a completely new direction. The company held a fire sale of sorts and sold out all copies of remaining editions. For fans of the publisher, we were only left scratching our heads and waiting with excitement at the same time. Then, in early in 2016, Clog released the following statement:

For nearly a thousand years, the gun has played a key role shaping histories, societies, and lives. Today, it is estimated that there are approximately 875 million small arms throughout the world, with over 300 million of these in the United States. To give a sense of scale, there are approximately 700 million iPhones globally, with 94 million of these in the United States. CLOG x GUNS will examine the past, present, and future of this important and ever-evolving object.

This open call for submissions welcomes anyone to contribute a written or graphic piece to CLOG x GUNS (see submission info). Any viewpoint/approach will be considered so long as it specifically addresses the object of the gun. General subjects to be explored will include, but are certainly not limited to: the history of the gun, guns in popular culture, guns used in hunting, guns used for sport and target shooting, guns used in defense and security, guns in video games, guns as design objects, toy guns, gun safety, gun countermeasures, gun control, gun legality, the future of guns, manufacturing of guns, guns used to kill, guns in crime prevention, guns in war, forensic science and guns, psychological effects of guns, the gun industry, and more.

Loving this new direction, we reached out to the publisher and got in touch with editor-in-chief Kyle May. We asked Kyle if we could speak to him about the new announcement and the company's progression. He graciously complied and please find our Q&A below:

The Brvtalist: First off, for those who are not familiar with Clog and its previous publications, how would you describe what the company does or publishes?

Kyle May: CLOG was founded in 2011 in an environment where rapid digital publication was consuming architectural dialogue. While this had its benefits – young architects being given a platform they otherwise wouldn’t have had and an abundance of information at a large percentage of the population’s fingertips – we felt the substantial issues of the day were being lost in the deluge. Our reaction was to create a platform to discuss important and relevant topics in a much deeper and holistic way. Each issue of CLOG delves into one topic from many points of view. The contributions are short and accessible, and look at other forms of criticism besides from the standard text. The print issue becomes the start of a substantial dialogue that continues to our live events and hopefully in the homes, cars, and bars of our readers.

TB: We were so drawn to the previous series of books on architecture and related fields. In fact, Clog's Brutalism book has even become a definitive tome for us. Why the decision to completely change things up and start on a new topic?

KM: We are not completely changing, but re-evaluating and expanding. After fourteen issues, we began to realize that we had created something successful – a way of talking holistically about important topics. We began to wonder if that couldn’t become even more influential by discussing topics outside of architecture. Architecture is in many ways too isolated in its rhetoric from the general public. We feel we can take what we’ve learned from the last fourteen issues and begin to discuss issues that affect everyone on our planet.

TB: Clog is now accepting submissions (written or graphic) on the subject of the gun. Any viewpoint is acceptable and it's an open call to the public. Talk a little bit about this new concept and what you guys plan to do with the submissions.

KM: The gun as an object has been surrounded by controversy since its birth. Today, unfortunately, the object has become politicized, and worse, binary. Either one is for or against guns, pro-gun control or anti-gun control. There are many more facets to the object, and we intend to explore as many of them as we possibly can. At the end of the day, we hope our audience is more informed of the totality of the issue, regardless of which side they happen to, or continue to, support.

TB: How do you see the future of Clog? Your dedication to relevant topics is something that can constantly be changing. Do you see things continuing to change? Any more plans beyond books?

KM: We plan to continue to grow CLOG into a substantial popular publication that anyone can read. There are very few resources being published that take a deep look into these really significant issues. We intend to fill that gap. In doing so, we are looking into how we use digital means as well, as there are limitations to what can happen in print. However, we do not want to have a redundancy between digital and print content, so we are looking at new types of content that are more suitable for digital consumption. But as architects and designers, we still think there is immense value in print publications and will continue to exist in print. Several people have voiced concern over CLOG’s new direction. We don’t feel we have a new direction, but are merely expanding our previous direction, and expanding beyond the realm of architecture.

We would like to thank Kyle May for taking the time out and contributing to a great discussion. In a world drowning in superfluous text, both digital and print, we admire a publisher who has successfully created something that is both relevant, tactile and progressive at the same time. We could not be more thrilled about the upcoming issues on Guns and we strongly urge our readers to submit their work. For more information, please visit Clog.

-JRS

New Brvtalism No. 044

[Revelation 1:3]
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. (...)

The Brvtalist is proud to present a live mix by Berlin-based artist The Princess of Death. Upon hearing our first set, we were immediately grabbed by its brvtal, industrial techno, experimental performance qualities and Biblical references. The mysterious project exists only through a few recordings and appearances in Berlin. From the artist:

The Princess of Death is the feminine artistic identity of the Brazilian artist, Diego Garcia. Under this signature, it's expressed raw, industrial and corrosive techno sounds mainly associated with patriarchal values. Her avatar is a mutant identity, always made in collaboration with other visual artists, depicting an aristocratic feminine figure (not necessarily a human form), with her mouth sewed shut (she communicates only thru music) and always carrying a fan with her (things might get hot).

About the mix:
Recorded live on January 29th, 2016 at Maze Berlin.
Event: http://www.uber-berlin.de/
Vocals by Agnyantra
Gear used:
Performance: Korg Volca Beats, Cylclone Bass Bot 303, Korg Monotron Delay, Sennheiser Mic.
Mixing/Sound processing: Ableton/Waves Pedals.
Mastering: Logic/Izotope Ozone 5

Please visit Facebook and Soundcloud for more information.

-JRS

Hørd - Focus on Light

Hørd is no stranger to the Brvtalist and with a debut LP out on Giallo Disco it made sense to feature this mesmerizing ice-cold wave music once again. Giallo Disco Records is a label specializing in horror disco, drawing influences from Krautrock, EBM, Techno, but also from the film scores of the 70s and 80s, and their concept goes well with HøRD’s creative vision.

While it’s impossible not to think about Joy Division, The Soft Moon or even A Place To Bury Strangers while listening to “Focus On Light”, HøRD’s mix of noisy synths, darkwave melodies and disarming melancholic reverbs manage to convince even the most skeptical listener. You can almost feel a cohesive cinematic flow from the first to the last track, like story that’s being told through beats and raw emotions, exposing the duality of the human heart. And this is not surprising considering HøRD has already contributed to the fictitious 80s teen drama Wild in Blue OST.

Tracks like “Teen Offer” and “Heart Part I” lure the listener into a world of tribulations through sensual and haunting vocals, sounding almost like a cry for help. But then, on the B side, you get to experience a different, almost violent aesthetic, through EBM and industrial influences on "RFLX". But we’ll just let the music speak for itself and below please find "Teen Offers" streaming.

For more of HøRD’s music make sure to check his Bandcamp or if you want to get to know more about the artist behind HøRD, his Tumblr page is the place to go.

-Marie Bungau
twitter.com/MarieBungau

Collina Strada A/W 2016 + Q&A

Women are the future but gender is undefinable. - Collina Strada

These words are the perfect introduction to the Autumn/Winter 2016 collection by the New York-based designer. On February 13th, 2016, the fashion house put on a remarkable presentation at Made Studios as part of New York Fashion Week. Leading up to the event, we were already big fans of Strada's body of work. The creator of some of our favorite all leather ensembles and more, Strada's designs are both bold and understated. Gracefully embracing elements of both mens and womenswear, we were very much looking forward to the latest offerings.

We love nothing more than a high concept show and right from the start we were pleased with idea.

In an industry where androgyny has become the norm and gender is irrelevant, no one has yet done an all male show for a women's collection. Collina Strada will push boundaries beyond expectation, using only male models for her AW16 presentation at Milk Studios.

The theme of the show was equally as thought provoking. The designer was inspired by matter ingestion, or a condition known as Omniphagy. With this phenomenon, the user can eat anything without harmful effects regardless of what they consume, they can consumer matter in any form - solid, liquid or gas. This theme played in quite nicely with the fashion on display. Using a variety of fabrics from leather to denim, the clothes carried a very unique kind of uniformity. Not directed at any particular person or gender, but at the human form. The exaggerated proportions and monochrome palates did a wonderful job of feeling both terrestrial and cosmic at the same time. It was clear the ideas were meant for something beyond fashion of the moment but almost seemed to foretell where the designer thought fashion was going.

Ahead of the presentation, we were able to speak with head designer Hillary Taymour and talked to her about her vision for this collection and her line.

The Brvtalist: Focusing on the A/W 2016 collection - How do you see this collection fitting in with past collections? Do you see A/W 2016 as a natural progression, a completely new direction or both?

Hillary Taymour: I see this collection as a natural progression, by keeping it very minimal and monochromatic we've made it a bit more edgy and fun, which we've shown through the casting this season.

TB: Talk about where the idea came from for Omniphagy. It's a remarkable condition and I always love to see some science on display. What was the inspiration for using this theme?

HT: I just wanted it to feel very future. We wanted everyone to be eating and drinking silver in the show, it feels like mercury and this shift from how we consume today.

TB: The use of all men for a woman's collection is a bold statement. This seems to go beyond the unisex concept into something completely different. Why use all men for a womenswear collection?

HT: The future is genderless. I think it translated well with the collection and continues with the future feel of the show.

TB: Leather is a standout material in your work. Talk about your love for this fabric and how you take something that's so often used and make it so uniquely Collina Strada.

HT: I tried to make leather pieces that don't exist already, we don't need another designer to create another motorcycle jacket. I like to make something new and fresh while still timeless.

TB: Talk specifically about the presentation at Milk Studios. What was the ambiance you wanted to create and how do you think it played into the designs?

HT: The show is at the Standard, it's a really unique space with wood paneling. It has a mid century modern aesthetic which compliments our silver mercury feeling to create this futuristic space.

Taymour's line certainly accomplished what it set out to do - that is create a futuristic show where boundaries are not necessarily lost but completely redefined. The designs were put through a different paradigm and this was evident by looks that are not easily categorizable and very off center - two things that always resonate loudly with us. We would like to thank Hillary Traymour for her responses and we look forward to seeing more of her work in the, dare we say, future. For more information, please visit Collina Strada.

-JRS

Photo Credit: Johnathan Hokkolo

Black Tears - The Long Decline

The Brvtalist is proud to present the first release by Italy's Black Tears. The new project by Violet Poison and Giorgio Gigli (Zooloft), Black Tears is the next step in the pair's progression. The project lies somewhere between cold, post Industrial, soundtrack and mutated techno and EBM. Violet Poison describes the material as "neoromantic nihilism". Music for a dystopian society where all aspects of life are controlled and love and lust are forbidden. People become robots and a false smile hides the real pain inside. We are excited to bring you the title track from the album, titled "The Long Decline".

As always, the work of Violet Poison and Giorgio Gigli is complex, powerful and masterfully produced. The Long Decline is a glimpse inside this aforementioned world and the tracks are oozing with a dark, romantic atmosphere. The Long Decline is a journey to a bleak, desperate society that is both frightening yet all too familiar. The LP is out now and you can purchase from Juno, Ready Made and Hardwax with more outlets coming soon.

-JRS

12647598_1644460759147289_1208055724_n (1).jpg

Lyon Béton

While predominately associated with architecture, the simplistic beauty of concrete extends to so many other disciplines. Brutalism was not about an aesthetic but an idea. An idea that could encompass all aspects of daily life. Functionality was arguably the most important element of the design process. When we first laid eyes on the concrete masterpieces of France's Lyon Béton, they immediately resonated with us. Their furniture and accessories capture the force of the Brutalist movement while maintaining a delicate balance of minimalism, grace and refinement.

T coffee table

For over 5 years, Lyon Béton has specialized in concrete designs. The brand now opens itself to the creation of objects by collaborating with artists and designers from Lyon. As the company's mission states, "We aim to offer an alternative to all those who are looking for unusual objects. Combining creativity, aesthetics and practicality, our collections offer a discreet and strong presence."

We reached out to the brand to discuss their creations and to find out about their design philosophy. Co-founder Xavier Dufour provided some great responses to our questions. Please find the interview below.

The Brvtalist: Talk about the design process of Lyon Béton.

Xavier Dufour: We are building Lyon-Beton product ranges through 3 axles: Urban, Living and Classieux (contraction of classy and precious in french which could be written « classious » in english, containing an under sense of derision). We work with designers or with our own stylist, depending who has the best proposal.

TB: Are you influenced by the Brutalist movement?

XD: To our knowledge, Brutalism was initiated in England in the 50s, by a few architects refusing the stereotypes and the compromises, who created the brutalist movement in reaction to their elders. We like their « no surrender » ideas consisting in fighting for raw, simplicity, elegance, functionality and practicality. We always work with this turn of mind, meaning that we do not make objects which are just concepts without any function and practical features. We are also constantly looking for a smile on the face of our clients, betting that it means that a link have been established between our object and the client.

TB: Talk about your decision to use concrete as your primary material.

XD: At the beginning and at the end, concrete makes the final difference. Manufacturing with concrete it is not easy, it is a very whimsical and unpredictable material, but very interesting to work with. And it is an incredible material, strong and fragile, soft and rough, sharp and smooth! We like very much showing all these contradictions in our items, and may be the best example is the d’Hauteville chair showing wildness on the back of the seat, smoothness (old leather finish) on the front of the seat which is itself a simple and pure curve, whereas the rebar legs are stiff and straight…

TB: What's next for Lyon Béton?

XD: We are launching in the coming weeks a table 200x90 cm with a 3 cm thick plate, a clock, and a Rocking Chair. We are going to introduce them in Ambiente Frankfurt.

We would like to thank Mr. Dufour for his time and insightful responses. We are always looking for interesting and unusual products which exemplify the Brvtalist ethos and we are very exctied to feature this great brand. For more information please visit Lyon Béton.

-JRS

Left: Nuclear Plant by Bertrand Jayr. Right: Design Julie Legros / Henri Lavallard Boget

ConSono by Per Najbjerg Odderskov

For all of you hardcore fans of the cult label Cold Meat Industry (R.I.P), ConSono is probably a familiar name. The Swedish duo of Jens Lindh and Magnus Bjärlind only managed to release three albums, one cassette and two compact discs, but they left a very lasting imprint. The first release, Onus Uteri, was released on Sound Source (pre CMI´s tape label), and the other two on Cold Meat Industry and Crowd Control Activity. The duo contributed some of their best tracks to many of the great compilations in the realm of death industrial and esoteric ambience. Many of these tracks are still highly regarded as precious cult gems, giving the listener a glimpse back into the early stages of that beautiful Cold Meat Industry sound.

I´ve been a fan of this highly esoteric mystical duo since I heard their genius track on ...And Even Wolves Hid Their Teeth And Tongue Wherever Shelter Was Given compilation back in 1996. My desire to track down lead singer Jens Lindh has been a goal for quite some time and I finally succeeded. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did making it.

Per Najbjerg Odderskov: My first question is about the creation of the band itself. How and when did ConSono come to be?

Jens Lindh: Magnus and I met in a record store in Södertälje 1989 and we realised that we liked the same music. And after one year we decided to start a band. Our first band was Ograth Vein. Our first release was on the "Im Krematorium" compilation. In 1990 we decided to form ConSono.

PNO: What kind of music and bands were you into back then?

JL: We were both into classical EBM acts such as Front 242, Nitzer Ebb and Skinny Puppy. But we also listened to more obscure acts such as Club Moral, Prima Linea, early Current 93 and Coil.

PNO: I guess the obscure stuff was hard to get and find in Sweden 1989, especially Club Moral.

JL: There were some retailers here in Stockholm. I remember visiting Pet Sounds in the late eighties. They stocked a lot of industrial stuff. There were also some mailorder such as "Spanking Housewives" which were based to the south of Stockholm.

PNO: Last time I was in Stockholm (2008), I could only locate a music shop specializing in punk. I was disappointed that they didn't have anything with Brainbombs.

JL: Today we have a new generation and there are new clubs and shops, such as Kollaps Records. There were certainly some "dark ages" during the early 2000-2010.

PNO: How did you get in contact with Sound Source / CMI?

JL: I remember we made contact with Roger Karmanik in 1989 and sent him a cassette and he proposed that we should contribute to a compilation, 2x6 - The Dimensions of a Coffin.

PNO: That compilation was before the cassette release on Sound Source?

JL: Yes it was before the first cassette.

PNO: 2x6 is a brilliant and excellent compilation by the way. It remains one of my favorite comps from that time. A very effective mood capturer.

JL: Yes it was released the same year as the cassette. Speaking of the first release, I found it: http://www.discogs.com/Various-Im-Krematorium/release/1756180. Our first incarnation as a band was actually under the name Orizaba.

PNO: Oh yeah. I've noticed that before.

JL: Roger Karmainik also had a side label called Mechanik Cassettes.

PNO: So who were Ograth Vein then?

JL: Ograth Vein was formed the same year but didn't make any official releases.

PNO: Damn, Mechanik Cassettes in family with CMI? That is some lost lore, even I didn't know that.

JL: Yes, even I had forgotten it. I had to google it. They had some releases with Lille Roger and Maschinenzimmer 412.

PNO: After the cassette on Sound Source, you had some compilation appearances on all the coolest CMI compilations, including the legendary Death Odors 1 from Slaughter Productions. The next release, Hymns of Deceased Deities, was more a compilation of your own tracks. What happened back then to the band?

JL: We made some appearances on compilations and decided to remix and collect them on an album. That became Hymns of Deceased Deities. There were some recurrent literary and occult themes on Hymns, and i think it makes an interesting whole.

PNO: I loved that esoteric mystic feel to it. Somewhere between Ain Soph and early Dead Can Dance in a way...

JL: I was influenced by writers such as Borges, and esoteric and alchemical writers. We actually listened to Ain Soph a lot, i think they're a good band.

PNO: Now that I think about it, you were the prime mystical occult band on CMI back then for sure. Other bands were delving into satanic elements like Archon Satani and Mz.412.

JL: I think that's correct. I have always thought of ConSono as occult band. We were not interested so much in satanism, more in traditional esoteric thinkers.

PNO: Did you feel different from the rest of the CMI bunch at that time? I wonder why Ignoto Deo wasnt released on CMI, and why the 3 years pause?

JL: The period before Ignoto Deo was a challenging one for ConSono. We didnt like some of the acts at that time, we thought that we were moving more towards a sound incorporating elements of Dead Can Dance, medieval and folk music.

ConSono was inactive during serveral years, but we continued to record a lot of tracks and trying new directions. We found the traditional industrial "formula" too limited. I think that Ignoto Deo was an attempt to break free from our own creative chains.

PNO: Very interesting because CMI was turning more and more attention to neo-folk and almost gothic-pop-ish bands around 2003.

JL: Yes later on CMI turned more into a ethereal/neofolk gothpop direction.

PNO: Heh, none of those bands made an album quite like Ignoto Deo. Just my opinion. It was quite unique. Perfectly balanced piece of work between experimental folk and gothpop.

JL: Yes, Ignoto Deo is good album. We tried to combine influences like Scott Walker, Dead Can Dance, etc. The lyrics were more focused and coherent. I tried to capture different expressions and dark landscapes, fairytales and myths. Magnus, who is a illustrator by profession, did a great job with the cover on both Ignoto and Hymns. We had a fairly strict division in ConSono, I wrote all the texts and lyrics, and Magnus designed the cover.

PNO: Ignoto Deo should have been a digi-pack. In thick paper of some kind.

JL: Yes I think that Ignoto should have been released in a more "luxurious" manner. The good thing with Roger was his ability to go all in and in Hymns he let us do a booklet.

PNO: Did you do any concerts/live events in those times? I haven´t seen or heard much about live appearances.

JL: Sadly no. We never played live. We had a strict policy to not play live as we thought that we couldnt make the live experience good enough. We had seen a lot of bands doing the "DAT-thing" and we thought it wasn't enough. In retrospect I think it was a mistake to not play live.

PNO: *laughs* I have the exact same policy. I will not dare doing live myself. A guy behind a laptop/computer pushing buttons. Seen tons of those concerts, boring as hell. Even Stephen Thrower of Cyclops did the same stunt and it was disappointing.

JL: Yes i find most of these concerts boring. I have seen too much of them. I totally agree.

PNO: BUT if you could pull off a kind of acoustic ConSono concert in a church of some kind? That would be damn good!

JL: That would be a great idea! ConSono is disbanded and i think that we will not see any more releases and concerts, but it is an interesting concept...

PNO: How about unreleased material or a rarities compilation?

JL: Mangnus and I have focused on our own projects. I thought about making a rarities compilations a few years ago. We have a lot of unreleased material in the Ignoto Deo vein but a lot of the tracks need re-recorded vocals.

PNO: I knew you had more material. I´ll bet there would be lots of great labels willing to release it.

JL: I think we have over 30 unreleased tracks from that period. Yes, I have been contacted by some labels during the years, but a release will be an effort and as you get older there is a fine balance between the old projects and the new.

PNO: Ahh yes of course. One final question. Any recommendations in the field of newly released industrial music?

JL: I haven't discovered so much new bands during the last years. Nowadays I primarily listen to ambient/dark ambient such as Alio Die and Richard Skelton.

PNO: I´m getting more and more into my techno roots *laughs* More and more Detroit style techno acts are mixing this with industrial elements. Ancient Methods and Diamond Version just to name a few.

JL: Ok, interesting! I will look them up. Is it contemporary?

PNO: It is contemporary. Even Ancient Methods said in an interview that he was an old fan of CMI.

JL: Oh, that sounds good. They know the essential music history.

PNO: Quite so. Well Jens, it was nice talking/chatting with you. Thank you very much.

JL: Thanks it has been really nice chatting to you.

For more Per Najbjerg Odderskov, check out his projects Lidane Livering and Destruktionsanstalt.

New Brvtalism No. 043

The mind is now a prison of your own creation. Impenetrable walls leave you enslaved. You become your own worst fear.

The Brvtalist is proud to present a new mix by Berlin-based artist Post Scriptum. The mysterious producer has emerged from the shadows to become one of the most unique and exciting acts currently working on the global techno scene. With a stellar release on Function's Infrastructure label, Post Scriptum's sound is incredibly complex and describes a bleak and desolate future. Using impressive sound design and science fiction imagery, we were instantly pulled into his dark, all encompassing world. While already performing at major venues like Berghain, the following are the artist's upcoming live dates:

20.02 Live @ Dude Club, Milan
05.03 Live @ Reaktor, Amsterdam
20.05 DJ @ Fabric, London

With more original material on a forthcoming Infrastructure Compilation/Sampler in May 2016, things have only just begun for Post Scriptum. New Brvtalism No. 043 is a 119 minute journey through the outer reaches. We are honored to add this contribution to our series and we look forward to more from this great artist. For more information please visit www.postscriptumlive.com and Facebook.