New Brvtalism No. 049

A piercing sound rings through the halls. Its presence can be felt. The bells signal a new era.

The Brvtalist is proud to present a new mix by Liverpool-based band Double Echo. Mixing the best elements of 1980's dark wave, post-punk, new wave and soundtrack, the band crafts haunting tracks that are both nostalgic and progressive. Their latest EP, The La Danza Outtakes, has been on constant rotation at Brvtalist HQ for quite some time. Double Echo appears on the new compilation, I Dare You To Be Real - A Tribute To Dark and Cold Sounds, out April 1st, on Bunny Records.

New Brvtalism No. 049 is the third and final installment in our post-punk/dark wave trilogy. We are thrilled to have brought you three bands (Winkie, Koban, Double Echo), who we believe are carrying the torch of the sound we hold near and dear to our hearts. We would like to thank Double Echo for a great mix and please check out more of their material at Bandcamp and Facebook.

-JRS

Track list:

The Cure - Carnage Visors (Excerpt)
Slowdive - Souvlaki Space Station
Variete - Klaszcze w dlonie
Tears For Fears - Watch Me Bleed
Lycia - A Presence In The Woods
Decima Victima - La Voz Que Me Persigue
Associates - Better This Way
The Teardrop Explodes - Poppies In The Field
Circuit 7 - Video Boys
Thomas Dolby - One Of Our Submarines
Cardiacs - Is This The Life?
Fabio Frizzi - Manhattan Baby (Sequenza 2)

Drapes by Ashley Scott

Any great creative work should be open to interpretation. The inability to place something in a single category has always been a positive in our eyes. That's why the works of Berlin-based artist Ashley Scott are so appealing. Part fashion accessory, part functional sculpture, Scott's creations are illuminated masterpieces. Her "ice bags" are unlike anything we have ever seen. Hand-sculpted accessories that truly are works of art. The Brvtalist had to find out more about these works and the artist who creates them. We are pleased to bring you a Q&A with Ashley Scott below:

The Brvtalist: What is your background as a designer, and how did Drapes by Ashley Scott come to be?

Ashley Scott: I studied Fine Art at Chicago State University before switching to design at AI CHICAGO. It was during this time that I began designing accessories for myself and the interest grew. I decided to keep going and never stopped working. I've done a collection every year since 2008, when I was obsessed with working with textiles and tassels. In 2011 I was a chosen designer for Toyota's Creative lounge, where I exhibited in Japan, Thailand, Bucharest and Croatia. We also had the opportunity to create a concept car for the brand. After that experience I expanded my goals and decided I would not be put in a box creatively. It inspired me beyond. I recently moved to Berlin to expand internationally and showcased my brand at Paris fashion week, Art Basel, London and Berlin/Berlin Fashion Week.

TB: What is the mission of the brand? Do you consider yourself purely an accessories line or something else?

AS: My mission is to engage the senses. I don`t consider my brand an accessory line since I created the ICEBAG series. This series brought both of my true loves together - sculpting and design. They aren't just bags, they also function as sculptures, light fixtures and vases. They are very experimental and have no boundaries.

TB: Your bags are unlike anything I've ever seen! You describe them as "hand-sculpted". Talk about the process of making the bags. What materials do you use and how are they sculpted?

AS: Thank you! This series began with my obsession of working with acryli glass and industrial plexi glass. I used this material in the collection before, SLOTH, in which I developed a liquid molding technique. I melt and sculpt the glass with special tools. After SLOTH, I decided I wanted to do a series of acryli sculpted bags in dynamic colors and elongated handles that extended the body. I developed a tighter molding technique to make the acryli glass look like ICE....and the ICEBAGS were born.

TB: I immediately fell in love with your "Transition" installation. I couldn't help but pick up post-modernist vibes and even some inspiration from the Memphis-Milano movement. Talk about the installation/exhibit and what inspired it.

AS: Wow thank you. The installation explored the creative transition from SLOTH to ICEBAG to future collections. I wanted to show the natural flow of my creativity and how it works. I was inspired by the natural transition from liquid to ICE to Glacier. SLOTH represented liquid. The ICEBAG series represented ICE. The preview to future work represented the GLACIER that continues in my creative flow. The whole installation was made to feel like you were inside of a giant icebox. I designed ICE cover light fixtures and showcased sculptures for the first time to represent each transition. I collaborated with my partner, Lordsir, on the set design and he brought all of the technical ideas to life.

TB: Ang[e]les is the next series of your work. It is set to debut in July for Berlin Fashion Week. Talk about what we can expect from this collection and where you drew inspiration from.

AS: Yes. Angels and Angles. This series is inspired by the ICEBAG series and continues the transition. The soft molding of the bags and the sharp cuts of the handles.... but the handles will be a lot sharper and more extreme this time around. With this series I will dissect the contrast completely into two parts. I will show them separately and formed together. There with be large angled sculptures, crazy angles angles angles everywhere. EXTREME and soft.

From the Transition exhibition (2015) — From the *Transition* exhibition (2015)

TB: What's next for Ashley Scott? Also, let us know where our readers can purchase your products.

AS: I will slowly be incorporating my sculptures in each project I do and My pieces will become more multi functional. I will be participating in Berlin Design Week June 2-5 2016 for DMY international design festival. July 1-10 will be the release of Ang<e>les at Aquabit Art gallery in Berlin. You can purchase my Icebags exclusively at Happy Shop Global Alliance in Mitte-Berlin Torstrasse 67. Purchase Online at ashleydrapes.com or notjustalabel.com and Hausie.com.

Starring Sarah Weis Directed by Robert Michael Visual Stimulation Sarah Weis Video Shot in Minimalist Bedroom * Miami Dream

Thank you to Ashley Scott for these great responses and for sharing her work with us. Her functional sculptures are certainly in a class of their own and we look forward to seeing the next collection. You can also keep up with Ms. Scott on Instagram and Facebook.

-JRS

Photos by Enrico Verworner

New Brvtalism No. 048

A departure from this world is a welcome change. Gone are the days of old. The unknown begins now.

The Brvtalist is proud to present a new mix by Vancouver-based duo, Koban. Fusing darkened post-punk, wave and modern electronics, Koban's sound is nostalgic as it is fresh and forward thinking. We are thrilled to bring you a mix just ahead of their new album, Abject Obsessions, out April 21st on Italy's Avant! Records. The new record includes 10 tracks that are cold, caustic and brvtally infectious. As a preview for the upcoming release, we are also thrilled to bring you one of our favorite tracks, "Instinct of Ego".

After releasing material on Broadway to Boundary and Weyrd Son, Koban's sound has continued to evolve while on Avant! Building on the success of their EP, Vide, Abject Obsessions is a complete album showcasing French-speaking female vocals and English-speaking male vocals, along with synths and razor sharp guitars. As for the mix, New Brvtalism No. 048 is a twisted trip into the dark hearts of this drifting duo. With an already impressive catalog, Koban has quickly emerged as one of our favorite acts in the burgeoning renaissance of post-punk style bands. Abject Obsessions will be released on both LP and CD and we look forward to more material and live performances from this "satanic murder couple". For more information please visit Facebook and Avant!

-JRS

*click to enlarge

Track list:

1. Salt- Institute
2. Day of the Rope - Spray Paint
3. 13 Ans Presque 17 - Scorpion Violente
4. After the Fall - Pure Ground
5. A Perfect Body - All Your Sisters
6. Fantastic - Kitchen and the Plastic Spoons
7. Not Enough Violence - Ariel Pink
8. Anyway - Oto
9. On- Borghesia
10. Honeymoon- Minuit Machine
11. In the Headlights - MOTH
12. Here Again - Factory Floor

Craow - S/T Full Album Preview

The Brvtalist is proud to present a full album preview of the upcoming LP by Rhode Island's Craow. Out next week on one of our favorite labels, Nostilevo, Craow's self titled effort is a powerful journey through the depths of post-industrial, wave and rhythmic atmospherics. The haunting vocals are the perfect compliment to the anthemic mood created by these 5 incredible tracks. With future releases and re-issues planned on Deathshadow and Ascetic House, this is Craow's second effort for Nostilevo. Please enjoy Craow - S/T streaming below:

We spoke with Sean Halpin, the artist behind Craow, and he had this to say about the release:

The record is made up of songs written in 2013. My life at the time was very polar. It seemed to be one heavy thing after another, good and bad but it was all happening at once so I was into it in a completely perverted way. The gear set up I was using at the time worked very well together for that era of CRAOW. I was living in Tampa when it was written and I recorded it in my studio in Providence ,except "Game of Fools" which I recorded at Cyborg City where I was living in Tampa. I am a bit apprehensive to get into what each song is about as I'd really be into people listening to the record in a subjective way. I tried to keep the mentality of working on the record as if we're the last recording I did that I would be alright with it.

The LP will see a release of edition 300 on black vinyl and a special edition of 50 on clear. The Brvtalist is also thrilled to be DJing the official LP release show, happening on April 9th at Non Plus Ultra in Los Angeles. Also on the bill that night are Marching Dynamics and Fairlight Empress (members of Hive Mind + Oil Thief). Please join us for a very special evening. For more information please visit Nostilevo.

-JRS

Whitney Hubbs - "Body Double"

Perhaps the most fascinating and endlessly inspirational subject is ourselves. Meaning our personal selves, but also our shapes and forms as humans. The human body in its most pure and raw state is beautiful, confounding, provocative and mysterious. Visual artist Whitney Hubbs explores some of these themes and more in her latest solo exhibition at Los Angeles' M+B Gallery entitled Body Double.

Woman no. 8, 2016signed, dated, titled and numbered versoarchival pigment print32 x 40 inchesedition of 3 plus 2 artist's proofs — Woman no. 8, 2016
signed, dated, titled and numbered verso
archival pigment print
32 x 40 inches
edition of 3 plus 2 artist's proofs

Hubbs' works appear both refined, yet unpolished. Her subjects are positioned in ways that showcase some of the body's most unique geometries and her use of vibrant color attracts the eye to the interesting textures used, but also highlights the contrast between color and flesh. From the artist:

When I'm in front of the camera, my body is being looked at, is being performed, is being directed and recorded. It is being taken apart and pieced back together.

We repeat and repeat, the same scene, against the same wall, with the same lights. We write the body on a piece of film. Film that's been pushed and prodded, mishandled and flipped. At a certain point I had to accept a bodily experience. It was pleasurable to look at their rough unpolished states, the bodies simply are: flipping, posing, being coy, arms as arrows, feet as poles, the lens as lover and mirror, the lens always looking back and being looked at, not by the face, but by the breasts, buttocks, heels, toes, shins, spines and throats, unhurried and happy to give that which can't be taken.

Woman no. 5, 2016signed, dated and numbered versoarchival pigment print32 x 40 inchesedition of 3 plus 2 artist's proofs — Woman no. 5, 2016
signed, dated and numbered verso
archival pigment print
32 x 40 inches
edition of 3 plus 2 artist's proofs

Born in Los Angeles in 1977, Hubbs received her MFA from UCLA and BFA from California College of the Arts. Most recently, Hubbs had her first solo museum exhibition at the California Museum of Photography at the University of California, Riverside. Her work is included in the current exhibition, After Effect, at Ballroom Marfa, TX. Other recent shows include Vapegoat Rising at Arturo Bandini, Los Angeles; New Babylon at Roberts and Tilton,

We love the mood and imagery of these works. Hubbs constructs and deconstructs the female form and emphasizes that we are all made up of and many different parts to create a whole. Her use of limbs, torsos and other intricacies create a wonderful perspective of the human body as well as the dichotomies of primitive and evolved to raw and refined. The result is something that is always beautiful.

Woman no. 6, 2016signed, dated, titled and numbered versoarchival pigment print40 x 32 inchesedition of 3 plus 2 artist's proofs — Woman no. 6, 2016
signed, dated, titled and numbered verso
archival pigment print
40 x 32 inches
edition of 3 plus 2 artist's proofs

Body Double is on view now until May 7th at M+B Gallery, located at 612 N. Altamont Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90069. For more information, please visit the gallery's official page and for more Whitney Hubbs, please visit here.

-JRS

Left:

Woman no. 3, 2016
signed, dated, titled and numbered verso
archival pigment print
40 x 32 inches
edition of 3 plus 2 artist's proofs

Right:

Woman no. 2, 2016
signed, dated, titled and numbered verso
archival pigment print
40 x 32 inches
edition of 3 plus 2 artist's proofs

Pure and Raw Jutlandish Doom

The banner of Jutland, staked in a meadow, riddled with cow shit and psychedelic shrooms, appears on the cover of Danish doom-duo BRODER's newest cassette, Under den Jydske Fane. Unlike the first release, this is a full collaboration between brothers Erik and Jesper Bagger Hviid. As stated by the artist, "We grew up in the countryside, on the right side of the stream, between the burial mound, "Bitch Hill", and the mythical "Gallow Mountain".

The opening track, Kællingehøj, is the calm burial hum from a time long forgotten. Galgebjerg is the brutal gut ripping truth at the end of the noose. This cassette is not just an ode to the hill and the mountain, but an ode to historicity as a part of being.

<a href="http://itwasgnarled.bandcamp.com/album/under-den-jydske-fane">Under den Jydske Fane by BRODER</a>

This is really all I know of this new act, shrouded in the mystery of the dark Danish countryside. A few tracks and this piece of information. BRODER is in the vein and style of early drone/doom-metal acts. Think Earth 2 by well.. Earth! As well as Sleep. Also prevalent are minor elements of Dungeon Synth.

The first track, Kællinghøj, has a grim kind of dark medieval, plaque-ridden, witches-and-heretics-on-the-bonfire apocalyptic kind of atmosphere. Like being in a burned down ruin of a village, while smelling the decay in the soil beneath. There is no hope at the end of this tunnel.

The next track, Galgebjerg, has a hammering and punishing sort of heaviness. The kind of which you can only imagine when pleading for your life, and having someone, say a terrifying executioner with a black hood, holding a big sledge hammer over your fuckin' head!

Under den Jydske Fane is out now on Copenhagen-based label It Was Gnarled. This is an excellent release that fans of funeral doom and drone/noise-metal should definitely check out. For more information please visit Facebook and Soundcloud.

-Per Najbjerg Odderskov
Soundcloud

New Brvtalism No. 047

Submerged in the dark, hope begins to fade. With a fleeting breath, you are pulled beneath.

The Brvtalist is proud to present a new mix by New York City-based duo, Winkie. Shattering genre classification, Winkie extracts elements of post-punk, darkwave, shoegaze and pop to create a wonderfully distorted creative vision. Their latest release, Come To My Party, is a stellar full length effort that creates a bleak, desperate environment and takes the listener on a dark, unsettling journey. From their harsh, droning guitar to piercing, distinctive vocals, Winkie offers something both powerful and cerebral. We were lucky enough to catch the duo at last week's Part-Time Punks show in Los Angeles, and their live act is equally as impressive.

New Brvtalism No. 047 is a nice look inside the mind of Winkie and you can see how their sound has development the way it has. Come To My Party has been a go-to record as of late and we look forward to seeing more touring and new material. For more information, please visit: https://winkieband.tumblr.com/

Track list:
The Birthday Party : Dead Joe
Tuxedomoon : Where Interests Lie
Chrome : Mondo Anthem
Xmal Deutschland : Geheimnis
Dead Can Dance : The Trial
Section 25 : Dirty Disco
Public Image Ltd. : Banging The Door
Malaria! - Your Turn To Run (I Will Be Your Only One)
Cabaret Voltaire : Premonition
Joy Division - Exercise One
Throbbing Gristle : Walls of Sound
Winkie : Tasting My Heart For The First Time
Swans : Half Life
Thrush and The Cunts : Diseases
The Associates : Kitchen Person

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia

Milan, Paris, New York. These cities are synonymous with high fashion and their respective fashion week events are among the biggest and most popular in the world. With that being said, the fashion world is constantly changing. New markets are always emerging and designers, journalists and most importantly buyers, no longer necessarily reside in the traditional epicenters. One of the most important new markets in fashion is Russia. The country has undergone immense change and that has brought significant appreciation for the arts as well as a consumer market that has exploded.

We are always interested in *anything* that is emerging and non-traditional and fashion is near the top of the list. Now in its 32nd season, Fashion Week Russia continues to attract more and more attention. Moscow has become a global destination for luxury goods and lifestyle (despite the frigid temperatures), and its fashion week event has been to intriguing to us for quite sometime. This year's festivities took place from March 11th - March 16th and we thought we would take a look at the offerings this season and bring you some of our favorites from the AW 2016/2017 collections:

*click to enlarge

Ksenia Knyazeva

Ksenia Knyazeva is an upstart brand with her first collection debuting in 2010. Hailing from the city of Penza, her fashion is pure Russian elegance. Leaving out embellishment, Knyazeva places her focus on detail, heritage and sexuality. From striking fur coats to floor length gowns, we liked that her pieces are 100% Moscow winter style. Also, bonus points for a bar and cocktails on the runway. For more, please visit: http://kknyazeva.ru/

Viva Vox

Viva Vox was founded in 1997 and has evolved nicely over the years. In 2005, the brand invited Oleg Evseev to become the creative director of the company. A graduate of Ecole de Couture van Rijn in Holland, Evseev brings a fresh European attitude to the fashion house and he has a particular affinity working with furs and leathers, which as we can already see, are big time favorites in Moscow. The oversized wrap coats and beautiful furs are quite impressive and successfully fuse progressive style with practicality. For more information please visit: http://www.dressone.ru/designers/viva-vox/

PIROSMANI BY JENYA MALYGINA

Pirosmani is the creative force of Evgeniya Malygina. Active since 1999, her concept is ANTIPODIUM: "No fashion, no trends, no season". Her works are incredibly versatile and can easily fit in to situations from casual to evening. While there's a lot of Russian and ethnic heritage on display in Moscow, this was one of the most current collections. Monochrome palates with impressive draping and long, sophisticated coats, made this one of the more progressive lines at the event. More for please visit: http://www.pirosmani.info/

Julia Dalakanian

For over 20 years Julia Dalakian has been designing in Moscow for local and international clients alike. For the early part of her career, she presented collections at events in Berlin, Milan and New York. She focuses much of her efforts on collaborations and capsule collections with the intent of increasing production soon. Her A/W '16-17 line showed a nice range of abilities. From contemporary to classic, Dalakian's vast experience shows in her work and we enjoyed the bright reds mixed in with black and one of our favorite colors silver. She's a talented designer with the ability to go in multiple directions and we always appreciate that. For more information, please visit: http://www.dressone.ru/designers/julia-dalakian/

Overall we were impressed by many of the offerings presented at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia. Many of the participating designers pay tribute to the vast and diverse cultural heritage of their country and that was very evident from start to finish. While not always our aesthetic, there were some designers who showed the progressive, avant-garde sensibilities we are mostly drawn to. There's a lot of young talent in this up and coming market and the event does do a nice job of showcasing these artists and helps put them in the international eye. As Russia's importance continues to grow, it will be very interesting to see how this event will change (if at all) in the years to come. For more information and all collections please visit: http://mercedesbenzfashionweek.ru/en/

-JRS

Bestial Mouths - "Heartless"

When I first heard Bestial Mouths, I thought I was listening to a more industrial version of Diamanda Galás. At the same time, the powerful vocals of the lead singer took me to a different place than that of Diamanda’s songs. Slightly darker, savage and filled with anguish and the unknown.

Bestial Mouths is an L.A. based band which clearly doesn’t fit a single music category. Ranging from post-punk, goth to industrial and even power electronics, their music is most of all confrontational and engaging, inviting the listener to question and try to understand it. You can’t really listen to Bestial Mouths passively because there’s too much going on. Like any other art, music is supposed to move you, to make you feel something and even to doubt that feeling, and this is exactly what Bestial Mouths is doing.

Their latest creation, Heartless, is out on famed label Cleopatra Records and comes as a continuation of, and even a progression from, their previous releases. Lynette Cerezo, the main voice of Bestial Mouths, says this about Heartless:

“This album I feel captures the true essence of Bestial Mouths as we were able to rerecord new versions of past songs along with new ones (showing a scope of our progression). The new songs are extremely personal to me which I feel curated the whole LP's concept and feel (the art work and new video for Heartless (soon to be released) put these emotions into visual form).”

For your listening pleasure, we are proud to feature one of our favorite tracks, "White Eyes", exclusively streaming for The Brvtalist:

<a href="http://bestialmouths.bandcamp.com/album/heartless">Heartless by Bestial Mouths</a>

The album is filled with powerful energy, bringing us a metallic sound, with thick, heavy synths. The opening track “Grayed”, not only sets the mood, but also gives the listener proof that this LP is indeed a complex and provocative creative result. The powerful percussive rhythms of “White Eyes” create a story that’s being backed by ritual-like music, danceable grooves and a strong feral feel. Like on their previous albums, the lyrics follow the stream-of-consciousness format that’s characteristic of their style, and the piercing vocals resemble the sirens’ call - especially on “Small Pray” and “Heartless”, forcing the listener to succumb to the mesmerizing music of the band.

Heartless is a powerful and exciting release that take's the band's work to a whole new level. Head over to their Bandcamp page to buy the album, and if you’re in Europe, you might get the chance to catch them live, as they are in the middle of their EU tour (see dates below).

-Mărie Bungău
Twitter

New Brvtalism No. 046

A sudden force pierces the membrane. Shock is the only sensation. Transmission has begun.

The Brvtalist is proud to present a new mix by Washington-based artist Raica. A prolific experimental sound composer, Chloe Harris also heads the innovative label Further Records. Operating in genres ranging from techno to experimental to ambient to even classical, Further Records has established itself as one of the most progressive and forward-thinking labels today. As a solo artist, Raica has released a string of superb full lengths, EPs and singles. Her compositions always maintain a sense of sophistication, surrealism and technical precision. Some of our favorite albums, such as Dose and Motorsatz, reveal a dark complexity and a delicate ambiance that resonate loudly.

New Brvtalism No. 046 is a blissful journey into the unknown depths of sound and atmosphere. Included are tracks from forthcoming Further Records releases as well as Harris' own material and more. We would like to thank Raica for this incredible contribution to our series and we look forward to bringing you more from Further Records. For more information please visit Facebook and Soundcloud.

-JRS

Track list:

Monadh - Ria [Further Records] - forthcoming April 2016
Thanet - Venus [Mordant Music]
Human Rays - Condensity [Further Records] - forthcoming June 2016
Strategy - Public Voyeurs [Further Records]
Acronym - Aftermath [Northern Electronics]
Decimus - Untitled [Further Records]
Jonathan Fitoussi - Microscopic [Pan European Recording]
Thanet - Earth [Mordant Music]
Material Object & ISHQ - 30 MHz [No.]
Nuel - Steppin Stone [Further Records]
Thanet - Uranus [Mordant Music]
Raica - Flatus - unreleased
Material Object & ISHQ - 76 MHz [No.]
Jonas Reinhardt - Shattered Remains Of Orr [Further Records]