Black Plastic

As you probably know, The Brvtalist loves projects that don't quite fit into a single category or even better, manage to exist in different mediums at the same time. This is what drew us to Black Plastic, the latest musical project by New York City-based artist Kevin Grady. Out now on the mighty Cleopatra Records, Black Plastic is a thought provoking work. It is a debut album of dance floor ready post-punk and dark wave, but it's also an art directed music and visual piece that the artist himself proclaims is not real (hence the title "Black Plastic").

Today we are excited to bring you a video stream of the album in its entirety. Visual accompaniment is by David Strindberg, a Swedish director known for his work with brands like H&M and Adidas and musicians like Madonna. This is roughly 35 minutes of titillating sensory onslaught. For fans who love dark genres of the 1980's, updated for 2016 with top notch production work by André Obin. The release is at once straight ahead synth-driven dance jams, while also existing as a layered statement shrouded in mystery and enigma.

Black Plastic (Official) [Album Stream] find on Black Plastic at Bandcamp

Kevin Grady is perhaps best known for creating the award-winning, cult magazine, Lemon. Lavishly produced and designed, the magazine has hosted a wide range of impressive contributors, including David Bowie, Daft Punk, Jeff Koons, Sonic Youth and many others. Grady brings his razor sharp prowess to the Black Plastic project. Shimmering like a finely tuned, polished new machine, Black Plastic fires on all cylinders right out of the gate. The tracks and visuals are seething with ritualistic imagery and primal desires. "Deutsch" is a great example of the album's ability to co-exist in both the music and art world, while still maintaining an accessible point of entry for music fans of all kinds.

Black Plastic is available now for purchasing on digital format and a very nice limited edition CD package. The artist will kick off live shows at Boston's Great Scott on April 25, and will play showcases in NY and LA later this spring and early summer. For more information please visit the official site and Facebook. We look forward to more from this great project.

-JRS

New Brvtalism No. 052

The Brvtalist is proud to present a new mix by the minds behind one of our favorite labels, Giallo Disco Records. Creating a unique sound known as Horror Disco, Vercetti Technicolor & Antoni Maiovvi have released some incredible records, ranging from techno to classic 80's soundtrack influenced sounds. We recently featured one of the label's current releases, Focus on Light by Hørd, and their latest release, Blood Meridian by Japan's Ketsueki Sākuru is a rare gem from an elusive talent. Both Technicolor and Maiovvi are great producers in their own right and we are honored to have them contribute a collaborative mix to our series. The duo will be playing some live shows in Europe and catch them at the following dates:
22nd April - Berlin - JK
23rd April - Rotterdam - Bordello A Parigi 5th Birthday
3rd June - Brussels- TBA

For more information and music please visit Bandcamp, Soundcloud and Facebook.

-JRS

Sfire - Sfire2 (Kris Baha ’86 Remix)
Dust - Xenocide
Scientific Dreamz Of U - New Dreamz Of The Flesh
Drvg Cvltvre - Bad Reputation
Senate - Gangstalker
Daniel Kyo - Blood Running
Legowelt - Tondalayo
Craig Bratley - Obsession
Salta & Roma - I Don’t Believe
Repeated Viewing - Dance Chat
The Hasbeens - Maybe (The Twelves Remix)
Antoni Maiovvi - Molly’s Theme
Mario Moretti - Multiverse
Jonty Rose - Night Horizon (Starion Remix)
Visonia - Danse Avec La Lune

Y-3 Sport

The future of sportswear is now here and we can thank legendary designer Yohji Yamamoto for ushering in a new age. His Y-3 collaboration with Adidas has been a favorite for quite sometime. Mixing luxury and high performance design and fabrics with the iconic brand, Yamamoto has now unleashed something slightly different on the world. It is called Y-3 Sport.

This collection is focused on performance. The clothes and accessories take things to new heights with all weather gear including reflective patterns, rainproof jackets and shoes that are created for any terrain you may encounter. The designs are simply from the future and you can expect interesting cuts, subtle detailing and materials that use the latest technology. We love the men's "Future Craft Midlayer", which is a jacket based on the Adidas Daybreaker hoody but elongated and fitted for a nicer silhouette, plus instead of french terry, Y-3 uses "climalite" jersey offering both quick drying and moisture management. First stitched for durability and then bonded to offer maximum comfort and durability including pockets, zips and media integration.

Womenswear gets the same treatment, offering innovative designs with cutting edge features. For instance, the Y-3 Sport Fine Knit top explores new knitting techniques. Y-3 discovered a lesser-used circular knit machine with limited capability yet far better handfeel and drape. The result is a beautifully durable piece that is both elegant yet practical. Also included in the collection are amazing bags that are designed to fit close to the body and maximize durability all while smartly integrating your devices.

Whether its avant-garde couture or high performance sportswear, Yohji Yamamoto always seems to get it right. Y-3 Sport is no exception with introducing brand new technologies and a futuristic design aesthetic. We pretty much want every single item and hope to see more from Y-3 Sport in the years to come. For more information and e-boutique please visit Y-3.

-JRS

Body of Light - "Volantà di Amore"

For the first time, Body of Light's now classic release is available on vinyl from one of our favorite labels. Available now on Chondritic Sound, is 2013's Volantà di Amore. Arizona brothers Alex and Andrew Jarson create beautifully dark, melancholy tracks with a pop sensibility that work equally as well on the dance floor as they do in the confines of a plush, private bedroom.

<a href="http://chondriticsound.bandcamp.com/album/volont-di-amore">Volontà di Amore by Body of Light</a>

While only a few years old, Volantà has proven to be an important record. Its combination of genres was slightly ahead of the curve and helped usher in a now prevalent sound that fuses some of the best elements of goth, minimal synth, dark wave and more. We love tracks like "Fall", which are just oozing with romanticism and emotional torment. Chondritic Sound offers three options for the release - traditional black vinyl (ltd 170), a white vinyl edition (ltd 110) that includes a killer new patch with the band's excellent artwork and finally "hardcore pink" (ltd. 70), which includes the patch plus a bonus cassette.

Volantà di Amore was originally only available on cassette format so we are thrilled to see it get a proper vinyl release. As always, Chondritic Sound puts out some of the most relevant and important albums in the underground today and this is no exception. Body of Light is also currently on the tail end of a major US tour with local favorites High Functioning-Flesh. For more information and purchasing please visit Chondritic Sound and Bandcamp.

-JRS

Noblesse Oblige + New Brvtalism No. 051

From the dark murky lands of Holland comes Gooiland Elektro, a sub-label of Enfant Terrible, which is releasing music for the hedonists, the libertines, and decadents out there. For the lovers of elitist pop culture and for the true freaks of the world. The Gooiland compilations are limited to a small amount of copies, and focus on lesser known, under the radar artists.

“With Noblesse Oblige you find yourself among the aristocracy of the mind and body”. The compilation brings together 6 artists with different creative visions, and makes a homogenous and haunting musical trip, which clearly doesn’t fit a certain trend or genre, but rather explores and experiments in order to create music for that elitist side that’s hiding in every one of us. Whether you want to experience it on the dancefloor or in a more intimate setting, there’s something for every mood you might have - from dark techno and powerful EBM beats to a more industrial and acidy vibe, paired with piercing French vocals or sensual panting screams. Don’t expect catchy or upbeat tunes, and instead be prepared to abandon all hope, ye who enter in the world of Gooiland Elektro. This compilation will be limited to 250 copies, so make sure you grab yours here before they’re gone forever.

Tracklist

A1 LCN - Appartenance

A2 Monocorpse - Robert & Caroline

A3 Profligate - Come Back (Bleeding House)

B1 Osty - Untitled One

B2 Neugeborene Nachtmusik - Yoshiwara

B3 Future Blondes - Shadow Mirror

And to complement this release, one of the artists from the Noblesse Oblige compilation is bringing us New Brvtalism No. 051. Neugeborene Nachtmusik, roughly translated to Newborn Night Music, is a Dutch musician named Maurice Hermes, residing in Berlin, who draws his inspiration from the darkest corners of the human mind and beyond. This conceptual approach applies not only to his releases, but to his mixing style as well. You’ll be exploring different kinds and layers of darkness through cold and bone shaking tunes from Neugeborene Nachtmusik, Coil, or Agent Side Grinder, during a 1 and a half hour’s ritualistic journey which will take you to the depths of your own hopelessness, and then back to reality again.

-Marie Bungau
@mariebungau

Track list:
Europ Europ 'Stormy pacific' (St. Maurice U Boot Remix) (Etch Wear 30)
Puin + Hoop 'Slaapstaking' (Kamp Holland Compilation, Enfant Terrible)
Coil 'The sewage worker's birthday party' (Scatology)
Luc van Acker 'Dohan Viola' (Enfant Terrible)
Neugeborene Nachtmusik 'Sacrifice' (Enfant Terrible)
Agent Side Grinder '210-392' (Enfant-Terrible)
Europ Europ '22_22' (Enfant-Terrible)
Neugeborene Nachtmusik 'Han Dog' (Exploitation OST, Enfant-Terrible)
Doxa Sinistra 'Exploring expedition' (Trumpett, Enfant-Terrible)
Milligram Retreat 'Aim for the brain' (Enfant-Terrible)
Control Unit 'Again' (Backwards)
La Mort De L'Hippocampe 'Chant de L'Extase' (Enfant-Terrible, Verba)
Optic Nest 'Thirst' (Moptac)
Neugeborene Nachtmusik 'The Undaunted traveller' (Enfant Terrible)
Milligram Retreat 'All Gone' (Enfant-Terrible)
Diamantener Oberhof 'Schlafmon' (Vrystaete, Enfant-Terrible)
Kaval 'Klokkenspel' (Vrystaete, Enfant-Terrible)
Dada 'Yuen Inraku Gaki' (Vanity)
Hero Wouters 'Een stil plekje-Pavane' (Enfant-Terrible)

Echo Beds - "Licking Wounds" Video Premiere

The Brvtalist is proud to present the music video premiere of "Licking Wounds" by Denver's Echo Beds. Crafting a raw style of post-punk and industrial, "Licking Wounds" is off the band's forthcoming album New Icons of a Vile Faith, to be released April 29th. This is a brvtal video, not for the faint of heart, that compliments the band's unique sound that is put through a grinder and oozing with aggressive, punishing emotion. Echo Beds kicks off a spring U.S. tour at the end of month in support of the new tape and you should definitely catch them in a city near you (full dates below). For now, please enjoy "Licking Wounds":

LICKING WOUNDS - ECHO BEDS from Kim Shively on Vimeo.

For more information, music and pre order please visit Bandcamp and Facebook.

-JRS

Keta Gutmane S/S 2016 + Q&A

Fashion can be viewed in many different contexts. Is it purely functional? Is it purely aesthetic? Is it something else entirely? We love when designers explore these questions and create their own unique narrative and that is exactly what Latvian fashion house Keta Gutmane does so well. Her collections are urban, progressive and brush aside any societal inhibitors to create womenswear that is classic yet undoubtedly fresh.

Her Spring/Summer 2016 collection is the perfect example of her creative vision. Inspired by the visual imagery of legendary director Wim Wenders, the collection creates a dialog between the interior and exterior. Empowering garments that fuse contemporary tailoring with an avant-garde sensibility. Keta's designs are empowering, functional and allow the wearer to achieve whatever they wish. We love the materials used and the oversized coats, poplin shirts and slim fitting pants. The Brvtalist was fortunate enough to speak with Ms. Gutmane about her work, this collection and more. Please find our great Q&A below:

*click images to enlarge

The Brvtalist: Talk about the development of Keta Gutmane and the mission or ethos of the brand.

Keta Gutmane: Keta Gutmane wants to bridge the interior and exterior. We wish to propose an open dialogue. One that is democratic and carefully shaped by the contours of our creative process. The studio’s monochrome backdrop re-directs all my focus towards construction, tactility and textural research.

My goal is to insert classic tailoring into urban environments, to make structured garments wearable and comfortable. The looks are always monochrome and quite boyish, genders do not matter to me so much. I like different textures, like my signature leather finish fabric and other natural high-quality textures. The garments are made to be worn. This is very important.

TB: We love the high concept approach to your clothes that also happen to be very wearable. Talk about the balance of creating something that is conceptual but also practical.

KG: Thank you. This is very dear to me and maybe to another 10% of people (who perceive their individual space and the world like I do), who do needsome form of conceptual narrative. When working on a collection, research is my ritual. It allows me to touch upon some other worlds besides this one, to experience some alternative results. This is a way to better express my ideas and creativity.

I try to avoid making concepts just for the concepts' sake. I would like everything to be light and easy instead, so when ideas do not come so easy and this starts to bother me, I lighten up the approach a bit. I have not always succeeded in striking a balance between the conceptual and the wearable -- it is quite rare when this perfect harmony occurs. All in all, clothes are products, and they need to find their place into the wardrobes of their wearers. Regarding the design, my goal is to throw out all things unnecessary, stripping the pieces from any frills. I want the items to breathe and live on their own. When designing, I pay a lot of attention to textile, tailoring and craft.

TB: What are you inspired by at the moment?

KG: Right now, I am quite obsessed with the new wave of Latvian literature that tackles a specific cultural environment defined by the era of 1990s. In Latvia, this was a period of radical change and is currently perceived as an unique phenomenon. It truly marks that one generation who knew what it was like to be young in the 1990s. In order to find oneself and all things alternative or different, people turned to the so-called alternative culture. This is a story about youth, when everyone tried to oppose the world, to differ from others, to party hard, to drink hard, die hard, at the same time waiting for the end of the world that was supposed to come in year 2000..... The 90s are therefore forever linked to my teenage years. These events form a bright biography of a generation that I personally connect to extremely well..

TB: Talk about the concept for S/S 2016.

KG: The central topic for the SS16 is searching for one's identity. And loneliness. I was thinking about an urban tramp and wanderer. This is how I feel the process of walking. Walking is directly connected to thinking and one can muse and dwell a lot during walks. There is the feeling of bright existence and gained experience during walks, you can just be with yourself and perceive yourself as the real you.

When it comes to the narrative, the space and images of Wim Wenders films have had their impact on me. This is something very familiar to me, this is what I long for, and for a while I felt I grew together with these visual tangents. The characters of Wenders are in search of their location and home in a social meaning. It is about characters that find their identity in movement, during trips, who get lost and feel strange in an environment where they should actually be feeling like home.

TB: Can you also touch on the materials used, details, and design process to achieve your goal for the collection?

KG: The materials chosen are natural and light in terms of their structure and content. Classic elements of tailoring get mixed with the grunge of 1990s. I have used a black and white checkered mourning tartan associated with death and funerals and used it in the context of anti-authority symbolism. The spring/summer collection has elements of oversize trenches, mannish looks; asymmetricity and layering. The collection has graphic black and white color gamma. Used fabrics include Japanese cotton, cupro, leather finish, silk and colored mixed cotton-silks.

TB: I also noticed you branched out into mediums like installation pieces and film. Talk about how things like Room Story or Creak are an extension of the brand.

KG: Well, quite some time has passed since these works were made! When I look back to that period, those timeless values have stayed. On the other side, it is quite funny to look back. These projects made me want to be closer to real people, so they serve as a reminder to spend my time one hundred percent creatively and to be free of any limitations, to allow things to happen that are not connected to the brand itself. It is important to be free in ones existence.

TB: What's next for Keta Gutmane?

KG: Since I have many male clients, I am thinking about menswear -- how to include it into the womenswear collections. I will take this process slowly, looking for ways to balance it out right. It is an exciting preposition to me, exploring new tailoring dimensions and constructions.

The Brvtalist would like to thank Keta Gutmane for taking the time to speak with us. Her work is inspiring and we absolutely love her conceptual and psychological approach to fashion and art. We look forward to seeing the next chapter from the fashion house and fingers crossed for a menswear collection. For more information, stockists and more please visit Keta Gutmane, Facebook and Instagram.

-JRS

Credits:
Photo: Martins Cirulis
AD: Marlo Saalmink
MUA: Aija Udentina
Model: Annija @ Starsystem

End Result Productions - Spring Releases

The Brvtalist is pleased to present new tape releases from Philadelphia's End Result Productions. Last year we covered the excellent Death Bed by Bloom Offering, and the cassette and zine imprint just came out with four new releases for Spring 2016. Today we are featuring tapes by SPT and Slow Tongued Beauty, both Philadelphia-based producers who are exploring the outer realms of ambient and experimental techno.

SPT's Expedition II is a cerebral, high concept release which builds on previous tapes and sonically navigates two more landmarks in the Antarctic. The two track cassette was recorded during a live transmission with no post-production work done. We were instantly drawn to the theme of the tracks and their cavernous, exploratory atmospheres. "Lazarev Ice Shelf" (streaming below) is both raw and frigid, seemingly taking you through the barren topography of the frozen continent. Its subtleties find elements of industrial, ambient and rhythmic techno. Clocking in at over 24 minutes, the track is a deep dive into a dark abyss of the unknown. From the artist:

SPT is short for Seenplatte Tunnel, loosely translated from German as “lakeland tunnel.” Platte more closely means plateau or district in this context, but regardless the term Seenplatte is used to describe lake-covered moraine regions of land. The significance attributed to Seenplatte Tunnel as a word pairing, however, is with reference to the naturally-occurring tunnels of ice that form underneath the Schirmacher Oasis in Antarctica during the summer months by way of glacial erosion.

The Schirmacher Oasis was the starting point of the SPT expeditions, but the ultimate goal of the project is for each new track to be representative of what could perhaps serve as the musical score to an expedition in each of the areas indicated. Expedition II gives a bleak, monolithic score to the 56-mile-long Lazarev Ice Shelf, as well as a more uplifting interpretation of what it might be like to look out at a windy sea from a standpoint of the Riiser-Larsen Peninsula.

Expedition III will soon be released, and the next live transmission is scheduled to take place on June 25th in Baltimore, MD. More information about each of these will be communicated through the SPT Facebook page as it develops.

Slow Tongued Beauty is the electronic music production of Ryan Scott Kerr. The two track cassette, Temptable Desertion, is a brilliantly haunting, textured offering that seizes you with a hypnotic pulse. "The Satyr Exit" (streaming below) is a perfect example of Slow Tongued Beauty's driving, psychological experimentation. From the artist:

All sounds are a console mix of modular system and DAW. The name Slow Tongued Beauty was derived from a cryptic tabloid reference to the late Anna Nicole Smith. Though the title certainly invites interpretation, the depth and absurdity of the tragedy from which it is derived offers further distinction to these ambiguous soundscapes. As far as the content of the sound, my goal is to simply create a complex sonic palette. The sounds reference the experiential in light of the history of electronic music and noise. I hope the work is simultaneously introspective and transcendent, constantly striving to reach a grotesque modicum of sublimity.

In addition to SPT and Slow Tongued Beauty, End Result has also released stellar tapes by Wort and Deflector. We admire the label's commitment to a wide variety of experimental sounds and the beautifully dark, underlying themes that connect each release. Second editions of the Slow Tongued Beauty and SPT tapes are now available to pre-order, shipping out April 19th and available directly at day two of the Cixous72 and Primitive Languages Present: ANTHESTRIA festival, on which Slow Tongued Beauty will perform night one. For more information, music and purchasing please visit Facebook, Soundcloud and Bandcamp.

-JRS

New Brvtalism No. 050

Approach the alter and pay tribute. Surrender your beliefs and accept your new master.

The Brvtalist is proud to present a mix by Berlin-based artist Philipp Strobel. Head of one of the most innovative labels operating today, Aufnahme + Wiedergabe, we could not think of a better person to celebrate the 50th mix of our series. A+W has been one of our favorite labels for some time and has released material by Phase Fatale, Blush Response, The Devil and The Universe, Codex Empire and so many more. Never confined to a single genre. Strobel's vision is unique in music today and we are continuously inspired by the label's direction and releases. From the artist:

The mix was recorded live at the Consumer Electronics show at Endorcism Berlin (held at Urban Spree) on March 24th, 2016. It was on the night of Good Friday and starts with Crass' "Reality Asylum" which includes the line "Jesus died for his own sins, not mine" and it ends with Death In June's "Come before Christ and Murder Love". The mix includes tracks off forthcoming Aufnahme + Wiedergabe releases by Codex Empire and Blush response as well as recent and upcoming tracks by Phase Fatale, Ancient Methods, Ontal, SNTS... as well as industrial classics by Smersh and Sleep Chamber.

Upcoming releases by A+W include the debut tape of Nihil Nihil, 12"s by Codex Empire, Blush Response, Zex Model, Schwefelgelb and the new LP by Veil Of Light accompanied by a remix 12". As always we look forward to all of the forthcoming material. For more information please visit Facebook and Bandcamp.

-JRS

Max Tan S/S 2016

If you haven't noticed, The Brvtalist is nearly obsessed with fashion and art that redefines the traditional norms and pushes the boundaries of a medium while still being able to show restraint. That's why we immediately fell in love with the works of Singapore-born designer Max Tan. Creating "androgynous geometric minimalism", Tan's clothes are subtly brilliant, accentuating the human form and using interesting cuts, drapes and details to create something completely unique.

The moods of the Spring/Summer 2016 collection are surreal and subdued at the same time. Using a monochromatic palate and light weight fabrics, the fashion tells a story of fantasy and reality, straddling the line between fine art and ready to wear.

Max Tan is most definitely a designer to watch. "Maximizing on minimalist ideas", Tan's work is quiet yet manages to speak volumes. His dedication to alternative designs and lifestyle resonates with us and we can't wait to see what else he has in store. For more information please visit his official site.

-JRS