Keta Gutmane A/W 2016

As the days of Summer slowly fade into Fall, we not only welcome cooler temperatures, but also Winter fashion. Enter the A/W 2016 collection by conceptual Latvian designer Keta Gutmane. We featured the designer's stellar Spring line a few months ago and had the privilege of speaking to her about her unique approach to creating garments and her particular narrative for those pieces. Ms. Gutmane returns with a new point of view and works that exemplify her love of fabrics and attention to detail.

*click images to enlarge

The AW16 collection researches uniformity and the rather mundane lack of composure of the 1980’s Soviet Empire. It serves as a reminder of those brave effeminate women, donning boyish silhouettes, marching along the streets, keeping their households running. In a sense, they are liberated, freed from all restraints, standing up and rebelling against the establishment. This narrative clashes here with the overly loose construction, so omnipresent in the 90s.

As always, Ms. Gutman's designs are subservient to form and function. These are clothes for women who are actively seeking something more and these allow the wearer to be who they want to be. Uniquely cropped jackets, exaggerated silhouettes and breezy, yet elegant dresses make for a collection that exudes both sophistication and rebelliousness.

We love this collection's exploration of surface textures, and throughout the line we see brilliant uses of fabric to create architectural components. The understated collage is framed by cream whites, hues of beige, brown, blue and of course black. Lush wools and technical fabrics create an excellent combination of sleek and cozy.

AW 2016 is another successful line from this progressive designer. We love her high concept approach while still being able to keep the clothes wearable. The 1980's theme of this collection obviously speaks to us and the execution couldn't be better. Keta Gutmane continues to be one of the most interesting labels to watch and we look forward to more from this great designer. For more information, please visit Keta Gutmane and Facebook.

-JRS

Photography: Martins Cirulis
Art Director: Marlo Saalmink
Garments: all Keta Gutmane AW16
Shoes: all The Last Conspiracy
Model: Liene Podina
MUA: Aija Udentina
All images shot in Riga, Latvia.

Zanias - "Follow The Body" Video Premiere

The Brvtalist is pleased to present the music video premiere of Follow the Body by Berlin-based artist, Zanias. We immediately fell in love with this track when we first heard it on New Brvtalism No. 059 and couldn't be more thrilled to see it become a video. A collaboration between Zoè Zanias and Clay Adamczyk, the video was filmed in the breathtaking sand dunes of the Baltic Sea and the location is the perfect setting for a track that deals with urgent escapism led by deep biological urges. Follow The Body is a magnetic offering that pulls you deep into its enchanting world and leaves you only with your body's instincts.

The video comes ahead of the upcoming Zanias solo EP, To The Core, out September 5th on Vienna's Noiztank. A four track 12", this is the artist's first release since coming off her previous projects, Keluar and Linea Aspera. Zanias marks a mature, yet radical evolution which sees the artist diving deeper into production mechanisms and the result is a masterful work. For more information, please visit Noiztank and Facebook.

-JRS

Credits:

Video filmed and edited by Zoè Zanias and Clay Adamczyk
From the 'To the Core' EP [NTK007, September 5, 2016] //
Written and produced by Zoè Zanias and Alex Akers

MIND & FLESH - "Krigserklæring" Video Premiere

The Brvtalist is pleased to present the music video premiere of Krigserklæring, by Norwegian artist, Mind & Flesh. The solo project of Anders B., main songwriter of Oslo-based, electro synthwavers Three Winters, Mind & Flesh picks up there with heavy synth-driven, dancefloor ready darkness. This is the first glimpse of what the artist has been working on over the past year and right from the start the track infects both your eyes and ears, taking a more twisted, dark and cavernous detour in sound than what Three Winters were lauded for. The video is directed by one of our favorite artists, Frédérick Maheux, and his visuals are the perfect accompaniment to the track.

Krigserklæring will be a part of an EP due out a little later this year. Follow Mind & Flesh on Facebook for future info. Frédéderick Maheux will also be premiering a new video work at the next Brvtalist live event, METAPHASE, happening on September 3rd in Los Angeles. His incredible film, ANA, is also available to order on DVD now.

-JRS

New Brvtalism No. 065

The Brvtalist is proud to present a new mix by Prague-based duo, Selektiv Mutism. Part of the city's innovative Polygon collective, producers Fabian and Lobos are an integral part of some of the best and most interesting parties, events and releases happening anywhere right now. Polygon is a collective of friends with intersecting interests which is then projected into long, dark club nights. Polygon has also become a label, once again reflecting the collective's shared aesthetics and searching for that certain feeling.

In addition to being resident DJs at Polygon, they also hold a residency at Nite Vibes events, play at various festivals and other select occasions. Selektiv Mutism first released the single, "Lotus", which was then followed by the four track EP, Prima materia, both exhibiting the duo's interest in fast percussion, atmospherics and more. Both producers are currently developing their own projects which will be released on the label next year. True to form, New Brvtalism No. 065 is a mesmerizing quest through rhythmic soundscapes of all kinds:

Polygon also includes other DJs and producers such as Sinnan, em ju es aj si, Fleika, Binar, Trevor Linde, Nathan Solo and more. The label recently released its first compilation, Cambrium, named after the oldest geological layer beneath Prague. The comp is full of tribal rhythms, bleeps and murky choruses. However, whichever track you choose, they all clearly point to a fact that Cambrium is the deepest layer. For more information and music, visit Bandcamp, Soundcloud and Facebook.

-JRS

*cover photograph by Luna Violenta

Coarses - Wristlet (Version) Video Premiere + End Result Summer Campaign

The Brvtalist is proud to present the music video premiere of Wristlet (Version) by Midwest experimental techno producer Coarses. This track comes off the cassette release, 0x002, out now on Philadelphia's End Result Productions.

Coarses is a techno artist from Cleveland, mixing drone and dub elements in order to craft minimal, but effectively throbbing 4x4 soundscapes with modular synthesizers, guitar pedals and drum machines. The metatext of Coarses’ work is designed to tell of an alternate, paradigm-shifted culture centered on vanity, female domination and cis/trans body worship. Track names, artwork and the overall aesthetic convey a militaristic replacement of the annals in Christian tradition; all efforts of the project are in service to this coming shift.

Along with this release, End Result is also in the midst of a prolific Summer Campaign where the label publishes one title per week for the 12 weeks of summer 2016. The Brvtalist would like to spotlight two other great releases from this campaign - PulseWidthMod and Obligate Surrogate.

PulseWidthMod - Entelechy (C33)

Baltimore’s Maeghan Donovan has been producing electronic music for years, but offers the proper PulseWidthMod debut with Entelechy on End Result Productions. In Aristotelian metaphysics, “entelechy” describes the final formation of a potential concept or function, and as such the thematic focus of the Entelechy album is concerned with exploring the transformations which are prompted by realizations of these forms. It is released as a C33 cassette tape with six songs of politically charged synthpop: dance music for inciting a riot from within, in order to rise up to the pursuit of individual potential.

  
    <a href="http://endresultproductions.bandcamp.com/album/entelechy-c33">Entelechy C33 by PulseWidthMod</a>
  

Obligate Surrogate - Obligate Surrogate (C62)

An “obligate surrogate” carries out its assigned functions until called upon to support a body greater than itself, the point at which a similar unit has failed to support this greater body. The obligate surrogate attempts to perform the functions of the previous unit, but inevitably possesses unique characteristics and is thus unable to precisely replicate its functions. Based in Newark, DE, Casimer Oblivion chooses this name for a project of techno composed with hardware tools, wherein the constant, critical decisions must be made to either repair, replace-in-kind, or replace-with-other as they pertain to sound elements. This eponymous debut album exhibits the careful deliberation with which Oblivion makes these decisions, executed in structures of techno which are stylistically informed by genres of electro and acid house.

  
    <a href="http://endresultproductions.bandcamp.com/album/obligate-surrogate-c62">Obligate Surrogate C62 by Obligate Surrogate</a>
  

For more Coarses, visit Instagram and you can pick up the tape from End Result. Be sure to check out the rest of the label's excellent batch of summer releases and both PulseWidthMod and Obligate Surrogate are scheduled to perform on the End Result Productions Ascension III event at 52hz in Philadelphia, 03 September 2016.

-JRS

She Moonage Daydream + Q&A w/Leah Guadagnoli

On view now at CULT | Aimee Friberg Exhibitions San Francisco: She Moonage Daydream, the latest group show curated by Aimee Friberg. The exhibition explores fantasmas, gender aesthetics, identity tropes, the female versus male gaze and the title takes inspiration from a song by everyone's favorite gender fluid artist, David Bowie. The ten artists in the show cover a broad range of mediums and themes, ranging from Kara Joslyn's haunting ELEPHANTASMAGORIA, to Leah Guadagnoli's beautiful, mutant masterpieces. The show comes at a perfect time not only in 2016, but also during an era of both rapid evolution and de-evolution on these and similar social issues.

KARA JOSLYN, ELEPHANTASMAGORIA, 2016, ACRYLIC AND POLYMER CAR PAINT ON PANEL, 36 X 36 INCHES. — KARA JOSLYN, *ELEPHANTASMAGORIA*, 2016, ACRYLIC AND POLYMER CAR PAINT ON PANEL, 36 X 36 INCHES.

We immediately fell for Desirée Holman's absorbing colored pencil/mix media works and Facundo Argañaraz's amazing contribution, Untitled (dédoublament effervescence). However, perhaps the pieces that stayed with us the longest were those of New York-based artist Leah Guadagnoli. For the past few years, she has enamored art and design lovers alike with her Memphis inspired, medium bending, sculptural offerings. She utilizes everything from upholstery to stone, foam, padding and oil to create incredible patterns come to life. We were fortunate enough to speak with the artist about her approach and contributions to She Moonage Daydream and you can find our Q&A below.

From left: DESIRÉE HOLMAN, Flesh, Texture (Diffuse Map), 2011, Color pencil and mixed media on paper, 36 x 36 inches.; FACUNDO ARGAÑARAZ, Untitled (dédoublament effervescence), 2014/2016, Automotive paint, acrylic, and UV ink on aluminum composite panel, 60 x 48.5 inches.

The Brvtalist: You use materials ranging from fabric, upholstery, padding, paint and more. It's almost like post-modern/Memphis furniture come to life on a wall. Talk about your approach to selecting materials and do you consider your pieces painting, sculpture or something else?

Leah Guadagnoli: I begin with two things: a line drawing and patterned fabric. The drawing serves as an instruction manual and the fabric is used as an anchor in my decision making. Sometimes I find the fabric on the internet. Other times I digitally print patterns I design onto fabric. Either way, the fabric must be exciting, playful, geometric, and peculiar. Each section is blank/blank and ready for interpretation. It's a game of formalism, spunk, and familiarity. How thick will this chunk be? Will it be smooth and painted or treated with a stucco-like texture? Will this part be wrapped in fabric? Will I stack these two or will they be side by side? Will I make it soft or hard? The aim is to create a unified thing on the wall that finely balances all of its opposing elements. The work can evolve very quickly with smallest integration of a new treatment. The possibilities are endless and that's a fucking great position to be in.

I love Memphis furniture because of its clashing features are how they feel organized and unified by their compartmentalization. Pee Wee's playhouse is also pretty mesmerizing. So are hotels that haven't been renovated since the early 80's. Interiors that are unconventional and/or outdated are my jam. It's the closest thing to time travel or bringing a lucid dream to life.

I come from a painting background so in the beginning I called them paintings. Over time they have become more sculptural. Now I'm not really sure and I'm not sure I really care. Are they both? Are they neither? They must have a name. Titles are one thing but what are they called? I'm up for suggestions of a new word to add to the spider web encrusted art dictionary.

LEAH GUADAGNOLI, This is Not My City, 2015, Oil, acrylic, patterned felt, vinyl, canvas, pumice stone, and molding paste on insulation board, 59 x 33 x 3 ½ inches. — LEAH GUADAGNOLI, *This is Not My City*, 2015, Oil, acrylic, patterned felt, vinyl, canvas, pumice stone, and molding paste on insulation board, 59 x 33 x 3 ½ inches.

TB: You deal in abstraction, kitsch and even anti-aesthetic. Have you always been interested in making tacky or outmoded beautiful?

LG: Yes! It's way more challenging and appealing.

TB: Talk about the pieces you contributed to the She Moonage Daydream show at Cult Exhibitions.

LG: This is Not My City and This One's a Keeper are unique in that they both use damaged upholstery. In This is Not My City, I was thinking about traveling and flight, or more specifically interiors of planes. I found the upholstery on the internet. It's from the 80's (obviously) and arrived with several cigarette burns and just enough wear and tear. I think you could still smoke on planes back then?

In This One's a Keeper, I used the backside of this upholstery I found at the Mecca of outdated fabric in the Northeast: Jomar in Philadelphia. It's a lovely nasty yellow color because the adhesive is so old and has gotten wet several times by sitting in this leaking warehouse for over a decade as it was left to rot. I have since moved on from making work with material that shows it's age from it's wear and tear (these two were made in the Spring of 2015) and instead used pattern as a sign for time passed.

LEAH GUADAGNOLI, This Ones A Keeper, 2015, Oil, acrylic, molding paste, water damaged upholstery, canvas, and polyurethane foam on insulation board, 55 x 40 x 4 inches.

TB: What's coming up next for you?

LG: This Fall I will be in two group exhibitions that I am super psyched about! The first will be a new installment of Sharona Elissaf and Emily Weiner's one-night exhibition series called The Willows. 'If You Build It' will take place Saturday, September 17 from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m at 424 Fifth Avenue at 38th Street in the Penthouse. The second show is organized by Christpher Stiegler and Dina Shaulov-Wright at Cuevas Tilleard in Chinatown that will run October 14- November 13. My work is also featured in the current issue of Garageland called 'Remake Remodel'. You can pick up a copy at Printed Matter (NYC peeps) or on their website: http://www.transitiongallery.co.uk/htmlpages/editions/GL20/intro.htm

We would like to thank Leah Guadagnoli for taking the time to speak with us. She Moonage Daydream runs now until August 20th at Cult Exhibitions San Francisco. For more information please visit Cult Exhibitions and Leah Guadangoli.

-JRS

New Brvtalism No. 064

The Brvtalist is proud to present a new mix by Baltimore-based artist C10. Part of the city's Vague Output collective, the artist has been involved with some of the best new experimental, industrial and techno parties currently going on the East Coast. From the artist:

With Baltimore as a source of inspiration for nearly a decade, C10 (Jacob Samuel Seaton) has traveled between genres and played their music all across the country. They use music as a platform to create dialog and promote the social movements that are desperately crying out for change. This collection of sounds is a statement within the conversation that is taking place loudly across Baltimore and the rest of the country over the immediate reform of our police departments and justice system. After the acquittal of the six officers charged in the murder of Freddie Carlos Grey, Jr. along with many other cases around the country, it has become abundantly clear that the systems meant to protect us are failing us.

We need total reform. We no longer want our communities occupied by militarized gangs that are above the law. We can no longer stand for the inhumane treatment of our loved ones, family members, friends, neighbors, and fellow humans. Black Lives Matter. We demand change NOW!

For more information and music, please visit C10, Vague Output and Soundcloud.

-JRS

From left: Photos by Rob Brulinski and Megan E. Lloyd.

1. Violet Poison - Psychonight
2. Striborg - A Sour Pale Ghostly Dawn
3. Xasthur - The Prison Of Mirrors
4. Vincent Hole - Careless
5. Myler - Broken Up
6. Sur+ - T2 (Johan Platt Remix)
7. Empyrean - Cold Turkey
8. Dentis - OG Bobby Johnson
9. Henge - Damascus
10. Henge - Cobalamin (Original)
11. Keepsakes - But This Is My House
12. 1.125.X1 - KAFKAFKAF (Johan Platt Remix)
13. C10 Hardware Hybrid Section I
14. EMDMX - Frozen Stomp
15. Henge - Cobalamin (Mael Remixl)
16. Psychic TV - Alien Be-In (Silent Servant Remix)
17. Go Hiyama - Philosopher (NX1 Remix)
18. Planetary Assault Systems - Dungeon (Ø [Phase] Remix)
19. JoeFarr - Rampart
20. C10 Hardware Hybrid Section II
21. 138 - 38 Dead Skunks
22. Rrose - Omertà (Version)
23. Keepsakes - Get Off My Lawn (Interferon Remix)
24. JoeFarr - Sentry
25. Detroit Grand Pubahs - Riot 66 (3-1 Remix)
26. Broken English Club - Godless
27. An-I - Convo
28. Orphx - Cracktest Edit
29. Bintus - Lightnin
30. Swarm Intelligence - Klang (Rory St. John Remix)
31. Mall Prowler - Caged
32. Anklepants - Y.H.I.Y.P. (Bintus Remix)
33. Nitzer Ebb - Let Your Body Learn
34. Pfirter - Fractales
35. Live Bleep Edit - Paul Mac
36. Architectural - Sex On Klepper
37. Ø [Phase] - Insectoid
38. Trus'me - In The Red (DVS1 Remix)
39. C10 Hardware Section III
40. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Sleep
41. Young Thug - Gangsta Shit
42. Psychic TV - Hookah Chalice
43. Cccandy - Teacher of Lust

Sophia Al-Maria: Black Friday

On view through October 31, 2016, The Whitney Museum of American Art presents the first U.S. solo exhibition of Qatari-American artist Sophia Al-Maria. Titled Black Friday, the exhibition places particular focus on the extreme proliferation of shopping malls throughout the Middle East. For nearly a decade, Al-Maria has been finding ways to describe twenty-first-century life in the Gulf Arab nations through art, writing, and filmmaking. She coined the term "Gulf Futurism" to explain the stunning urban and economic development in the region over the last decades, as well as the environmental damage, religious conservatism, and historical amnesia that have accompanied it. Black Friday is a roughly 16:00 minute video which explores the capitalist takeover and ruminates on its effect on the region.

Al-Maria's subject matter strikes a particular chord with The Brvtalist. We have long been fascinated by the shocking over-development, aesthetic movement(s) and social and cultural impact of the shopping mall here in the United States, particularly along the Sun Belt region. As many of those structures now represent a forgotten and even failed period in American economic development, it is of particular interest that other artists from around the globe are noticing similar patterns in development of shopping malls and how they track different political and economic patterns.

courtesy of the artist and Whitney Museum of American Art.

Also included in the exhibition is the installation The Litany (2016), which consists of flickering electronic devices displaying short, glitchy loops—a heap of old screens that acts as a coded history of consumption, conflict, and desire. Al-Maria's "techno-pessism" is at once a criticism of the social media and consumerist overload that is taking place in the Middle East region which much of the time is in direct conflict with the traditional religious values that are still very much a part of the local culture. Her works create a powerful juxtaposition of the Western obsession with material goods and perhaps the infection of those values on Middle East countries who have seen enormous wealth in the past few decades. This exhibition is an important one, not only from a global perspective but also positions a black mirror on our society here in the U.S.

still from The Litany (Sophia Al-Maria, 2016) courtesy of the artist and Whitney Museum of American Art.

Sophia Al-Maria: Black Friday is organized by Christopher Y. Lew, Associate Curator. The exhibition will be on view through October 31, 2016 in the John R. Eckel, Jr. Foundation Gallery, on the Museum's first floor, which is accessible to the public free-of-charge. For more information, please visit T he Whitney Museum of American Art.

-JRS

*above - still from The Litany (Sophia Al-Maria, 2016) and photo of the artist.

New Brvtalism No. 063

The Brvtalist is proud to present a new mix by Barcelona-based artists Morgan Hammer + Lokier. Collectively known as She Made Monster, the two are some of the most exciting producer/DJs in the current wave of genre bending electronic music. Originally from France, Morgan Hammer is inspired by everything from techno to acid house and post punk. With releases on standout labels like Relish and Optimo Tracks, she is a stellar emerging talent who is already taking the world by storm. Lokier is a Mexico-city born artist who is inspired by the dark underside of techno, soundtrack and left field disco. With a unique vision and subversive style, Lokier masterfully crosses over between different genres and realms. With releases on labels like La Dame Noir she has already built a reputation across Europe as one of the most exciting young producers to watch. In September she will come back to the Americas for a month long tour of her home country of Mexico.

Mixing everything from techno, house, wave and electro, New Brvtalism No. 063 is a left of center exploration of new, old and anything in between. The mix includes tracks from artists such as Schwefelgelb, Umberto and Junq. She Made Monster is currently working on new original material and be sure to catch them at shows all across Europe. For more information, please visit Morgan Hammer, Lokier and She Made Monster.

-JRS

Left Hand of God - Castigo

In a crowded field of noise wall, ambient and drone, it is always refreshing to hear a release with a concise conceptual narrative and the execution to carry out the theme. Left Hand of God is just that - a religious and esoteric inspired endeavor, Per Najbjerg Odderskov's project is a soundtrack to a medieval realm of worship and chaos. Mainly working within the ideas of Heaven and Hell, the sound is inspired by early Non, Ain Soph and later noise wall acts like Anonymous Masturbaudioum, Dosis Letalis and Dogs of Yama. Castigo is a two track release with long form compositions that delve deep into the hearts of good and evil.

  
    <a href="http://lefthandofgod.bandcamp.com/album/castigo">Castigo by Left Hand Of God</a>
  

Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisicion feels like a score to a brvtal trial where wrongdoers are being sentenced to death. If track one is the trial, then track two is the sentencing where the atmosphere shifts to an apocalyptic end to all of our suffering. We can look forward to a split cassette with Serbia's Dosis Letalis out soon on Craneal Fracture records. Per Najbejerg Odderskov is also a frequent contributor to The Brvtalist and has other great projects such as Lidane Livering and Destruktionsanstalt. For more, visit Soundcloud.

-JRS