Orphan Swords - The Rise of Liquid Alternatives

Brvtalist favorite Orphan Swords return with a new cassette release which also launches a new imprint called Nurse. The Rise of Liquid Alternatives is a two track, experimental electronics offering which builds on the Belgian duo's unique sound and pushes the boundaries of post-industrial, noise and techno into deeper realms.

"Glasya Labolas" starts things off with a 13 minute, metallic, droning journey through futuristic soundscapes spliced with grinding, rhythmic percussion that slowly burns through your veins. "Forneas" continues with another long form composition that uses distorted, machine-driven forces that feel like a soundtrack to a dystopian factory.

  
    <a href="http://nurse.bandcamp.com/album/the-rise-of-liquid-alternatives">The Rise Of Liquid Alternatives by Orphan Swords</a>
  

Orphan Swords continues to be one of our favorite acts operating in an 80's influenced genre-less world and we are excited about the launch of the new label. This is a conceptual release that perhaps references our coming dependence on alternative food sources and the beautiful cover art is by Olga Federova. This is limited to 100 cassettes so get yours from Nurse now.

-JRS

Violet Poison - Chateau Inferno Mix

The Brvtalist is proud to present a special edition mix by Italian artist, Violet Poison. Inspired by 80's Halloween-fest horror and the mega-event of the same name, this is 105 minutes of proto-psyko-tekno.

Chateau Inferno is a haunted house event taking place in Los Angeles on October 28th. The Brvtalist is honored to be hosting the "Library of Curiosities", one of the mansion's many incredible rooms. We will provide a curated night of music, cocktails and more all while joined by live demonstrations by Drab Majesty in the Chapel next door. The minds behind the event, Lil Death and Das Bunker, have also curated areas of the home and along with Restless Nites are bringing in a huge lineup of DJ's for the duration of the evening. For more information visit: restlessnites.com/inferno.

A very special thank you to the artist for his contribution as well. For more Violet Poison visit Facebook and Soundcloud.

-JRS

La Torture Des Ténèbres - "Broadcasts from the Phantom District"

So much focus is placed on the coming evils of our world. Visions of a dystopian future and failed society haunt all of our dreams. Ottawa's La Torture Des Ténèbres posit the theory that the world we are so frightened of is already here. We have continued to abuse our planet and its inhabitants and that has created not a future, but a present that represents our greatest fears.

Premiering recently on Invisible Oranges, the video for the track, "Broadcasts from the Phantom District", captures the above sentiments perfectly and accompanies the feelings with a retro futuristic world that recalls Metropolis and Dark City. This is dark, atmospheric black metal of the highest caliber.

We instantly gravitated toward Ténèbres' bleak, ambient infused sound and visuals that recall Italian Futurism. Coming off Choirs of Emptiness, a stellar release from earlier in the year, the next album is titled Civilization is the Tomb of our Noble Gods, which is set for a cassette release via Fallen Empire Records sub-label Vomiting Choir. We urge you to discover more La Torture Des Ténèbres on Bandcamp.

-JRS

Verräter / Sxuperion

As we approach the end of the harvest season and begin to submerge into the darker months, there is perhaps no better soundtrack than black metal. While the genre has taken on many variations, we continue to be drawn to its most primitive form. This brings us to a punishing split release by Nebraska's Verräter and Sxuperion. Rising from the desolate landscapes of the American heartland, this cassette was released on Samhain 2015 but we felt it necessary to revive the offering just in time for this year's festival. Featuring 3 tracks from Brvtalist favorite Verräter and 5 from Sxuperion, this is brvtality in its purest form.

  
    <a href="http://verraterofficial.bandcamp.com/album/verr-ter-sxuperion">Verräter / Sxuperion by Verräter / Sxuperion</a>
  

Verräter commences the anguish with "Malignant.Benign," a stripped down, harrowing track that infects the the deepest corners of the mind and spirit. "Vagrant" continues the assault with a violent attack from an unkown assailant and our favorite hymn would have to be "Deny Peace (Pleasure in Pain)", a melodic piece which mutates into a crushing work of nightmarish shrieks.

On side 2, the five tracks by Sxuperion all take on the numbered titles "Vibration". This is an apt title as after a ceremonial intro, we are put into submission by rolling percussion and possessed vocals which shake the inner core. "Vibration II" continues to pulverize with speed metal mixed with dark ambient atmospherics. The remainder of your journey drowns you deeper into the abyss while "Vibrations V" peacefully closes out a stellar release with an aggressive beating that ends with a faint heartbeat.

This split is available now on cassette and digital formats and each tape comes with a separate patch from each band. Pick this up now for this weekend's coming festivities.

-JRS

Destruktionsanstalt - "Swedenborg"

From the hinterlands of Scandinavia, comes the return of one of our favorite death industrial acts. Denmark's Destruktionsantalt offers perhaps the project's most spiritually haunting release with Swedenborg. This follows last year's brvtal work, Corpus Invocationem, and adds an even deeper layer of dark ambient that echoes the old Nordic school. Born out of tragedy, Swedenborg has a cinematic feel which carries you through its ominous narrative. From the alluring atmospheres of "Misericodia" and "Halitus" to the more violent, "In Perpetuum", this is a harrowing release that is both agonizing and peaceful.

  
    <a href="http://destruktionsanstalt.bandcamp.com/album/swedenborg">Swedenborg by Destruktionsanstalt</a>
  

We are also thrilled to see a vocal appearance by one of our current favorite projects, Military Position. Harriet K. Morgan's ceremonial chants over the sounds of a sweeping afterlife close out a powerful and dreamlike release of ritual electronics.

For us, less is always more and very few acts in the genre have the genuineness and soulfulness of Destruktionsanstalt. The artist has also released some earlier material that is also worthy of your attention. Swedenborg is out now on digital and limited CD format. For more please visit Bandcamp.

-JRS

New Brvtalism No. 073

The Brvtalist is proud to present a new mix by Serena Butler. This obscure artist just emerged from the shadows with a new 12" on Marco Shuttle's always impressive, Eerie Records. Gynoids Dryads Swim Alone is a four track, surrealist mind trip through dark, droning techno, off beat percussion and ice cold synth lines. We were immediately infected by its warped sense of boundary and subliminal messages. From the standout "She Penetrated Me" to the drilling power of "Gynoids" this has quickly become one our most played EPs. For New Brvtalism No. 073, we have been blessed with an amalgamation of sound and texture for a dreamlike journey through electro, grime, house and techno.

We look forward to the next offering by this elusive artist. For more information visit Facebook and Soundcloud.

-JRS

TRACKLIST:

La Jeteé in English
Shackleton – Deadman (Death Dub Remix)
Algarnas Tradgard – Tva timmar over tva bla berg med en gok pa vardera sidak on timmarna..
Lok 44 – By Night
Sorrow – Qualm
House Of Black Lanterns – Cold (This City)
Nasty Habits – Shadow Boxing (Om Univ VIP)
Excerpt from Akira...Kaneda
t.hanks – B2
Tissu – Filter Dub
Theme – 2
45 ACP – Graveyard Shift
E.R.P – Snowday
Rhythm & Sound – Distance Range
Christian Fennesz & Jim O'Rourke – Just Want You To Stay

Domenico Crisci - "The Violinist" + Label Launch

After storming the global techno community with crushing releases on L.I.E.S., Eerie and Jealous God, Caserta, IT native Domenico Crisci now returns with a new EP and the launch of his own label, Summa Cum Laude. The first release is titled, The Violinist, and it sees Crisci in top form as the three tracks begin and end with punishing, manic, industrialized techno that is perfect for peak times in the most brvtal dungeon. The title track launches you right in to the artist's alarming, surrealist world and "Return" plunges you even further into the depths. "Blacklord" closes out the EP like an executioner bringing down the hammer.

Summa Cum Laude will be a platform for Crisci's most forward thinking projects and allow new, surprising talent to see proper releases. The Violinist is the perfect way to inaugurate the label and we look forward to more from the artist and Summa Cum Laude.

-JRS

*The Violinist artwork by Mariangela Levita.

The Brvtalist Premieres: Diana Berti - Lullaby For A Puppet

The Brvtalist is proud to premiere a new track from Italian artist, Diana Berti. Inspired by tragic romance, Giallo dreams and haunting nightmares, this track is off the upcoming 12", La Festa Del Metallo out this November on She Lost Kontrol. The release will also include tracks from Violet Poison, Bakunin Commando and The Ne-21.

This Italian imprint operates within the darkest realms of electronic music and live by a particular ethos. From the label:

"SHE LOST KONTROL"
is a Revolution within itself.
a Revolution within our minds.
an expression of Anger towards this Hateful Humankind.

"SHE LOST KONTROL"
has no boundries,
no idols,
OR ANY OTHER BIGOTRY, SOCIETY CREATES.

So far we love what we've heard and there are more releases on the way. For more updates, visit Facebook.

-JRS

Liber Null - Therion

“...altered states of consciousness are the key to unlocking one's magical abilities”

(Peter J. Carroll - Liber Null and Psychonaut)

For Peter J. Carroll, Liber Null sets the grounds for what is known as Chaos Magic, a postmodern approach to magic, offering a guide for the uninitiated and initiated alike. For Berlin, Liber Null brings all that to the dancefloor, creating an experimental platform where all the senses are fused together and the crowd is able to undergo a personal metamorphosis; a ritualistic experience meant to liberate them from the constraints imposed by society, by the people around them and by the limitations of their own ego. Liber Null doesn’t belong to a space or time, it can only belong to the people.

With every party organized, the crew behind Liber Null aims at creating a community for like-minded people, where underground music and provocative art are the main driving forces behind the performances, while the principles of chaos magic bind everything together into a coherent conceptual ritualistic event.

The latest Liber Null installment is a collaboration with Potnia Theron. The event will take place at Arena Berlin on October 27th, and this time, the main theme comes from Greek Mythology, celebrating the brutality of "Theron", mythologic cruel creatures whose mistress, "Potnia" (a Homeric name used to refer to the deity of the beasts) is the only creature able to dominate and regulate them.

From the greek Thēríon. A generic term for wild animal.

A brutal, cruel nature. A beast, a crawling creature.

Thēríon never refers to animals used for sacrifice.

Therion, a deity of Thelema.

A monster hidden behind the consciousness.

Do what thou wilt.

Enter Liber Null.

'The Mistress of Animals' by Nullam Rem Natam

Spread accross 2 floors, the Mauris and the Thelema, this edition of Liber Null will be, as usual, an immersive experience, pleasing all the senses of the participants, capturing the eyes, the ears and the body of each and everyone with A/V live shows, dance performances and art installation, so that ultimately, the mind can be released from its own confines.

Headlining this installment, O/H (Ontario Hospital, Oddie/Huren), the collaboration between David Foster and Rich Oddie - two artists who have been working in the border between noise and techno for over twenty years. Foster founded the influential techno outfit Teste in the early 90's and has since been creating an uncompromising fusion of techno and power electronics, primarily under the Huren moniker. Oddie is one half of the long running industrial techno act Orphx and is also known for his recent solo output and collaborative work with Eschaton (Orphx + Ancient Methods) and Oureboros.

Named after an infamous local asylum, Ontario Hospital combines the rhythmic tropes of techno and EBM with an improvisational approach informed by power electronics, early industrial music and the confrontational performance art of the Vienna Actionists. Foster's vocals reflect the brutality, absurdity and insanity of modern life, accompanied by the relentless rhythm and noise of the duo's abused electronics.

DE vs. Troit will open the doors to the obscure event performing an unusual experimental dj set between hypnotizing drone, dark ambient soundscapes, dead beats and mental frequencies featuring the intervention of the performer Valentin Tszin.

The Liber Null head Unhuman and Sinus O. from Order - Paris, will perform for the first time in Berlin (after their debut performance in South Korea) their analogue live set, delivering the sound of power electronics merged into dark atmospheres and animated with straight rhythmic noise.

The residents of Liber Null will evolve the journey to more physical directions and body moves; Sirio Gry J, also head of the Berlin based Monolith Records who recently released a 12" Ep on the London based 'Several Reasons Rec', will select the finest Industrial/Techno/Power tunes to keep the journey evolving and bring the dancefloor temperatures to red, leaving to MXM the duty to close the event with EBM waves.

A special coherent environment is needed to give the right accents to the aesthetics of the event, the art floor 'Thelema' curated by Nullam Rem Natam will see a live installation of the same curator dedicated to Aleister Crowley, a live sound performance about agony and heavy spiritual matters performed by Emre Zaim Demirtas and Ivan Nabokov will expose a second installation made of glass, light and blood as an elixir of life; everything will happen alongside lights and visuals from Licht Pfad.

Make sure you RSVP on Facebook for more updates.

-Marie Bungau

Video Premiere: Umwelt - "Company of Lies" + Q&A

The Brvtalist is pleased to present the music video premiere of "Company of Lies", a new track from French artist Umwelt. Off the upcoming 2x12", Days of Dissent, out October 17th on the newly launched Killekill sub-level Boidae, "Company of Lies" (and the rest of the release) picks up where you want - punishing dystopian rhythms from a bleak future or perhaps a desolate present. Since the mid 90's, Umwelt has been destroying dance floors with his one of a kind mix of raw electro, pounding techno, burning acid and more. The video, created by The29Nov Films, is the perfect mind trip through the undeniably mesmerizing soundscapes.

Just ahead of Umwelt's album release party at Griessmühle on October 21st, we were able to briefly speak to the artist about this release, his production method and what's next.

The Brvtalist: Coming from the 14 demos you sent to Killekill, Days of Dissent turned out to be a long and powerful 8 track album. Talk about how this release materialized.

Umwelt: Nico of Killekill requested tracks from me during Krake Festival of 2015 for a possible EP. I sent him a selection of fourteen pieces to see which direction to take. After several listens, and exchange of thoughts between us, we collected a tracklist of eight titles and Killekill decided to make an album.

I didn't really have an album in my mind, but doing one ten years after my last one on Satamile caught my interest immediately. Even if these tracks were not made within the framework of an album, the final tracklist is coherent and reflects several universes and facets of my work, perfect for an album. I am very satisfied and proud to inaugurate the Boidae label with this release.

TB: Your material continues to evoke a heavy emotional response and dystopian themes. What is inspiring you when making music now?

Umwelt: One of my influence are fantasy and sci-fi movies. Also I am an activist and very attached to the notion of the power of the collective.
The album the titles evoke the opposition to the system. Do not resign to it! Get organized and revolt!

TB: You're very well known for your production methods. Has it stayed the same since the late 90's or have you modified it at all with new technologies?

Umwelt: My home studio is in perpetual change, i always changed my configuration and machines to bring some new sounds and flesh. I do not use a computer except for the recording of my tracks. I tried Cubase on a Mac, but I found it boring. Currently, I have a setup which works pretty well. I don’t like to use the same old recipes or the same types of sounds, I prefer to take the risk of exploring new tones and different musical universes. I prefer the fast access with machines, it's more direct and so I can more easily transfer emotions. I make music like a dj :-) Now the next step is to find a working configuration for live set. not easy but i'll try!

TB: What's coming up next for Umwelt?

Umwelt: Quite a lot of things - my career as a DJ and producer is going quite well at the moment: I play out a lot, the album release party is planned in Berlin on October 21st at Griessmühle, the next evening of my label Rave Or Die coming on October 28th in Nuits Fauves in Paris... An EP is planned at the end of the year on the excellent Greek label Modal Analysis, to be followed by an EP on Zadig's label Construct Reform for the beginning of 2017. AlsoI work on the follow-up of my EP, Culture of Resistance, which was released in 2014 on the infamous Dutch label Shipwrec. Plus there is a split coming on my label Rave Or Die and some appearances on various other EPs next year…

Days of Dissent has been on repeat since we got the release and Umwelt's production method of all hardware, single takes with no editing or mixing is truly astonishing. It gives the music a soulful energy and this record sees Umwelt at his best. The record is available now via Killekill and October 31st through other fine record outlets. If you're in Berlin, be sure to catch the album release party on October 21st.

-JRS