BRUTTER-REVEAL AND RISE.
Brutter-Reveal And Rise.
Label: Bureau B.
Ever since the birth of popular music, there’s been many examples of brother forming bands and enjoying successful musical careers. Two of the earliest examples were The Everly Brothers and the Beach Boys. Before long, they were joined by The Kinks, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Sly and The Family Stone, The Stooges, The Allman Brothers Band, AC/DC, Van Halen and Devo. Each and every one of these bands enjoyed successful careers. However, it wasn’t all brotherly love. Sometimes, sibling rivalry resulted in infighting and backbiting, That was certainly the case with the next generation of brothers who decided to embark upon musical careers together.
Especially Jim and William Reid, who founded the Jesus and Mary Chain in East Kilbride, Scotland in 1983. Over the next three decades, there was many a time when brotherly love was lacking. So much so, that on several occasions, the Reid brothers came to blows. It was no surprise that eventually, in 1999, the Jesus and Mary Chain spilt-up.
Jim and William Reid weren’t the only brothers in high-profile bands that didn’t get along. At one point, Chris and Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes couldn’t even stand to be in the same room as each other. Fortunately, the Reid and Robinson brothers are in the minority.
Over the last fifty years, many successful bands have featured brothers. Recently, this includes post rock pioneers Radiohead, Kings of Leon and The National which features two sets of brothers. Each of these bands have enjoyed successful careers. However, it’s not just in Britain and America that brothers form bands together.
It’s a similar case in Norway, where there’s been several instances of brothers forming bands together. This includes Black Moon Circle and more recently, Brutter, which was formed by two members of Norway’s most musical family…the Wallumrød’s.
The Wallumrød family is from Kongsberg in Norway. That was where Christian Wallumrød was born on the ’26th of April 1971. Just over two years later, and Fredrik Wallumrød was born on the ’21st’ of September 1973. Nearly six years later and Susanna Wallumrød the third and final member of the Wallumrød musical dynasty was born on the ’23rd of June 1979. Little did Mr. and Mrs Wallumrød know that each of their three children would go on to enjoy successful musical careers.
Both pianist Christian Wallumrød and his younger brother Fredrik Wallumrød who is a drummer, were educated on the Jazz Program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium. This stood the brothers in good stead as they embarked upon musical careers.
As 2015 dawned Christian Wallumrød and Fredrik Wallumrød were both established and successful musicians. Although both were from a jazz background, the two brothers had worked on a variety of different projects over the past three decades. Both brothers were comfortable switching between musical genres as they embarked upon new projects. They had plenty of experience over the years.
Especially Christian Wallumrød who had over 100 credits to his name. Over the past three decades, Christian Wallumrød had worked as sideman and collaborated on numerous albums. He had also led the Christian Wallumrød Trio, the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble and more recently, embarked upon a solo career when he released his debut album Pianokammer on Hubro Music in January 2015. Christian Wallumrød had an impressive CV.
So did his younger brother Fredrik Wallumrød. Having graduated from Trondheim Musikkonservatorium Fredrik Wallumrød and bassist Vemund Stavnes started the jazz electronica band Squid together. Later, the pair joined the rock band Span and featured on their debut album Mass Distraction in 2003. It reached number five in the Norwegian charts. Two years later, Span released Vs. Time in 2005 and it reached number four in the Norwegian charts. Alas, Vs. Time was Span’s swan-song and the start of a new chapter for Fredrik Wallumrød.
Since then, Fredrik Wallumrød has collaborating with a number of different musicians including Karl Seglem, Trygve Seim, Solveig Slettahjell, Jarle Bernhoft, Lene Marlin and Maria Mena. In 2009, Fredrik Wallumrød worked with his sister Susanna Wallumrød on her new album Susanna and The Magical Orchestra-3.
After that, Fredrik Wallumrød was a member of Container and El Caco when they released new albums. More recently, Fredrik Wallumrød has been a member of the metal band Dog Almighty. They’ve still to release their debut album, unlike another band Fredrik Wallumrød is a member of…Brutter.
Brutter is a collaboration between brothers Christian Wallumrød and Fredrik Wallumrød. This was a high-profile collaboration between two of the leading lights of the Norwegian music scene. Despite the personnel involved, Brutter was a relatively low-key release. When Brutter was released by Hubro Music on the ‘14th’ August 2015, it was a limited edition vinyl release. The album was available digitally, but this critically acclaimed album wasn’t released on CD. That has changed for Brutter’s sophomore album.
Nearly two years later, and Brutter return with their sophomore album Reveal and Rise on Hubro Music. Just like Brutter, it’s been released on vinyl. However, included within the vinyl version of Reveal and Rise is a CD version of Brutter’s sophomore album. This is the best of both worlds for music fans, as not everyone owns a turntable. What music fans will discover is an ambitious, playful, witty and engaging album from Brutter, who pose several questions on Reveal and Rise.
This includes when is a beat not a beat, and can arrhythmia be rhythmic too? These are just two questions posed by Brutter during the course of Reveal and Rise. They also wonder how some sounds are regarded as music, while others are disregarded as mere noise? Brutter even go as far as to pose questions about how people listen to music nowadays? These are just a few of the far-reaching and fascinating questions that Brutter pose Reveal and Rise, which is album anti-techno which challenges accepted musical norms.
Reveal and Rise finds Brutter challenging the accepted wisdom of German philosopher, sociologist, and composer Theodor W. Adorno. He was a leading member of the Frankfurt School of critical theory, and is best known for his critical theory of society. As a composer, Theodor W. Adorno also wrote widely about music. When Theodor W. Adorno referenced the commercial swing or dance music he took for jazz he spoke about: “the undisputed predominance of the beat.” This is something Brutter challenge on their album of anti-techno, Reveal and Rise.
On Reveal and Rise, Brutter set about to liberate the organisation and repetition of sounds from traditional musical measures. They also extend the range of permissible instruments or noises, and can include a range of new instruments or myriad of disparate noises. In doing this, Brutter created what’s essentially their unique and inimitable version of avant-garde electronica.
In Brutter’s brave new world of avant-garde electronica, all notes are regarded as equal. Brutter added to this musical utopia a variety of effects-laden distressed electronic drumbeats, disco handclaps and bursts of air pressure. The final piece of this musical jigsaw are a myriad of found and industrial sounds. All that is left is for Brutter to put these final pieces of this musical jigsaw in place. It then become Reveal and Rise, which is essentially Brutter’s unique take on industrial funk.
Reveal and Rise is no ordinary album of industrial funk. Instead, it’s been deconstructed and reconstructed. That is not all. Brutter’s take on industrial funk is much slower. They drop the tempo as strange, unconnected and unconventional rhythms invite disjunctive movement. The result is music that has a cinematic sound, but could just as easily, be the soundtrack contemporary dance piece.
Brutter’s Reveal and Rise could be a fitting followup to the Dadaist post-Cubist art film Ballet Mecanique. It was released in 1924 and was directed by Fernand Leger, and featured a soundtrack written by George Antheil. Ballet Mecanique is remembered for its machine-like rhythms, which were way ahead of its time. Nearly a century later, and Brutter have released an album that picks up where the soundtrack to Ballet Mecanique left off.
That is quite an achievement, as Brutter only spent three days recording Reveal and Rise. Three tracks were recorded at MIR, on September ’26th’ 2016. The other five tracks were recorded at Amper Tone Studio, between October ’24th’ and ’25th’ 2016. Reveal and Rise was then mixed at Amper Tone Studio, between January ‘2nd’ and ‘3rd’ 2017. Later in January 2017, Reveal and Rise was mastered by Helge Sten at Audio Virus Lab. All that remained was for Brutter to release their sophomore album Reveal and Rise later in 2017.
When Reveal and Rise was released, it was to plaudits and praise. Critics discovered an ambitious and cerebral album of anti-techno that featured playful, witty and engaging music. Reveal and Rise was also a captivating fusion of avant-garde electronica and industrial funk. These were the main ingredients on Reveal and Rise. However, Brutter also incorporate elements of dub, experimental music, free jazz, industrial, Musique Concrète and Nordic Wave on Reveal and Rise. There’s even a move towards a reggae groove on the album opener Easier Listening. After that, it’s a case of expect the unexpected.
That is the case throughout Reveal and Rise, as Brutter unleash an array of drum machines, synths and electronics. They also add to their musical arsenal a myriad of found and industrial sounds. These become part of the eight multilayered soundscapes on Reveal and Rise. Within each of these multilayered soundscapes are many secrets, aplenty, awaiting discovery. This takes time and patience. With each listen these innovative soundscapes reveal more of their secrets.
Eventually after several listens, Reveal and Rise has revealed its many secrets. By then, it’s apparent that the Wallumrød brothers have created a truly ambitious, engaging and genre-melting album of inventive and innovative soundscapes. They feature music that veers between dubby and spacious to eerie, futuristic and otherworldly. However, two words describe many of the tracks industrial and cinematic.
That is the case on several tracks on Reveal and Rise, including Mi Tek No, Stand To Downfalls, Hide and Sink and Fallfinish there’s an industrial sound. There’s also a cinematic sound to several of the soundscapes on Reveal and Rise. Other times, the soundscapes sound as if they would be perfect for contemporary dance, and it sounds as if Brutter have been asked to compose the followup Ballet Mecanique to.
Sometimes, these soundscapes lumber along, like a man machine lacking in co-ordination. Partly, that is because the tracks have been slowed down. This results in their lack of conventional rhythm. Instead, it’s as if there’s a randomness during these soundscapes. Especially on Push Push where an array of disparate sounds emerge seemingly at random from the soundscape. This would be perfect for contemporary dance, and would allow the dancer to follow in Brutter’s footsteps as they push musical boundaries to their limits. That is what Brutter do throughout Reveal and Rise.
They also throw curveballs and spring surprises that catch the unsuspecting listener unaware. That is the case on Haydnsikh which closes Reveal and Rise. Again, a variety of found and industrial sounds are unleashed seemingly at random. Later, the randomness dissipates and is replaced by a much more regular and almost mesmeric sound. This shows another side to Brutter’s music on Reveal and Rise which is over after just 34.34.
Straight away, the temptation is to reach over and press play and immerse oneself in the delights of Reveal and Rise which is by far, Brutter’s most ambitious, cerebral and innovative, genre-melting musical adventure. Soon, Reveal and Rise is once again revealing its secrets, and the music is playful, witty and engaging. The music is on Reveal and Rise also inventive as brothers Christian Wallumrød and Fredrik Wallumrød manipulate an array of sounds unsung sonic trickery and sleight of hand. Reveal and Rise is a truly ambitious and groundbreaking album from Christian Wallumrød and Fredrik Wallumrød.
They’re among the leading lights of the Norwegian music scene, and enjoyed long and successful careers. Christian Wallumrød and Fredrik Wallumrød pose a series of questions on Reveal and Rise, and challenge accepted musical norms. That is what one would expect of the Wallumrød brothers who were trained at one of Norway’s most prestigious musical institutions. They also imagination run riot, on Reveal and Rise which is the much-anticipated and innovative sophomore album from Brutter, where brothers Christian Wallumrød and Fredrik Wallumrød create an album of anti-techno that is ambitious, cerebral, playful, witty and engaging.
Brutter-Reveal And Rise.
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