BRUTAL! - Machine
A lot has happened in the past year for the Amsterdam formation BRUUT!. The group, known for its virtuoso, genre-bending mix of musical styles and influences, ranging from jazz and afrobeat to drum 'n' bass and rock, underwent a transformation on several levels and now presents the new album 'Machine'.
Bassist from the very beginning Thomas Rolff decided to take a different path after fourteen years of loyal service and that not only gave the band a new bassist, but also a whole new sound. With the arrival of Sean Fasciani as the new guardian of the low-end, other musical influences seeped into the band and the sound of BRUUT! changed considerably.
Together with producer Frans Hagenaars, the band started working on that new sound. They all agreed on one thing: they didn't want to make the same record as their previous album 'Zest', but they did want to continue the course that was introduced there. That course had already been thought about extensively. Hagenaars put the band on the right track by reducing the story to its essence: what makes BRUUT! actually BRUUT!?
The conclusion? BRUUT! had to stand for genre-transcending, instrumental, partly improvised music in which craftsmanship and playing pleasure prevail. The Amsterdammers had sometimes lost sight of that playing pleasure in recent years. It was time for a change.
In the fall of 2023, the band isolated themselves on Vlieland, to work on the new album in an empty De Bolder. The silence and spaciousness of the Wadden island had a refreshing effect and allowed the group to focus fully on the music.
The experience of Hagenaars, who has helped countless acts get the best out of themselves, gave the band new inspiration and opened creative hatches that they had not known existed until then. This is how a sound emerged for 'Machine' that, compared to previous albums, which often drew inspiration from the work of other artists, came much more from the collective BRUUT!. During the rehearsals, the band's own musical arsenal was rediscovered and new ideas and perspectives bubbled up. Joost Oomen lent his voice and poetry to the new album -- the first time the band has a guest appearance on the record -- and for the first time in BRUUT!'s existence, the band also recorded a cover, 'In Bloom' by Nirvana. This also broke with the tradition that all song titles on their albums consist of one word, which is indicative of the new direction.
Thus BRUUT! reinvented itself in the salty sea air. An imposing, well-oiled machine, without ever becoming static or stiff. With renewed energy and the joy of playing at the forefront, the Amsterdam quartet thunders on.
With their virtuosity and impressive craftsmanship, BRUUT! have been effortlessly transforming every stage into an alternative nightclub in Manchester, somewhere in the mid-90s, for years, where the influence of The Chemical Brothers and Trentemøller is mixed with the sound of icy East German organs and cheap toy synthesizers.