Brutter is the experimental duo of Norwegian brothers Christian and Fredrik Wallumrød. Christian Wallumrod is a pianist-composer known as the leader of his own chamber jazz Ensemble and a member of the free-improv quartet Dans Les Arbers, but in Brutter he plays on drum machines, synth, electronics and autoharp. Fredrik Wallumrød is a drummer who works with singer-songwriter Susanna and soul-r & b artist Jarle Bernhoft, but in Brutter he plays on drum synths, electronics and lap steel. Outta is the fourth album of the duo.

Brutter describes its music in an impossible manner: avantgarde-dub-deconstruct-electro. It attempts to shape a new musical language and identity beyond any musical measure. Outta is indeed a deep dive into the unknown or the unchartered territories of dry mechanical rhythm signatures, echoes of Illbient, hyper-abstract jazz references, and influences of post-rock and industrial electronics. The album employs dub-tinged and dub-informed production techniques and is experienced as a series of minimalist and moody, occasional and unstable echoes of the harsh, spatial reverbs, abstract and unexpected, glitches and the somehow decaying, tempo-shifting rhythm signatures, with almost nothing to hold to.

Listening to Outta feels like falling apart into a deep and dark abyss or being lost in labyrinthian misty courses and enigmatic sonic clouds. Only fractured and brief glimpses of autoharp and lap steel interventions spice this unworldly journey with a warm, human touch, especially on the last piece and surprisingly melodic – in its own, very strange way –  «Nachtstück».

Eyal Hareuveni

Christian Wallumrød (drum machines, synthesizer, electronics, autoharp), Fredrik Wallumrød (drums, drum synthesizers, electronics, lap steel)