Difference between revisions of "Hexenbrutal"

Revision as of 04:42, 1 September 2014

Hexenbrutal may very well have left some things to chance and good fortune, but their name is definitely not a coincidence. It almost onomatopoetically depicts what your eardrums will need to endure if you choose to attend one of their unpredictable concerts. Dr. Hexen (Matej Kolmanko) and Mr. Brutal (Iztok Koren) will alter how you perceive music with loud, relentless noise born out of a drum set and a cluster of synthesizers and other gadgets. But since unpredictability is a constant, don't be surprised when you see them play an acoustic concert in which they transform all the frenzy into a melodic alloy of traditional sounds and contemporary approaches.

Hexenbrutal - Drumtree (acoustic), live@Izštekani, Val 202 by hexenbrutal on YouTube

The video for "Drumtree" from Hexenbrutal's performance on "Izštekani" (Unplugged), a popular broadcast from national radio's VAL202.

Biography

Hexenbrutal were formed in 2004 by the members of Plueg. Their first concerts were distinctly experimental and improvisational but in time their sound started to slowly define itself. They've had some changes in line-up but they released their first album Think of Me as a Friend in 2009 which was followed by extensive touring all over the Balkans and Europe. Their next record Giant was devised and recorded during the long winter of 2012/13 in the facilities of God Bless This Mess. Both of their albums were produced by Ivor Knafelj – Plueg. Hexenbrutal are a part of a lively music scene in the Prekmurje region of Slovenia. You won't be able to catch them in a live show very often, but you certainly won't be able to miss their connection to music, arts, and exploration, since Iztok is also a member of ŠKM Banda and Matej is a film maker and works in theatre.

Touring, collaborations

Hexenbrutal have played and toured with many Slovene and foreign bands. Most notably, they opened for KTL (Peter Rehberg and Stephen O'Malley) in Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture in 2009 and also supported Lightning Bolt at their Klub Menza pri koritu concert in 2008. They have also played with Dälek and OvO and toured with Nikki Louder, Don Vito, Tumido, Bulbul, and briefly joined forces with It's Everyone Else, Trus!, Automassage and Nikki Louder for the Tears from Ears tour where they premièred their album Giant, released in 2013.

Acoustic

In 2013, Hexenbrutal were invited to perform on "Izštekani" (Unplugged), a programme of Slovene national radio's second channel devoted to stripping musicians of their electricity and introducing them in their most raw form. On this occasion, Dr. Hexen and Mr. Brutal invited violinist and multi-instrumentalist Miha Kavaš from Mlada beltinška banda and Ethnotrip to perform with them. The result was very surprising and you can have a glimpse at the performance in the video link listed below. This was also followed by a concert in their home base of MIKK Youth Information Cultural Club, Murska Sobota.

Discography

Think of Me as a Friend (2009), God Bless This Mess records
Giant (2013), God Bless This Mess records (available on Bandcamp)

External links

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 | accounts      =
 https://myspace.com/hexenbrutal
+http://hexenbrutal.bandcamp.com/
 }}