Floating around as a demo since 2019, Rogue Oligarch was completed in the summer of 2020 in proper covid-style. With Brudini having laid down the tracks in his home studio, Christos Fanaras (Elephant House, Tim Burgess, Daniel O´Sullivan) re-recorded the bassline in Hackney, London, while drums, courtesy of Derin Bayhan, and brass, were recorded in Istanbul.
A distinguishing feature of the track, whose satirical undertones are poorly disguised, is the symbolic clash between Brudini´s aggressive, bonkers guitar and an absolutely epic freejazz brass section. “The brass section was incredible”, says Brudini. Consisting of Taskin Akarsu on trumpet and Baris Dogukan on trombone, both prominent musicians on the Istanbul jazz scene, the two were recorded together in one room, improvising over the track over several takes. “I had the Istanbul recording session live-streamed into my home studio in Norway, providing them vague directions and singing them the occasional phrase that would pop into my head over WhatsApp. How they were able to make sense of it all I have no clue, but bit by bit as we progressed, I could hear the sections come together like pure magic, and by the end of the session I was dancing in my room with a huge grin on my face.”
Listening: https://soundcloud.com/brudini/brudini-rogue-oligarch-mastered/s-zZhLRdkjGcQ
Rogue Oligarch was mixed by Njål Paulsberg (Hands Up For Neo-Tokyo, Young Dreams, Aurora) and Brudini in Bergen, Norway and mastered at Cutting Room in Stockholm by Martin Ankelius. Rogue Oligarch follows as a bastard child offshoot following the poetic, conceptual debut album From Darkness, Light released on Oct 9th on Apollon Records.
From Darkness, Light is a poetic odyssey unlike anything you’ve heard. It is the story of an emotional and spiritual journey. During the five years of its creation, Thai-Norwegian londoner Erik Brudvik became a father, his Soho book shop first prospered, then went bankrupt, his longterm relationship ended, and he abandoned his career in finance. But from these changes, he finally found his creative voice as Brudini.
Coined by Louder Than War as “an indescribable talent”, Brudini has drawn praise from NYC punk legend Danny Fields (Iggy Pop, Jim Morrison, The Ramones) and received continued radio support from BBC6, RadioX, and been featured on Radio 2’s Frank Skinner. His live performances include collaborations with Lulu Gainsbourg, appearances at Tate Britain and a sold-out Soho alt-cabaret with LGBTQ-pioneer Lanah P and Erasure´s Andy Bell.
Soul searching and profound, Brudini’s conceptual LP debut From Darkness, Light weaves an abstract, wandering tale through feelings of loss and longing, anger, lust and despair, towards cosmic consolation. The beatific qualities of his songwriting and lyrics fuse seamlessly with poems by Californian writer Chip Martin, at two generations his senior. The narrative comes alive through a visceral soundscape of creaky pianos, analogue synths, syncopated jazz rhythms and the occasional jarring distorted guitar.
Self-recorded and self-produced, Brudini’s debut is an invitation to slow listening, providing a bare and unusual perspective of the blood and guts of a grown-age transition.