Beton Brut presents Kinetic Structures I

A clever clogs once said: “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.” This statement has always really annoyed me. Why cannot someone do a shuffle of delight when their eyes first fall on a beautiful building? Who would deny Sir Christopher Wren a gigue when he saw a dome, for the first time in his life, atop his masterpiece St Paul’s Cathedral?

Which, in a roundabout way, leads us to Chelmsford-based electronica event series Beton Brut. The group’s name derives from an architectural method of using concrete, which became associated with Brutalist architecture in the mid-1960s. So, they are combining music AND architecture.

The ‘Kinetic Structures’ series

Beton Brut is highly active in the Chelmsford live music scene. It also operates as a sublabel under the Resonance HQ umbrella. Today, it announced a new venture:

“Beton Brut Records presents the first instalment of our ‘Kinetic Structures’ series, an archive and exploration of the music performed live at the Beton Brut events. Each release captures the raw energy of various artists shaping large slabs of sound into relentless, repeated forms with deconstructed rhythms and brutalist inspiration forming the central core of every performance.

This series documents the intersection of noise, bass, and industrial aesthetics, preserving the immediacy and impact of music forged in real time.”

Kinetic Structures I

The EP’s opening track is ‘Memetic’ by brokenatoms. It’s a glitchy, throbbing, breakbeat-led piece of wonderment. But don’t get too comfortable. ‘Burn’ by Instrument of Darkness follows. It is punishing, unrelenting, apocalyptic. The sample used throughout eerily, presciently, brings images of the recent LA fires to mind. ‘No Absolute Truths’ by Social Conduct revels in its minimalism. It is hypnotically beautiful and features a simple drum pattern until the track collapses in white noise. ‘Onkalo’ sees brokenatoms and Instrument of Darkness team up to produce the EP’s most laidback piece. A couple of drone noises dip and glide together then simply fade into static. Mesmerising.

You can purchase the EP here. File it alongside Future Sounds of London’s ‘We Have Explosive’.

Upcoming events

The Beton Brut crew reconvenes at Chelmsford’s Radio City Social on 28 February 2025. Nitzer Ebb’s David Gooday will be headlining under his DTG moniker. Click the video below for full details.

Looking further ahead, Kontort will be sharing a stage with electronic maestro Simon Heartfield. The DJs for the night are Sergio Vilas and Umberto Santini. Again, the host venue is Radio City Social. Tickets are just £6 (advance) and are available here.

Final thoughts

See, writing about music and architecture can be fun. Right?

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