An open letter to Carpenter Brut,

An open letter to Carpenter Brut,

I just want to say ‘Thank You’ for your music.  Now you can stop here or continue reading on to understand why I felt I had to tell you this.  It started back in November of 2014, I am a British citizen living in USA and I was leaving work late.  I had meant to leave on time because it had started snowing but I got a last minute message from a co-worker needing help.  After I did that I rushed home.  During my journey I ran over some black ice and veered into oncoming traffic and ended up in a head on collision at approx 50-55 mph.  Everyone was not physically hurt but she, the other driver’ was pissed, and rightly so.  I felt guilty even tho it was an accident. Over the next couple of weeks I suffered with depression over the whole shocking event.  It was nearing Christmas which is my 2nd favorite time of year, 1st is Halloween.  I like Christmas because it is the only time of the year where the media are not fucking assholes and doom ‘n’ gloom.  Nothing I was watching or doing was cheering me up. I tried going through the motions of playing my favorite games or watching comedy or uplifting cheesy Christmas movies but nothing was helping in the slightest. Not even Gladiator battles on PS3 Move.  I would have small spurts of optimism but it would be followed by guilt or fear.  I was scared that I would have to go through life feeling like nothing was exciting or uplifting anymore, at that point suicide was not an option but I was certainly thinking about it in a unique and scary way.  

By now you know where this is going but let me tell it anyway.  I was at work trying to make it through the day and not become useless enough to lose my job when I got a notification in my email about a new video from Corridor Digital.  I love their work and appreciate the effort they go to to produce quality videos.  It was a video called. “Mini Drones Blew Up My Toys!” and for the first time I felt energized and less meek.  I immediately went to the the description to look for a link to the music and started on EP I and let that play through while I worked.  By the time I got half way through “Le Perv”  I was already a ticking timebomb of emotion and then as that track came to a close I was literally in tears (and yes I do know what literally means haha).  Typically I listen to all kinds of Metal, mostly Death or Melodic Folk Metal but lately I cannot get enough of all three of your EPs.. I only wish I could hear your earlier stuff haha.

Now this could stop here, but from here you had inspired me and lead me into a genre I did not venture into much, mainly because I have never heard it done in a way which was not dull, repetitive and predictable.  I liken most music in this genre as happy and formulaic and thus predictable, like a spectrum of color which evenly blend into the next.  You take a beat and a bass, add some melody, change the bass but keep the melody, change the melody again, change the drums a little. Before you know it the whole track went nowhere.  However your music breaks “rules” and is unexpected and your choice in instruments compliments the overall sound. To use the color analogy again, Instead of just blending in, your music has hard lines, complimentary colors and black accents more like an abstract painting than a repetitious colorwheel.  Your music tells a story, I love that. And I wanted to create my own because of that.  And this is the real reason that I am writing this.  You inspired me to write the best music I have ever written for myself.  I sometimes tear up listening to my stuff because for a second there I feel like I am listening to someone else’s music and the fact it came from my mind is just the icing on the cake.  Without you, I would not be at the position I am at now.. Again, Thank you!

PS I am better now and my depression was temporary; however the feelings I get from listening to your stuff stick with me and I do enjoy the way I feel when listening to your stuff.  You are exceptional.

https://soundcloud.com/kumartheffar-1