Source: Underground Press (Met Jou In My Kop, a page out of the book of Bittervrug 24 March 2010)

Nick Cave said in his “Secret life of a love song”, “It is no wonder sadness is so sad, melancholy hates haste and sits in the back of the class”. He was referring to a state of mind that Garcia Lorca coined in his writings, and what the Spanish call “Duende” - ( Duende (art), a difficult-to-define phrase in the Spanish arts that connotes emotion and authenticity.)

Charles Badenhorst is duende personified. One cannot put this artist in to a box and label his music in genre specific terms. Very seldom in life does one come across artists like these for they are often denied their rightful place in the compulsive modernity of the music industry. True raw emotion is tamed for airplay and tamed further – to market an individual who will invariably slip through the cracks that are so well formed by industry-heads.

Bittervrug

Charles Badenhorst aka Bittervrug is an artist that endures across genres and across linear marked selling-time. Charles Badenhort is an emotional artist, he speaks from a very personal view of the world around him and himself. Bloed Vir Ontbyt, his debut offering released by One F Music in 2007 saw Charlie jumping off the deep end and learning to swim in torrential waters. With Bloed Vir Ontbyt Charles immersed himself not only in the underground music scene, but also the visual side of Bittervrug. He is an animator by profession and his visual art through his animation company Fopspeeen Moving Pictures compliments his content brilliantly. You have to surrender to him or miss the point completely. Bittervrug’s music video Hoppelpertjie and the album Bloed Vir Ontbyt received a Huisgenoot Tempo-Toekenning nomination in the Kopskuif catagory in 2008. Check out the Bittervrug channel on Youtube.

Charles launched his second offering on the 4th of March 2010 in Johannesburg at Prosound – The Shop. Just before Daars Wolke Buite was to be born, it poured with rain, ‘soos die harde nat trane val’, the mood was set for a performance by an artist who hits you intimately with his emotional gestures. His falcetto voice weaves in an out of pain and love, and the concequence of those emotions, leaving you somewhat fixated on the humanity you see and hear before you upon the stage, likened to Tom Waits, who always sees the human behind the mask – you are stripped of your mask in the face of Bittervrug.

It was absolutely necessary to document this moment for it is a rare occasion to see this man perform. Prosound provided the sound gear to record his launch for digital media, and so too the Prosound and One F Music Sessions were born. Jon Penreath was so kind as to offer his services for the evening’s event as sound engineer and he also engineered the recording. Charlie got to use all of the best gear money can buy. You will get the chance to get your paws on these recordings in a bit – we’ll keep you up to date.

Charles Badenhorst aka Bittervrug

It is rather ironic that a multi-million rand company would take a chance on an artist like Bittervrug. One of the driving forces behind One F Music is to document rare quality music and the people at Prosound understand that. Check out the impressive list of gear at the end of this article used for the recording and the live performance. Oh the truth be told, I have it on good authority that you may book a session and go and try out the gear. Get a hold ofLisa@prosound.co.za and book your session now.
Oh and Charles did play. Daars Wolke Buite was born to the media, that unique and special moment captured for eternity, thanks again to Jon, and the rain you ask? We all thought that was the universe’s blessing in the end..
www.onefmusic.com
www.prosound.co.za
www.fopspeen.co.za/content/cv.html

Vocal Mic: Electro-Voice ND767 Dynamic super-cardioid
Guitar Mic: DPA 4099GTR instrument mic
Into a Midas Venice 160 mixing console

Front of House: Electro-Voice TourX 15” Loudspeakers
Run by Electro-Voice Q-Series amplifiers

Monitoring: Electro-Voice TourX 12” Floor Monitor

Processing: TC Electronic M-OneXL Reverb/Delay

Recording: TC Electronic Konnekt 24D interface (taking direct outs from Midas)

FOH Monitoring Headphones: Sony MRD7506 (recording) and MDR7509HD (FOH)

All cables made by Prosound.

Clair Cantrell onefmusic ©

Source: Gulsig van Vraat (www.musiekvraat.com)

Bittervrug is akoestiese musiek wat nie bang is om ‘n bloederige hart te ontbloot nie.

Bittervrug is gestroop, eerlik en sonder tierlantyntjies. Die band se tweede album Daar’s wolke buite het die lig gesien onder One F Music se vaandel. Bittervrug bestaan uit Charles Badenhorst en sy eerste album heet Bloed vir Ontbyt en het in 2007 verskyn.
Sy band se naam is heel gepas en beskryf die atmosfeer en lirieke van sy musiek baie goed.
Die dualiteit in bittervrug is ook teenwoordig op die jongste album. Bitter omdat hy dikwels die tema van verlore liefde na vore bring soos op Net toe ek jou vashou en die roerende Wat is ‘n hart. ‘n Vrug kan ook soms lekker proe en dis hier waar die bisarre dualiteit sy kop uitsteek. Vat maar byvoorbeeld Eet jou later. Daar’s twee temas wat hier na vore tree: Die seksuele betekenis van Eet jou later en ook die verhaal van die Duitse bra Armin Meiwes wat ‘n gewillige ou oor die internet gekry het en wat ingestem het dat hy geëet word. Op metaforiese vlak kan Charles se lirieke seker ook verskillend geïnterpreteer word.
Musikaal is Bittervrug gestroop. Dis Charles en sy akoestiese kitaar, met ‘n paar harmonieë en hier en daar ‘n kort solo. As mens Bittervrug in ‘n blik moet druk in terme van genres, sal iets soos aweregse folk seker gepas wees.
Die riff op Sit my af sit my aan is doelbewus staccato om tematies die song te versterk. Charles se harmonieë hierop laat ook iets van Gilmour en Waters van Pink Floyd deurskemer.
Dat ‘n bittervrug nie lekker gaan wees om af te sluk nie, blyk ook op ‘n song soos 2D Girl. Tweedimensioneel en sonder diepte is wat die girl blyk te wees. Bittervrug verkies dat sy eerder die hasepad moet vat. Die volgehoue klokkie-effek skep ook ‘n onheilspellende gevoel.
Ou Charles moes al duidelik so ‘n paar bitterpille(-vrugte) in sy lewe sluk, en dit lei tot emotiewe songs soos Met jou in my kop. Die riff op die song herinner sterk aan Diary of Dreams se Flood of Tears. Daar’s ook sterk lirieke in die liedjie, dink maar net aan: “Ek voel jou so skraps aan my lyf.” Bittervrug is doelbewus gestroop om klem te lê op die lirieke, luister maar net na Leeg met ons harte by die deur,
Dis ‘n aangename verrassing om Afrikaanse kunstenaars te hoor wat nie bang is om hul hart te ontbloot nie, al bloei dit ook hoe erg. Daar’s wolke buite sal nie vir Kurt Darren slapelose nagte besorg oor die moontlikheid dat dit sy nommer een op die treffersparade gaan steel nie, maar dit bevat die hartklop van ware alternatiewe musiek.