Deep Dive: BRDN – Bulletproof

Darkwave with a distinctly EBM edge, Bulletproof sees BRDN explore similar sonic and emotional terrain to Cabaret Voltaire and Martial Canterel. Band member Rick Pines have taken us on a wonderful, incredibly detailed, Deep Dive of the the track.

Genesis of the song and lyrics

Bulletproof came to me in a phase, when my dreams and their meaning had a particularly strong impact on my awake state. The concept of glass being Bulletproof in this context, is meant to represent the, often unspoken, agreement of two people whose connection changed and evolved, to not go back to a previous arrangement, no matter how much the possibility tries to make itself known in the limelight.

The song also stands as a plea, asking to be let go by someone, when you yourself cannot make the cut on your own, even though it would be the healthy choice – mostly represented in the line “Ballistic words, be done with it”. Leaving no more guessing room in the end, is often the one thing one would need to move on, whatever that might mean.

Bulletproof also reflects on the quiet dread of knowing a conversation’s inevitable end, yet prolonging it for as long as possible to avoid hearing the answer you fear most. It’s about holding onto moments of connection that feel increasingly rare — and how time seems to move faster the more precious those moments become.

Instrumentation and recording

First starting as a happy little accident on the Yamaha DX Reface, that I had borrowed from our singer Sofy that week, the factory pre-set in all its might, carries through the first half of the song. Accompanying the main theme of the first half, is the usual array of blips and bloops, mainly strings, sub bass and an arpeggiator, as well as a hastily thrown together beat.

Most of the song was pre-produced using VSTs (most notably the digital version of the Yamaha DX7, which is my go-to companion in most cases) and then later reimagined in the studio, transferring the demo sounds to our analogue synth collection, mainly the Korg MicroKorg (strings) and Moog Sub37 (bass, arpeggiator).

The dual vocals bring a tender yet raw dialogue, as if two souls are trying — and failing — to bridge the distance that’s grown between them. We decided to keep most of the song presented as a duet, as it seemed to fit the theme and lyrics of the song.

As we put some extra work in during pre-production, the main vocals, backings and ad libs were recorded in the span of a few hours at Interface2 studios, pretty much one take, which is not always the case.

Bulletproof borrows elements from indie electronica, modern House, trip Hop & synthpop & was influenced by acts like James Blake, Moderat, Sega Bodega, The Blaze & Fever Ray.

Where does this particular track fit within your wider body of work?

Undoubtedly on the more dancey side of our catalogue, Bulletproof seeks to bridge the gap between our more urban influences and danceable alt electronic music. The challenge was to complete a song that presents the same lyrics over two different grooves in one song, while not losing the core emotion of the theme.

The transition between the two sections of Bulletproof is signalled by the use of the main arpeggiator, which changes the dynamic of the song pretty much on its own, while not disrupting the flow of the track.

Bulletproof is also one of our faster paced songs, standing out in our somewhat slow-paced discography. It’s also a great addition for our live shows and so much fun to play!

What are you up to in the coming months?

After completing the release of Bulletproof with an accompanying Live-Session and Official music video, we will be concentrating on releasing new singles on a regular basis. We are sitting on a mountain of finished, half-finished and raw songs that we would like to share as singles or potential in an album format, if momentum allows. Furthermore, we are honing our live-skills and take more or less every opportunity to present our craft in a live environment.

Follow BRDN on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook for live news, new music, and much more. Bulletproof can be downloaded on Bandcamp and streamed on YouTube Music and Spotify.

Artwork and header photo by Ally Drury