Doomed Confessionary: Riccardo Tosoni (Brut Oss)
Brut Oss is a four-piece stoner rock band hailing from Piacenza, Italy.
They just reissued their self-titled debut album on vinyl in April 2024 via Orzorock Music featuring two unreleased tracks, »Texa’s Cola« and »Give Me Back«. For »Give Me Back«, they also released a brand new music video.
Brut Oss are Andrea Rebecchi (vocals, guitar), Riccardo Tosoni (bass, backing vocals), Federico “J” Re (drums, backing vocals) and Antonio Chirivì (guitar).
Can you say a few words about your band?
Brut Oss is an Italian stoner rock band, born in the mists of the Po Valley on the Emilian bank of the Po river, just before the pandemic in December 2019. In our local lingo Brut oss is used when referring to a tenacious person who is difficult to bend. The very nature of the river and the fog is seen as an element corresponding to the desert in stoner’s imagination, helping the band to find the right inspiration and alienation for the making of our compositions.
On July 30, 2021, »How to Waste Your Time Broiling Bones« is released for Orzorock Music, a three-track EP, mixed and mastered by Andrea Scansani at SoundEnhancing Studio, which explores many aspects of a genre as broad as stoner.
On April 15, 2022, the first self-titled album anticipated by the lyrics video of »Climb With Me« is released by Orzorock Music.
2023 saw a change of line up with the rotation on the guitar between our riff master P.P. Zanzagni and Antonio Chirivì, who’s now helping us for the promotional gigs of the album »Brut Oss« reissued on vinyl, out in April 2024, always via Orzorock Music.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
For first is to keep the band alive, always ready for the next concert, ready for a new album and looking for new solutions to be adopted in studio or on stage. My challenge is to explore the world of stoner music which is multicolored and wide, I know it’s hard and maybe we have not such mastery in it, but play means play and we’re trying to enjoy as we can. A personal goal (we’re working on, but almost is done) is to create different set lists based on the location we play. Sometimes we’re heavy, sometimes we’re more psychedelic, it depends….but not on how we feel, but how we want the audience to feel. We try to create a contact with those who happened to see us and to surprise who know us.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Personally I am proud to play with the last highlanders in my little town. Many friends have abandoned music, but I have always felt it as a necessity. About the band I am proud to have learned how to record our first record in our rehearsal room, thanks to the help of other people, but mostly alone. I’m happy with the result, it was the first time, it was growing up.
What was your biggest regret?
Having a job that doesn’t allow me to spend enough time on our music project, but, you know, bills have to be paid and while I’m there I try to do a fulfilling job. Speaking of the band, I’m sorry it takes too long to make a song. Sometimes we see it as finished, but then we realize that it must be cared for in more detail, often we have to start over because the details that we have taken into consideration drastically change the initial idea. I would like to make a record a year and concentrate the live work in the other part of the year, but we are Italian and disorganized.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
The best has yet to come, sure, but we had great time on the “Luppolo in Rock” stage. We was the first band of the first day of the pre-festival, focused on “little band”, so we had the honor to test the PA. The same summer we played on the beach, by the sea during the sunset with a lot of people waiting for us, it was the first time we played in trio, because our guitar player PPZ screwed up with the promoter and it had been a mess, but this boldness allowed us to reach the heart of the people (even promoters…).
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
No surprises (as Radiohead said), excellent musicians playing for two cents, promoters trying to cannibalize the scene, offering visibility and super powers (!), tons of bands playing only their own square meter. It’s supposed we’re in it, just keep the antennas on. I feel lucky because every day I can listen good music, this is the surprise. The surprise is that there’s no God-band anymore, it’s a wild bunch, it seems it’s a marathon to the podium.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
I love discover new bands on YouTube channels like 666MrDoom, SMOD Nation, and podcasts like El Gordo Metalero. There’s a lot of good stuff. The last loved album are the one from Lowrider (Refractions) and Slift (ummon) but they’re from 2020. Maybe, lately there is not a favorite album that has left its mark on me so much, or maybe I haven’t payed necessary attention, my fault.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Never feel like the center of the universe. I mean, I’ve been playing as an unprofessional musician for years, but Brut Oss have been around for a short time, I can’t expect the eyes of the world to be on me, it’s a long, hard and often frustrating job. Better not to make too many expectations and try to enjoy the trip. I see some mr. nobody put on airs as an established rock star and I can’t stand it, there is a special place for all our irrepressible ego. Unfortunately, however, to take the evenings we should give the impression of being unique, special and unmissable. This is just one of the struggles within we have to submit to.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Funky music makes me move like a pussy, or like Bill Cosby.
Once a year I need to listen »…And Justice For Jason«, the masterpiece from Metallica with enhanced bass.
Can you say something more about the music scene in Piacenza / Italy?
Talking to a promoter other night we analyzed that there are more bands than audience, always about of feeling unique and special, a musician will not go to see another band, unless he has a direct interest. It is difficult to create a compact scene, there are so many self-referential micro-scenes. As for rock, there has been no generational turnover and organizing festivals is increasingly difficult. I organized a festival for about ten years, we were gathering support, but then most made a family, dedicated themselves to demanding professions and music was no longer a priority. Luckily someone resists, even if the numbers have changed.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
A few festivals in our area, such as the Orzorock, which has arrived at the twenty-fifth edition, which is the feast of our label. We will participate in other summer events such as Asti Rock and Ponticello beach. We are preparing other dates in the fall and we always need a hand to organize our first European tour (we do not use booking agencies).
What are your plans for the future as a band?
New songs are taking shape and we would love to share with you very soon (some we are already doing live). Another dream I’m focused in is to give an acoustic dress to some songs to have more places to play, but first of all is to record a new album!
How can people best support your band?
The best thing to support us is to talk about us, for better or worse, to your friends, to talk to us to let us know what you think, it is important for us to create communication. Only through communication can we improve ourselves. To do this you could call us to play in your country (if any promoter reading) or interact on social networks like brut-oss Bandcamp where there is an effective messaging, you can see our merchandising and choose to buy it there or contact us on our IG page (brut.oss_band) or by mail at br*********@***il.com. Every donation is valuable, it makes us feel that we are doing well. Also on Bandcamp there are all our lyrics, which you can scream with your throat at our concerts and you can also throw your bras at us, this is a nice gesture of support!
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Don’t feel cool, it never pay! (be nice)
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well