Gay zombie flick by Bruce LaBruce debuts at Museum of Modern Art, spawns equally modern soundtrack.

Gay zombie flick by Bruce LaBruce debuts at Museum of Modern Art, spawns equally modern soundtrack. Co-star Gio Black Peter to release new EP as Black Peter Group this Christmas.

Canadian director Bruce LaBruce, the man behind such gay-themed, controversial films as Hustler White and The Raspberry Reich recently premiered his latest and most accomplished film to date, Otto; Or Up With Dead People (TRAILER) at NYC’s Museum of Modern Art. Obviously, John Waters was in attendance. The film is a brand new, exceptional addition to the zombie genre the renounces the most obvious clichés, with LaBruce letting his protagonist – gay punk zombie Otto – ramble and roam the streets of Berlin until he finds himself cast for a low budget flick. With a keen eye for style, the director picks and mixes references from classic horror, silent movies and Modernity into a strident, yet poetic film. In this, Otto; Or Up With Dead People continues the tradition of the political pornographer’s previous successes.

While watching the film, music fans will notice more than 50 international tracks and sounds! After careful selection, Berlin-based label Crippled Dick Hot Wax now presents the movie’s official soundtrack (featuring 14 tracks and available on CD or 2XLP), promising to take us on a truly crazy acoustic rollercoaster ride. Despite the artists glaring differences, the result is a surprisingly coherent, compact and homogeneous compilation. Weaving classical, electronic, drone, avant-garde, pop and punk/disco into a well-balanced whole, the soundtrack introduces cinema and music lovers alike to the weirdly wonderful world of Bruce LaBruce.

LaBruce explains, “To capture the tone I wanted for my undead melancholy baby, I started looking at lots of Charles Addams and Edward Gorey cartoons, trying to pinpoint that arch, macabre, and deliciously ghoulish posture. Asking the famous fashion designer Rick Owens to do the costumes was an easy choice: he has that neo-Gothic, doomed romantic sensibility in spades. But for the music I didn’t want to narrow it down to a single sound or style: I wanted something modern and classical, tonal and atonal, traditional and avant-garde, pop and experimental. The only solution was to send out word on MySpace that I was looking for music for a melancholy gay zombie movie. The response was overwhelming. Suddenly I was inundated with hundreds of messages from musicians of all stripes and polka dots, mostly independent, self-produced artists from all over the world with dark and disturbing yet endlessly creative ideas. The variety of music was astonishing, including a vast array of genres: obscuro, experimental, ambient, post-punk, industrial, psychedelic, melodramatic popular, electronica, gothic, emo, indie, avant-garde jazz, metalcore, deathcore, and drone, and various combinations thereof. Tapes, vinyl, and CDs began to flood my apartment, a process that went on for about a year.” Click HERE for the rest of Bruce LaBruce’s story behind the music of Otto!

One musician that does not appear on the Otto soundtrack, but does appear in the film itself is co-star Gio Black Peter who plays the role of Otto’s boyfriend, Rudolph. Gio’s New York and London based band, the Black Peter Group is set to release the It’s F**ked Up! EP (Gulp Communications) on December 22nd, 2008. Co-written and produced by Andrew “Friendly” Kornweibel, It’s F**ked Up! is a cornucopia of sonic delights, taking in influences from electro, rock, punk, rockabilly, country and funk. The EP features the addictive title track (MP3 | VIDEO) and “Goody Two Shoes” (MP3), a cover of the Adam Ant 50’s-inspired rockabilly pop tune, which suits Gio’s distinctive vocal perfectly.

The Black Peter Group has been around the globe in 2008 with its “Flesh Show” tour – see a YouTube short documenting this HERE. From New York’s infamous Ruff Club, Miss Shapes, and Kill Whitey parties to London’s notorious All You Can Eat, Nuke Them All, Trailer Trash and Collapsing New People parties. The Black Peter Group has also shown the kids at the Pop In (Paris), Cabaret Furie (Paris), Torino SUPERM (Italy), Galleri S.E. (Norway), Los Ninos (Belgium) and Suck My Sound (Berlin) events how to party just like they did back in “old” New York City -- a time when NYC was a colorful place covered with beautiful graffiti and every night out was a guaranteed adventure. And it doesn’t stop there. The group has also performed at the Bergan National Academy of the Arts in Norway, Berliniale Film Festival in Berlin, Show Studio in London, the Super Super Fashion Show ‘08 in London and The John Conelly Gallery in New York.

In addition to Gio’s acting and music, the artist is an accomplished painter and philanthropist, as well. Best known for works produced on NYC subway maps (LINK), Gio’s paintings are currently being shown in Norway and Berlin with a show in NYC planned for the near future. Gio also recently had the honor of participating in NOBODY WA S THIRSTY, a collaborative project created by Australian denim label NOBODY and Ivan Kane’s CAFE WA S in association with charity: water (LINK) with the goal of bringing clean water to the children of Africa. At the moment 4,500 children die every day due to the lack of clean water. Each NOBODY WAS S THIRSTY tee-shirt sold gives two African children clean water for 20 years. For more info and/or to purchase a NOBODY WA S THIRSTY tee-shirt, visit www.nobody.com.au.

For additional info about the Black Peter Group, read an in-depth interview with Gio Black Peter at the East Village Boys website HERE. Black Peter Group has been featured in I.D. Magazine, Super Super Magazine, K48 Magazine, Pavement Magazine, Cake Magazine, TETU Magazine, BUTT, and Zoo. Download a full packet of Gio Black Peter press clippings HERE.

Artist: Various Artists
Title: Otto: Or, Up With Dead People Soundtrack
Label: Crippled Dick Hot Wax
Release Date: November 25th, 2008

01. Mikael Karlsson - Descent
02. Jean-Louis Huhta – Halfway Between The World And Death
03. 4th Sign Of The Apocalypse – Ascending The River
04. All My Friends – Theme From All My Friends
05. Pandas Of Black Metal – Kill Your Gods
06. Misty Roses – Mario And Dario
07. The Living Dead Boys – Discohell
08. No Bra – Doherfucker
09. Brittle Stars – On The Cusp Of Infinity
10. Eyes And Teeth – Sonicize
11. Othon with Ernesto Tomasini – Metalipsis
12. La Jovenc – Going Home
13. Ultra Milkmaids + V – Load
14. The Homophones – Everyone’s Dead (MP3)

Artist: Black Peter Group
Title: Its F**cked Up EP
Label: Gulp Communications
Release Date: December 22nd, 2008

01. Goody Two Shoes (MP3)
02. Its F**ked Up (MP3 | VIDEO)
03. Kamakaze Kid
04. Its F**ked Up (12” Version)
05. Its F**ked Up (Humpday Project Remix)

Tools & Hi–Res Photos:
Otto: www.fanaticpromotion.com/rosterdetails.php?indexkey=1446
BPG: www.fanaticpromotion.com/rosterdetails.php?indexkey=1431

On The Web:
www.ottothezombie.de
www.myspace.com/brucelabruce
www.crippled.de
www.myspace.com/crippleddickhotwax
www.gioblackpeter.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/blackpetergroup
www.myspace.com/friendlybits
www.myspace.com/gulpcommunications

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