By : Shamus Hill
5 min read
Massachusetts Minute: Briefcvse Shares ‘Used Up’ EP
Filled with a constantly charged drive to create, Briefcvse, born Casey Nelton, is a producer and rapper from Jamaica Plain with an impressively eclectic discography. While the majority of his music is released under the name Briefcvse, he’s released three avant-garde projects as Seesull, a bedroom-pop album as Garbage Truckman, and even a collaborative hardcore tape as RITAS REVENGE. On top of this, the majority of these projects were recorded in Casey’s home, with Low Quality Demos even being recorded on a pair of Apple headphones. These experimental processes which his music endures are phenomenal to witness, however his finest moments arise when he’s rapping. These moments are plentiful on Briefcvse’s newest body of work, Used Up.
Though he does have a knack for hopping on his own beats, Briefcvse taps in longtime friend and collaborator, Christian Yoon, to control the sonic direction of Used Up. Christian’s production talents are, put simply, otherworldly. The sound structures that his mind puts together are substantial, as he shapes his beats wonderfully around the artist that he’s working with. Searching for a sound that’s nostalgic in nature, Briefcvse used this release as an ode to his younger self, wanting to make the music that he thought was cool during his teenage days. With this goal in mind, Casey certainly delivered, especially following a listen through songs like “Rosebud”, “Relay” ft. Beije, and “2013 Outro” being reminiscent of the hazy, light-hearted raps of 2012. Despite this reach toward the past, Briefcvse still manages to create something that suits listeners a decade later.
Arguably my favorite component of this release has nothing to do with the music. Last year, Briefcvse shared sketches of a puppet that was drawn to resemble himself. Fast forward to now, this puppet has been brought to life, and was used to create a short, stop-motion video to accompany the music. Nicolas Mihaich, an independent artist from Boston and friend of Briefcvse, helped actualize this vision, and in the process of doing so added a whole new dimension to Used Up. If you want to give this EP a listen, and check out the stop-motion video, then head on over to Briefcvse’s socials which are under @Briefcvse.
—Shamus Hill
Originally published in-print in Boston Compass Newspaper #150 September 2022
Check out all the art and columns of September's Boston Compass at www.issuu.com/bostoncccompass
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