On Do It For the Money, the new EP from Brutus VIII (Jackson Katz) via America Death Records, vulnerability pulses beneath a cracked surface of industrial clatter and electro grime. It builds on the harsh, confrontational sound of 2023’s Pure Gluttony, but this time Katz lets the emotional core come through even more clearly. Across five tracks, he writes about shame, fear, and identity with a kind of raw honesty that doesn’t try to solve anything. Instead, he holds space for the complicated feelings that come with living in a world that feels increasingly unstable—politically, socially, and personally. He uses satire and noise not to hide behind, but to bring attention to the weight he’s carrying.

Throughout Do It For the Money, Katz doesn’t offer clear messages or remedies; instead, he reflects what it feels like to live with these fears every day. Blown-out drum machines, warped synths, detuned bass lines, and occasional bursts of saxophone are layered under vocals that shift between deadpan, desperate, and distorted, like someone trying to stay composed through a storm. His songwriting fluctuates between despair and irony, with the balance of someone who’s always been close to the edge. There’s humor and horror, nihilism and something that looks—if you squint—like hope.

‍Do It For the Money is raw, noisy, and emotionally intense. What was your core intention going into it— was it more cathartic, political, personal, or all of the above?

It was definitely more cathartic and personal. I approach every release that way. My main agenda is always how I’m feeling. Even with the songs that may seem like they have a political message. I just try to write about how these things impact my little world rather than proposing some sort of global solution. That’s not my job. I can only write about my day-to-day.

You’ve said this EP leans into your subconscious and satirizes your fears, but was there a feeling, message, or truth that you needed to leave untouched by irony? Something you didn’t want the noise to cover?

I guess there’s feelings of shame and guilt that run throughout my life and therefore the EP. I can’t seem to mask that with anything.  No matter the tone of what I do, I think (and hope) that comes through.

How does Do It For the Money critique or reflect on capitalism, particularly through the title track’s repeated confession, “I did it for the money”? What can you say about the tension between art, survival, and self-worth in a capitalist society?

I’m trying to make a career out of something that should probably just be a hobby. I think most people in the arts are. I say this because authentic work doesn’t typically come from building a product to sell. Having said that, this is the only thing I’m good at, so I feel an enormous pressure to build a nice life around it. Like most people, I want nice things, but as of right now, I refuse to compromise the sound of the songs to do so. This sort of push and pull is what that song is about.

Much of the EP deals with shame, self-destruction, and social decay — but there's also humor, danceable beats, and theatrical flair. Do you see any optimism in this record? Or is the act of making the music itself your form of hope?

Yeah, I actually think in its own way it’s quite optimistic. That’s the purpose of some of the humor and the danceable beats. For me, the fastest way through negativity is to laugh at your own pain. Having a little fun in that space can feel like a shortcut to positivity.

What do you hope listeners take with them after listening? What have you taken home with you from finishing this record?

I hope listeners connect and relate to the music. When I know that's happening, it makes me feel really good. I guess finishing this has given me momentum to keep making more in whatever style or tone I want.

Do you believe the American Dream is still alive? How so or why not?

I’m not the right person to ask, to be honest. I don’t know. Probably not right now. That term feels like something that was important during and after the first two World Wars. Maybe we’ll need that sort of school spirit after the next WW. Looks like we’re probably going to blow it, though.

"Eichmann On Trial Again" Lyric Video by Willem Holzer