Genre:  Power Electronics

01 The Calm and the Storm

Being born in my youth's stomping grounds, Indiana, Karl Heinz knows all too well the deranged things that can be brought to mind from being born in the middle of nowhere and subjected to closed minds on a daily basis.  Though Indiana has in years past given birth to some incredible musical entities, including the likes of Autopsy Kitchen Records whom have given bands like Marblebog and Ensepulchered the attention they deserve, the latter mentioned Ensepulchered themselves who hail from Frankfort, and the infamous Black Funeral who's creation has influenced legions of USBM followers.  The truth is though, that black metal has become a common household term all across the world in the past decade, and as such it shouldn't be too shocking that these artists have popped up.  In the noise world, there are even fewer who can even come close to this, and in fact the only comparison that can readily be made are the drone ambient pioneers Robe. and the sister project to Adam Cooley, Scissor Shock in Columbus, IN.  Regardless, after Karl's time in Ball State University in the early 90's, he made the move to Boston, and has dwelled there since.  Good move, I wouldn't want to stay there either.

The influence that the state has had on his art though is undeniable.  I'm a full believer in geographical influence over the sound an artist creates, and in a culturally desolate and barren land, artistic genius will thrive.  If his compositions with John Ruhe and Max Lord aren't enough for you, surely his solo work is, consistently offering an uncompromising rush of primal destruction.  Simply put, power electronics is still one of the most blatantly authentic breeds of music pulsating their soundwaves through the masses today, and in the American scene, Karlheinz is at the forefront of that purling effort with releases on labels like RRRecords and Hospital Productions.  You rarely get music from these labels that isn't of the most reliable quality, so that alone speaks for itself. 

What we get in The Calm and the Storm is nearly 21 minutes of power electronics that run the scale from silent feedback to destructive harsh blasts of power.  The composition very much resembles the artwork included, an attack from a giant squid on a sailboat.  However, imagine the sound of the incident in wavelengths, a piece of history described through electronic tones.  Imagine, the seas calm with wonder and setting eyes on the coming storm.  The feedback sifts softly in line with the gentle air, and as the wind picks up, a second line of feedback swirls up and down slowly competing with the whistling of the wind.  Suddenly, as the storm reaches, tentacles shoot out of the water, latching around masts, encircling helpless sailors, and pulling anything it can grab to the depths.  These attacks come three solid times, all with the squid leaving for moments to ingest its findings.  All are represented through sound.  At moments when you could imagine the squid arriving, brutal textures are observed, strange bass vibrations in the static that sound like furious screams, tormented humans being ripped apart by the giant beak of the squid.  Then, as soon as it came, it left.  The fourth time, there is something different, something more intimidating and unrelenting about the beast and the destruction of the sound.  Rather than leave, the pauses stay as an interlude to indifference.  The tiring squid takes moment to feast and rest before struggling to consume again.  The storm ends with the ship being torn asunder.  A dark ambient appeal is lifting through the noisey shadows and the drums of eternity begin to kick.  The swell and sound of crumbling timber under the pressure of the ocean deep, the sound of heartbeats failing to pulse, the certain return of the tentacled beast to savagely scavenge the remains, and his exit, leaving only the sea and the storm left to add texture to the scene.  A disappearance unknown to those loved on land.  And as with most sea horror stories of the modern age, surely the storm will be blamed, and not the beast. 

3 inch releases, surprisingly enough, often turn out to be the most interesting ones.  Especially in the noise scene, something as long as an album can often play long over its welcome, as they say.  A 20 minute blast in time is more than enough to get the ears perked up and the destructive visions rolling.  Jeshimoth, like many, has realized this, and just like many titles in their catalog this one will be grossly overlooked and underrated by many, but is certainly worth the purchase for any power electronics follower.