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I Klatus
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During the last 5 months or so of 2013, we have reviewed and interviewed countless bands, however when I listened to Kether by I Klatus, I honestly felt this record was something new. Yes it has sludgy riffs and the record probably does fits within the parameters of Doom, however I found it to be very visual, like it was telling a story. The band themselves describe themselves during the interview as Beyondcore and that it perhaps quite fitting given that Kether cannot be constrained within any one description.
Anyhow, I thought it would be cool to talk to this amazing band, so here for your reading pleasure, is the obligatory 20 Questions interview. Before you dig into the interview, here is a snippet of what Lucas had to say about the record. "In many ways, this album is an exploration of both inter-cellular and inter-stellar space and the danger-fraught mysteries that lie within. This band is all about atmosphere and most of it is ghastly."
I Klatus, How are you? I appreciate you taking the time to
talk to talk to us, here at the Sludgelord.
Woz: Doing well, thanks. Appreciate the opportunity.
Q) How are things in the camp I Klatus? What
are your immediate plans for the rest of 2013?
Woz: Things are a bit quiet on the surface,
but we have a lot of movement right now—literally. John is moving out to the West coast, joining
Tom who has already been in L.A. for a while now. I’m remaining in Chicago, but I guess that
makes us a West coast band now, by majority rule. So maybe I’ll take a trip and we’ll get some
shows going out there sometime soon…
John: We are currently searching for
representation and tour management but until then we will continue to put shows
and tours together ourselves and with budget and resources being what they are,
our expectations for extended touring are low.
Other than that, just perpetually writing, making cool art, and
conceptualizing ideas for the band's forward progress.
Tom: We are currently wrapping up the
recording and mixing of our upcoming EP, “Vortex”, which we have been working
on periodically for the last 2 years. It
is a noise-concept recording based on a person being ensnared within an energy
vortex and their struggle against being torn asunder by it. It is intended to
be a follow up conceptually to "Kether" in that, the listener is
brought through a gateway from the fourth and fifth dimensions. The new
recording again features many noteworthy collaborators and multi-cultural instrument
usage. It is an expansion of the concept that the song Portals from our last
album was written about. We are currently editing an epic video for that song
(Portals) to put out with the follow up album.
Q) First of all, congratulations on your recent
release of Kether. Lucas did a great job
with the review, I felt. Can you tell us
about the record and the process of putting it together? Conceptionally, it feels very different than
anything else out there, almost a soundtrack if you will?
Woz: Great review—thanks for that. “Kether” actually took five years to put
together. Many collaborators. Many recording locations. I think that is reflected in the feel of the
album. Chaotic and bipolar.
John:
With “Kether”, there was definitely a much more cohesive approach to the
songwriting, where we all kind of knew where the others were coming from, and
could therefore fill in the space and eliminate the chaff to make the songs
feel like that they were "ours" rather than being created by each one
of us separately and then brought to the table. We also had the addition of
Tariq Ali (R.I.P) for some of the writing on bass which helped me to redirect
some of my creative focus to vocals and the gongs & robots, which is kind
of our blanket term for all the weird noises and effects that we are so fond
of. In truth, this is the first of our
records that really felt like a band, rather than a studio project between Tom
and me.
Q). I always apologise about this, but readers who may not have
heard about you guys, could you tell us a little about I Klatus? Current band
members? A brief history if you like?
Woz: I
Klatus was initially Tom’s brainchild, dating back many years. John and I had been involved in the project
to varying degrees over the years, but we didn’t really come together as a
group until the release of the previous album, “Surveillance and Worship”. Since then, the three of us have made up the
core of the band, but as mentioned, we’ve had many collaborators. We always have a fourth member join us on
stage. Most recently Mark Manto (A
Soundtrack to Violence) joined us as our live guitarist. At times we’ve had a fifth member join us for
live actions.
Q). Which band or artist turned you guys onto music and
specifically introduced you to Heavy Metal/Rock and wanting to form a
band? What was it like growing up in
your hometown and being fans of metal for example?
Woz: Genesis.
Most important band ever. And
Acid Bath, of course.
Chicago is a huge metropolis, therefore
there’s a community for any scene or genre of music you can think of. But we’re all from the South side, and that
can be a bit of a cultural void. Kind of
like growing up in the sticks. Cutting
edge music takes a bit longer to get to you if you wait for it to arrive. So it’s important to go out there and find
it.
Tom: I think we were also really lucky
because the North Side of Chicago was just a train ride away. There we were
exposed to live performances of His Hero is Gone and Buzzoven and Buried at Sea
and Rwake and Eyehategod and all the heaviest bands ever. It seemed like there
was no end to the brain beating especially from 96-2003 era. I would say we are
a product of that stuff which seemed so very prevalent in Chicago at that time,
if you knew how to escape the Southside.
Q) A variety of music
inspired me to pick up the guitar or get into music, ranging from my pre
teens with Michael Jackson, to Metallica, Frank Zappa and obviously Black
Sabbath, What was your motivation to start I Klatus, because it is seems there
seems a close connection between visual art and heavy music, reminiscent of
Neurosis or A Storm of Light for example?
Tom: Yes as
a kid, it was Black Sabbath and Metallica that inspired me to bang my head and
want to learn guitar. It wasn't until I discovered Neurosis that my brain got
all twisted up and my DNA was reprogrammed about the meaning and method of
sound in a "song". I would say it was more "Through Silver in
Blood" that shattered my illusions of what "song writing" was
and where the boundaries are found. I remember seeing them perform that album
live and having a complete brain shut down and reboot. It had never even
occurred to me to incorporate all the elements of feedback and destruction and multiple
vocalists all screaming in pain at the top of their lungs and I just thinking
how crazy and next level all these stacked elements can be. No one in death
metal or thrash was taking tribal drum beats samples and synths and layering
them to create as heavy a sound like that which Neurosis was doing, at least
none that I had heard at that period. If anything opened the door to what I
Klatus is able to do now, it’s that era of Neurosis for certain.
Q) So, you form a band; perhaps kick out the jams for fun. When did you go from that to writing and
releasing your own music?
Tom: That’s
the way it’s always has been. Woz and I have been recording stuff since we were
kids, and just making weird stuff on 4tracks and VCRs then making copies and
releasing it to friends. Woz and I did a demo in 2002 and again in 2005 then
just kept going 2008 and again in 2012 and so we continue. Here it is 2013 and
we are finishing up yet another record. That’s what we do we write
"songs" then record them and release them in any way which is
appropriate to the era.
Today its
vinyl, tomorrow it might be a glowing crystal cube that plugs into your
subconscious directly for a fully immersive simulation engagement. We will
likely be at the forefront of holography technologies as it’s made available in
the near futures. Everything will evolve.
Q) In your experience, how easy/difficult was it for I Klatus to
get coverage because you’re definitely offering something different and
difficult to pigeonhole? Lucas called
your music mad hatter music, about as straight forward
and knowable as a caucus race.
Woz: We will continue to craft our art for
the sake of art—not for fame or fortune.
If we continue to excel in being obscure, so be it. I’m not sure if that’s completely selfless or
selfish, but in our experience, the best results are derived when we make
sounds for ourselves.
Q) It might sound like stupid question, but is playing live
important to I Klatus, because touring can depend upon work commitments
etc? Often touring is the main source of
promoting your band. You’re also members of other notable bands such Lair of
the Minotuar, Indian, Yakuza? Is Kether
a record you intended to present live?
Tom: We have
played shows, and intend to play more shows. Arranging things around schedules
is always an issue, though we do pull it off, but have yet to get beyond the Midwest.
Perhaps that will change now that we will be focused more on the West Coast. As
we live and continue to write, the desire to perform our songs grows. We
performed a great deal of "Kether" at the record release show in Dec
2012. We hope to perform those songs more in the future.
Q) I think I’m correct in saying you released, this record
yourselves? Does this approach allow
more creative freedom and what was the gestation of this record like in terms
of its conception to realisation of the actual release?
Tom: It took
extra long to put it out ourselves and promote it ourselves. It would be nice
to have help; I think that would only lead to more room for creative
expression. However, it was nice to have absolute control over every aesthetic
element.
Q) Fittingly and poignantly you dedicated this record to Tariq
Ali, who tragically passed and includes some of posthumous recordings. It is the perfect epitaph. What are your thoughts now the record is out
there for public consumption? It is
certainly genre bending?
Tom: Genre
bending? I've always had trouble with rules. I am so glad that it is at least
out there and I hope that people come across it and are able to process it.
Q) Please, do not think about this too much, but if someone was
unfamiliar with your band, what words immediately spring to mind when you think
about your sound?
BEYONDCORE
Q) Tell us some of your influences/heroes both musically and
artistically, both metal and non-metal?
Do influence from your other bands manifest into ideas for this project
John: I would say the bands that most
influence the decision making of I Klatus are Neurosis, Buried at Sea, Burzum,
Warhorse, Drudkh, and Godflesh, as well as elements of Kundalini meditation,
Tibetan throat singing, and other chakra charging activities.
Woz:
It’s practically impossible for other band experiences to not bleed into
this one, but generally speaking, I think this project is quite different from
anything any of us are doing outside of I Klatus.
Q) It might sound like a
stupid question but, how important is the band’s chemistry when writing and
performing??
Tom-It’s as
essential as everything. Like the way you could not exist without your liver or
lungs, each on its own dies, yet while working together creates the living
biology that is you. So do the members of I Klatus work together and
chemistry/friendship is essential.
Q) What were your aims for Kether?
Tom: To be
the heaviest and to uplift the listener with embedded codes, frequencies and
tonal vibrations which we channelled for the purpose of healing and evolving the
human consciousness.
Q) I’m assuming all musician like to talk about the gear they use,
so with that in mind what do you use in terms of guitars, amps and why? Also
what tuning do you use?
Woz:
I’ve been using vintage Ludwig Vistalites for a while now. They just have a massive sound which works
well in all bands I play with, but especially this one.
Tom; The guitars are in Drop A with a Gibson
SG played through a variety of Frankenstein gear.
Q) Taking a more general view of the changes in the music industry
as a whole, what with illegal download and perhaps more pressure on mags to
feature ‘scene’ bands or bigger artists.
How valuable are blogs such as the Sludgelord to bands and artists
covering your music? Does all forms of media coverage translate to people
buying merch, downloading music etc, coming to shows?
Woz: Unfortunately, these days there isn’t
much that translates into people buying or showing up for anything. The market is flooded. There’s much to dig through, and many chances
to be taken, just to find something that resonates with you musically. On the flip side, with so many physical and
virtual outlets, it’s now possible for anyone to have a fair shot at putting
their music out there, or having an opportunity to get on stage. Same goes for blogs. There’s quite a few of them out there—some
good and some bad—and literally anyone can start one. But without question, it’s a resource that
the community is becoming increasingly reliant upon, so thank you for that.
Q) Quick fire question, what’s your preference? Cassette, CD, Digital Download or Vinyl? And
why?
Woz:
Anything but CD. It’s a dead
format. We’ve accepted this fact. I’m hoping we can make a completely analog
recording in the future, in some very meaningful location. I’d like to capture all the extra-dimensional
information that can will its way onto analog media. We would of course not introduce any digital
filtering along the way, so this information can be assessed by the end user.
Q) As music fans yourselves and given that music seems to be so
disposal at times, how important for you was it to present a great package for
the release of your record? The vinyl
release is a stunning ltd ed Vinyl.
Woz: That’s part of the vinyl experience, in
my opinion. It gives the listener some
amount of visual stimulation to enjoy whilst playing the album. As you alluded to earlier, visuals are fundamental
to this band’s M.O., so we approach album art as a consolidated means of
delivering visuals to folks outside of our live experience.
Q) What sets you apart from your peers and what are your thoughts
about being part of any scene?
Tom: I would
say we are part of the doom scene I hope. , That’s where I spend the most time,
although you never know. I write to appeal to the sacred tones of the Doom;
there is something very significant there. If anything, I think we are imagining
the same thing as most doom bands, that heavy crushing sonic worship which is
so rare to find, yet soothes a tortured so to a level of almost clarity,
purity. A perfection of amp driven pain. However, we are all from the
Southside, which keeps us from getting too caught up in anything. We remember
that we are lucky to be able to play, instead of falling into just getting a
job with the city.
Q) Do you learn anything about yourselves in terms of the bands
you play with in terms of recording and touring, does that affect how you
approach writing material?
Woz:
Of course, without question. As
we’ve mentioned, our live activity has been limited, but we’ve played with some
amazing bands over the years. We’ve
really vibed off of some of them, and that undoubtedly is reflected in our
studio and stage performances.
Q) Did you have an agenda when you began writing the new record?
For example a band might want more of the crunch, less of psychedelic type
approach or just get together and jam?
Tom: I was intentional
about being as heavy as possible. For whatever reason, it translates through my
brain as layers of sonic which can be called psychedelic. Whatever the result,
even with the tribal parts, the theme was always to BE HEAVY. It is a rare gift
as we float on this ball of Rock through infinite space that we here on Earth
alone in the vastness of the massive cosmos without end, are able to conjure
and endure the heavy tones, and twisted synthesized perceptions where none
other existed in all of known creation. It’s an obligation.
Q) Do you have any interesting stories from your tours, favourite
places you’ve toured and bands you’ve toured with or bands you’d like to share
the stage with?
Woz: I’ve learned from John that with some 2
x 4’s and a sheet of particle board, one can transform an ordinary cargo van
into a compartmentalized living and storage space. And when one is offered a place to stay for
the night on tour, only to discover that the gracious hosts cannot control the
extensive feline population in said domicile, the van in the driveway becomes a
viable option for sanctuary and rest.
Even in sub-freezing temperatures.
Q). Reflecting upon your time together as a band, what have been
some of the high and low point in your careers.
Woz: Losing Tariq was definitely the lowest
point for us, both personally and as a group.
It’s a huge loss, but this album serves as a lasting tribute to our
fallen brother. With that said, the
completion of Kether is our high point.
For me, personally, this is the most important album I’ve ever helped to
create.
Q) Thanks for answering my questions, but one final question, you
got anything you like to say to your fans?
Thank you, it’s been a pleasure. We’d only like to say “thank you” to our
fans.
As ever, show your support to the band by checking them out at the various links and buying their merch. This record is available now on Dble vinyl here. Thanks to Tom, Woz and John, collectively I Klatus. Thanks to EarSplit for setting it up.
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