Though experimental doom trio I Klatus—drummer Chris Wozniak, bassist John Bomher, and guitarist/vocalist/visual artist Tom Denney—hail from Chicago, the trio’s latest full-length, Targeted, was apparently written and recorded in and inspired by the soggy Pacific Northwest, specifically the small Cascade Mountains town of Snoqualmie, Washington, just northeast of Seattle. The track we’re premiering, “Solstice of Wind,” definitely reflects the creepy seclusion of the area, with its off-kilter and haunting instrumentation and vocalizations.
Backed by a thrumming tribal beat and whirring bullroar, the band build a growing cacophony of voices—male and female (courtesy of Valentina Levchenko)—and back it with echoey, feedback-laden guitar work and effected cello courtesy of Helen Money (aka Alison Chesley). More of a noisescape/soundscape than a “song,” “Solstice of Winds” sounds like it was made for an episode of Twin Peaks.
“Air as an element is often associated with breath, life, communication and the holy spirit connection. The solstice is when a star reaches its solar maximum. As far as we are concerned here on Earth, the Sun is our Lord, governing agriculture and survival. We revere and celebrate the abundance of life it brings. The tribal drums and ancient sonic tools (such as the bullroar) used to make the rhythmic patterns of this song symbolize the breath of life, a petition to the Lord. The lyrics channel the chaos energy of the dragon, a war cry. A vow to conquer the unknown and to meet the challenges of daily survival through the breath and the beat; petitioning the light to awaken the dawn of actualization. We beat the drums in hopes to open a portal to a place of reverence. An altar where the sonic ritual brings us to timelessness, which may end our suffering.”
Targeted is set for release digitally and a limited cassette run on April 1 via the band’s own Dead Sage label. You can place a pre-order here.
