Killed By the Architects

Post-punk, industrial rock, and dark dreamy psych come together under a mood-setting lo-fi sonic aesthetic on Killed By the Architects' latest record Tabula Rasa. The project of multi-hyphenate Jamie Berkes finds the artist coalescing his sound into a captivating force. Part underground indie club and part bedroom introspective trip, this Chicago-based musician has stepped up his game considerably since his 2021 self-titled debut. The songs have a natural rhythm that rolls smoothly, the atmospherics have become more expansive yet also more attuned, and Berkes has really landed on his voice for the project. This blend of genres is finding some love in the '20s with emerging acts like Austin's 1st Base Runner crafting their sound from a similar brooding bop.

The album's title alludes to the Tabula Rasa theory that “individuals are born without built-in mental content, and therefore all knowledge comes from experience or perception. This is as opposed to “the doctrine of innatism, which holds that the mind is born already in possession of certain knowledge”. This “blank slate” postulate is at the core of the record as Berkes expounds on an existence of staunch self-determination. The first strike at innatism comes with the opener 'God Complex'. Massive hall reverb gives grandeur to the inexorably propulsive drums. Sinister guitar and bass slink up the walls as Berkes sneers with obstinance at the arrogance of supremacism.

North/South pumps to a quickened pace as air raid sirens roar in the background. There's a Peter Murphy-level nobility to his punky tangent. That 80s hop propels this upbeat murky throw-down. 'Can't Stop Myself' sounds as if Jane's Addiction was more warbled and run through a wash of reverb and echo. Songs like 'If I Don't Know What You Want', 'My Friend', and 'Soldier' play up the goth-pop elements for some shades drawn fun. The synths and guitars make the quirky choices in an aura designed to make the weirdos among us feel at home.

Late album standout 'Move Mountains' uses layer upon layer of echoes to conjure up a stirring typhoon of chaotic energy and brutish force. Intriguing in its unsettling tone, like a well-crafted suspense-horror score. Guitars occasionally peak above the fog to ring out in trumpeting mangled lines. A showcase of the beauty in dissonance and unease. The theme of all knowledge coming from experience is again on display in this ode to self-reliance.

Tabula Rasa is a powerful piece and a marked step forward for the project. Berkes has honed his sound and made his woozy aesthetic work for him. A moving, moody record with bold atmospherics to match.