Killed By The Architects come out snarling on their venomous, unhinged new album Tabula Rasa — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Tabula rasa is the theory that individuals are born without built-in mental content, and therefore all knowledge comes from experience or perception. On their sophomore album, Killed By The Architects — the brainchild of singer-songwriter Jamie Berkes — further refine their post-punk sound while exploring topics regarding personal and societal strife and the inability to differentiate experience from perception in modern society. Tabula Rasa meanders in several musical subgenres while maintaining a cohesive vision, as Berkes masterfully crashes lo-fi atmospherics and heavy, expansive guitars against immersive melodies and emotionally charged vocals. Fans of challenging artists like Swans, DIIV, Car Seat Headrest and Joy Division will find gems in the darkness of Tabula Rasa.
Berkes was born and raised in rural Iowa, coming from a humble background. He moved to Chicago in 1998 to pursue a career in medicine, which he practises to this day — but music has always served a a guidepost in his life. In 2019, he decided to pursue his passion, although he didn’t know how to play an instrument. With the mentorship of Chicago artist and producer Antony Ablan, has created a unique blend of sound that is difficult to categorize, yet feels familiar. The music created by Killed By The Architects is the amalgamation of decades of musical influences and life experiences. It weaves narratives steeped in the darker side of reality.
Listen to Tabula Rasa below and follow Killed By The Architects on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
