In 2015, Ian Curtis Krist was working full time as an audio engineer in Seattle. While his professional pursuits were gratifying, they limited time spent on his own creative endeavors. Art is often defined by its limitations, and Krist was forced to be deliberate and intentional with what time he was able to spare writing music for Béret. In 2018, he made the decision to spend more time working on his own projects, which in part took him to Montréal. The result is an eerie and beautiful full-length LP titled Jesus White. You can hear the efficiency and directness of Krist's songwriting on the record. Krist's vocals are crisp and disembodied from the bed of noise cascading the depths of each song. The album scarcely features any drums, each track being patiently driven by atmospheric guitars. Only five songs into the record do drums make a striking appearance on “Book of Hera”. The skeletal and introspective songs recall The Velvet Underground as much as they do Béret's Canadian post-punk contemporaries like Preoccupations or Corridor. Equally apparent as his intentions are Krists veteran audio engineering abilities. The record is entirely self-recorded, exemplifying his rich understanding of space, which allows him to make his arrangements deep, nuanced, and three-dimensional. Each song is exceptionally mixed with each element audible and impactful it in its own way, luring the listener through the compositions.
Béret is Ian Kurtis Crist.