Nerdcore Meets Steampunk in The John Henry Complex

Musical preferences are subjective. We all have our own individual tastes. No matter our tastes, whether it be rock, rap, country and so on, I think we can all agree on one thing. Concept albums are awesome. I have never met a concept album that I didn't like. From the rock opera of The Who's Tommy to the Mega Man back story of The Protomen's Act I and Act II albums, concept albums are freaking awesome.

So when the founder and head honcho of independent not-for-profit Scrubclub Records, and friend of GeekDad, MadHatter, informed me of his new concept album project, I had to share it with all of you. Maybe I don't own enough music, or haven't looked at enough album covers, but not since 1978's Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds concept album have I thought, "hey, that's kind of Steampunk." So clearly, this project is kind of Steampunk. It's also nerdcore hip-hop, which should be very interesting to say the least.

The project is called The John Henry Complex and combines the legend of sledgehammer wielding John Henry with the intricate steam powered world of Steampunk. Toss in some beats created with a creative myriad of instruments (or non-instruments used as instruments) and you have a nerdcore concept album like no other. Since the project is just getting started, I figured it best to let Hatter explain it to you in his words, prompted by my questions.

GeekDad: John Henry is an interesting character with a lot of background, but like many other characters, his tale is considered a myth. With all the mythological or even real heroes out there, how and why did you come up with John Henry as your subject matter? Why not Doc Holiday or Joan of Arc?

Hatter: I've always loved and admired the John Henry mythos because you have one person that simply refuses to give in, no matter the consequences, even if it kills him. To me, I've turned it into a story of a man that sees a whole industry about to change, all of his people are about to be put out of work, all of their families' lives are about to change if this mechanical worker replaces them. So he's damned and determined to beat this machine to prove the human worth and the ability to get the job done in a superior fashion. In the end, he beats that machine, but he worked so hard to do it that he lays down his hammer and dies.

I see this whole story as a fantastic metaphor for the music industry... trying to clamp it's greedy claws into art that has once again been put into the hands of the independent people, not the corporations. I'll fight for that right, and I'll do it, even if it takes the last bit of strength I have to stand up for the not-for-profit mission of Scrub Club Records. That's why it's called the John Henry Complex, because I've got a serious case of that determination.

P.S. - Milla Jovovich was a totally hot Joan of Arc.

GeekDad: So the Steampunk aspect of your project was clearly inspired by the whole machinery aspect I'm guessing, or how exactly did you work Steampunk into the story concept and not just the machines?

Hatter: John Henry isn't prominently a Steampunk story, even thought the time line almost fits perfectly. I think it is a PERFECT basis for an awesome Steampunk chronicle, though. Too often, Steampunk focuses on the airship captains and the Dandies in their floating mansions and the clockwork automatons of war. But I love the aspect that doesn't get much of a focus - the common men, women, and children during these fictional times. Factory workers, railway (hell, even skyway) workers, the people of the street-level ghettos with self-made vehicles and prosthetic limbs trying to survive while the rich smoke expensive tobacco from other reaches of the globe high up in the skyscrapers above. In a world rapidly becoming aware of new science, it's people like John Henry that are the perfect Steampunk hero... a man with soot in his lungs from living near massive coal plants, still able to beat machines at their own game, the last spark of true humanity.

GeekDad: You are a hip-hop artist, but work with many artists across several genres of nerdcore. On this concept album, what can we expect from the music and lyrics? Anything that we've never seen before? Some awesome concept album surprises in store?

Hatter: The lyrics will be scripted from the lower levels of civilization as I've mentioned. You will hear a lot about the common man banding together to fight for their rights and the welfare of their families. You will witness the unbreakable human spirit, even in the shadows of a corporation-ran government. You will find themes of science fiction, war, community, justice, anarchy, and morals. It's certainly going to be a brand new mix of Hip Hop lyricism mixed with historical topics.

The music itself was done by Pelicaine!einhander, and is mostly Hip-Hop based, meaning it has catchy, hard-driving, percussive beats. However, instead of synthesized drum machines and keyboards, all of the instruments could be found before the year the album takes place - 1894. We're talking giant symphony bass drums. Timpani's. Pipe organs. Accordions. Violins. Electric shocks. The hiss of steam. Rail spikes being hammered. The march of work boots. It's a Hip Hop feel, but with a completely new sound. The flow will also be primarily Hip Hop, but there will be some rock-type vocals as well as barbershop quartet-style singing. This kind of sound has never been attempted before, but strangely, it all compliments itself with the theme

GeekDad: Compare the real John Henry to the pretend one in the Superman universe. Which one would kick the other one's ass?

Hatter: Haha, this is a fun question since Steel (John Henry Irons) is pretty much the only Superman I've ever liked. Let me just say real quick, though, that I grinned real large when you said "The REAL John Henry." This is why I love this legend. Was it real? Was it just a story? Honest history tells us it could have happened either way. It excited me that I get to keep the story alive. Okay, now, as for your question - Steel WITHOUT his power armor that gives him all his natural abilities would be so much like the other John Henry that instead of fighting, they would probably join forces and topple something evil. Or go have beans, cornbread, and a beer. because aren't such finer things in life better than beefing with each other?

Overall, and based on Hatter's enthusiasm for the project, The John Henry Complex sounds like it's going to be a ground breaking concept album - especially since it will actually be an album. As Hatter mentioned, it will be released on Vinyl. If you want to learn more about the project, or even contribute to get the project going (with some pretty cool rewards for doing so) check out the project page over at Kickstarter.

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Image Credit: Scrubclub Records
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