Vorhex Angel is a new psychedelic noise rock band, currently a power trio made up of Jake and Jamin Orrall (of Jeff The Brotherhood) and Kunal Prakash. Today marks the release of their debut studio LP, 'HEAVENLY,' which right now is available digitally exclusively through Nina. The band’s blasted musical language is indebted to, among other inputs, the long history of Japanese psych and noise music. No doubt, the sonics on Heavenly are quite unhinged. It’s a welcome hit, sure to peel the digital paint off of your laptop screen. Read our interview with Jake Orrall and Prakash—and listen to Heavenly, ideally very loud—below.

Why did you decide to start Vorhex Angel? What can you do in this band that you can’t do in JEFF The Brotherhood?

Kunal: We recorded Heavenly in spring of 2023 if I remember correctly. Going into the sessions I was thinking that we were working on a new JtB album, but it quickly became clear we were doing something else. To me, the playing in this band feels fresh. Everyone is able to take chances and try things that aren’t within the self-imposed borders that bands tend to make for themselves. From another angle, there aren’t over a dozen albums worth of audience expectations to contend with, since Vorhex Angel is still just a wee babe so we feel quite free to explore.

The band has been a bit elusive for its first few years. What have you been cooking up?

Kunal: There are a lot of recordings for a group that is spread between three coasts: studio, live, ancient, futurist, loud and quiet. We’re lucky to have found some true believers that are helping us figure out what to do with them and that has kept us busy. 

Could you talk a bit about the Vorhex Angel live experience? I heard some sort of staging is involved? Mylar blankets?

Kunal: We try to excite all the senses when we can. In the past this has included pre-performance snack offerings, burning things, extreme volumes, pitch darkness, and strobe lights. We leave the touching part up to the audience for legal/ethical purposes. If anyone has a cheaper and more packable way to quickly transform a stage than space blankets please let us know.

What is “Spring” about?

Jake: The lyrics are inspired by a poem by Hsieh Ling-yun (385-433 C.E.)  

Is there a secret weapon to achieving the Vorhex Angel sound?

Kunal: In the words of Acid Mothers Temple: Do Whatever You Want, Don’t Do Whatever You Don’t Want!! 

You all have fairly varied backgrounds in music. What is the thing that connects you all when you are playing together?

Kunal: Jake and Jamin have been making music together their whole lives and I’ve been in on lots of it for 10 plus years now so there are a lot of shared instincts and trust in the room when we’re together. I think that allows us all to more fully commit to the bit whether in the studio or on stage.

Put us on to some cutty Japanese noise rock. Any new bands doing it for you right now?

Kunal: I’m not the most up to date on the new new. We got to play with Acid Mothers Temple last year which was awesome. They are still going strong as ever. DMBQ is another band that’s been around for a long time and is still rocking extremely hard. And if Michio Kurihara is playing guitar on anything, sign me up.

Jake: Hyrax Temple, Attack Th’Spell, 割礼, FEER, この気配 封じられてる 創まりに. Basically anything coming out of the Hyrax Temple scene.

What is the official snack and beverage of Vorhex Angel?

Kunal: Black licorice.

Jake: Kalimotxo’s.

Photo Credit: Emily Quirk