Jacob Felix Heule is an improvising drummer and multi-instrumentalist whose music spans the spectrum from overwhelming brutality to reductionist austerity. Free improv, noise, black metal and gamelan all have influenced his aesthetic and technique.

The child of musically adventurous parents, Jacob grew up listening to Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart, and later developed a particular fondness for Throbbing Gristle and Merzbow. Becoming involved in noncommercial radio in 1999 expanded his musical interests to include the aforementioned genres and beyond. At that point, Jacob began to realize the full potential for the instrumental abilities he had developed while drumming in punk bands and playing alto sax in school, and he has relentlessly pursued his continually-expanding vision ever since.

Jacob primarily works in small groups with double bassist Tony Dryer, and his dual drum+sax brutal improv/acoustic grind duo, Ettrick. He has played in small group situations with James Plotkin, C Spencer Yeh, Jack Wright, Weasel Walter, Sarah Cathers & Sarah Bernat (16 Bitch Pile-Up), Aaron Hibbs (Sword Heaven), Marc Edwards, Moe Staiano, David Lim (Tralphaz), Liz Allbee, Jorge Boehringer, Jake Rodriguez (Bran Pos), Havard Skaset & Guro Skumsnes Moe (Art Directors), David Slusser, Elliott Levin, Tim Wyskida (Khanate), Ryan Jewell, Ed Chang, Jacob Lindsay, Corey Fogel (Gowns), Ava Mendoza, and Kanoko Nishi. Jacob has attended private lessons and master classes with Gino Robair, Han Bennink, John Butcher, Marilyn Crispell and Mats Gustafsson.

San Francisco free-improv mutant Jacob Felix Heule sounds like Dolphy but wants to roll with Darkthrone, playing icky jazz-noise with the dark soul of a church-torchin' black metal Viking overlord. -- CMJ