Deaf Locust’s debut EP, Kakorrhaphiophobia, delivers four emotionally charged and meticulously arranged tracks that span alternative rock, doo-wop, darkwave, and experimental soundscapes laced with shades of post-metal and prog. Each piece reveals a different facet of influence, yet all converge in the same fearless creative spirit.
Out November 5, 2025
"What I enjoyed most is how Deaf Locust doesn’t pile on maximalism; there’s space in these tracks to breathe, reflect, and sense undercurrents. In an era of noisy overstimulation, this EP is a quiet win."
- Broken Color
"This EP feels like an artist reclaiming his creative voice and intentionally steering it into unexplored territory. Kakorrhaphiophobia aims for honesty, and in doing so, proves that a project this fearless can’t possibly fail."
- Music Review World
An introduction
Deaf Locust represents the latest evolution of NJ-based Singer/Musician/Composer Brian Gawaski (aka Ciem) - embarking on a creative path continuously shaped by transformation and reinvention. Brian channels his idiosyncratic blend of talents and experiences through nostalgic tones disguised beneath a forward-moving current — emerging from the depths of obscurity, into the light of now.
Delving Further
Deaf Locust crafts artfully entangled earworms through a lens that feels more cinematic than conventional, often pulling away from standard approaches to contemporary and traditional songwriting. While rooted in rock, the sound splinters into echoes of prog, retro pop, post-punk, metal, grunge, avant-classical, and doo-wop. These threads transform familiar textures into something stylistically unique and unpredictable.
At it's core, Deaf Locust is the ongoing sonic journey of lifelong musician Brian Gawaski (aka Ciem). His earlier chapter produced Lifelike Scenes (2010),
an experimental prog-metal album released under
The Ciem Show. Not long after, creativity fell silent—a pause that lasted more than a decade. Only in 2022 did inspiration begin to return, sharpening Brian’s original vision and rekindling the restless energy beneath his work.
This new incarnation leans less on technical spectacle and more on emotional resonance, seeking impact through atmosphere and intent rather than sheer complexity. Where it evolves from here remains uncertain—but as always, art bends to inspiration, and the path forward reveals itself only in motion.
Visual Stimuli
