wolves in sheepskin - indecent vibrations

Wolves In Sheepskin

Indecent Vibrations
self-released; 2013

3.6 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Stryder Rymer and Christophe Bassett started a project called Wolves in Sheepskin, which is an improvisational collective out of San Marcos, CA that recently released a four-song EP entitled Indecent Vibrations.  The songs on this EP are not for the faint of heart. They are experimental, often harsh instrumental compositions that are gritty lo-fi explorations of sound. The sounds may be comparable to being on an alien planet talking a walking tour through the industrial district. Abrasive, often jarring sounds leap at you as if you are going through the cogs on the machine as the disorderly harmonic distortion create waves of white noise.

Indecent Vibrations begins with “Robot Intestines” which contains a steady kick drum that coincides with the sound of steam being blasted through a pipe. You can imagine the proletarian alien workers hitting steel with their archaic hammers. As the song progresses it becomes more chaotic as if the circuits have gone haywire and no one is really in any control of this machine. A meltdown seems imminent. 

The 17-minute “Flashback” has a little bit more space than its predecessor in which you are able to differentiate the distinct noises. This song lacks any kind of percussion that keeps it moving forward. Instead there is an onslaught of reverbations, feedback and distortion to keep you interested. “Aneurysm” is the ‘’I have done too much acid and it is turning bad” type of song that produces the most claustrophobic inducing sounds I may have ever heard. For those with anxiety attacks this track is ill advised. Listeners be warned and proceed with caution. The album closes with “Echoes Of A Distant Memory” which is a trudging concoction of dissonance and noise. Well what were you expecting?

There is a niche audience for this music. This is the opposite of pop music and it is at the threshold of what you might consider music. Will you enjoy it? There is no better way to find out by taking a listen for yourself.

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