Wyne Mum Apocalypto - Silence Is A No EP

Wyne Mum Apocalypto

Silence Is A No EP
self-released; 2017

​3.3 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Samuel Rafuse and Jesse Wilson are Wyne Mum Apocalypto. They recently released Silence Is A No EP. Right off the bat I have to say this is one of the most most lo-fi sounding albums I have heard.

The drums almost sound like just the reverb you might place on a kit; there are harsh noises that make it impossible to turn up and I couldn’t understand most of the lyrics. If there's any advice I have for them it is to learn and implement better production and engineering. There are plenty of  tools you can use within programs like Garageband that could help out home recording with some basic know-how.

They open with an instrumental song entitled “Projects.” He picks a guitar progression and pretty soon a drum beat comes in. I’m not sure what was going on with the timing but something seemed off. The song soon revolves around basic strummed chords and  the same beat. That's about it. That being said it has a good energy. 

There should be a warning with “I’m An Astronaut” because it’s around 4-5 dbs louder than the opener with a lot of high frequencies around the 10k range. I really couldn't make out much because the guitar masks the other elements. In addition to that the vocals are covered in reverb. At its best the song has comparison to Joy Division and early Sonic Youth. I liked the vibe.

It’s funny because the issues are exactly the opposite on the next song. “Arriving” is a bit experimental and ambient if you want to call it that. There is no separation between the elements and it is mostly over run with distorted frequencies. 

They close with “Silence Is A No” which seems to be an attempt at post-rock. The band uses orchestral synths towards the beginning. Around the seven-minute-mark it is jarringly interrupted by a raw recording of a guitar. From then on the song felt like a ball of white noise. Luckily, I like white noise.

Every song on this EP had a different feel. They call themselves a post-rock band but the only song that was within post-rock territory was “Silence Is A No.” I say this with love that more than anything the band needs to get better recording the next time around. For right now they are a case of wait and see.

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