-
XLR8R's TOP TEN for SEPT 08
[+ Show ]
Wunderbugg
Written in Flesh
Self-Released
Release Date: Out Now
#7 out of Ten
It's tough to ... Wunderbugg
Written in Flesh
Self-Released
Release Date: Out Now
#7 out of Ten
It's tough to craft moving music with lyrics. It's even harder to do that with a laptop and no words, but that is precisely what this Seattle-based three-piece has done. Written in Flesh travels through an array of programmed rhythms (4/4, shuffle, 2-step, to name a few) and synth-generated melodies, all tightly arranged and hovering over a sense of deep sadness, with nary a word needed to convey the latter. JM
***Wunderbugg was the only self-released artist on this list.
-
SeattleConcerts.com Concert Review
[+ Show ]
Seattle also has a burgeoning club scene, but it's struggling against the tide. The dance halls and ...Seattle also has a burgeoning club scene, but it's struggling against the tide. The dance halls and private bars of the city have a vibrant crowd eager for innovation, but I don't think that innovation has really manifested yet. The key to pumping new life into the Seattle club circuit is its hidden wealth of live performers and talented DJ's. Take Wunderbugg, for instance. This colorful collection of talent has enough enthusiasm to light up Seattle's seven hills and the performing chops to back it up. Now some savvy club owner just needs to hire these folks to be their house band.
Wunderbugg's set at Club Heaven oozed effort. Complete with flashy costumes, a programmed light show and engaging audience patter, this group needs the Saturday night crowds that have had to get by on the Top 40 and the dance standards of the past decade for too long. They play a variety of music I'd like to dub Smart Club, an immanently danceable style that leans on its capable mix masters and revels in its theatricality like a neon-tinted Fremont Parade. It's the perfect music for the newer, shinier Seattle that's rising up in the form of Green skyscrapers downtown and effete boutiques on Capitol Hill. The grunge days are over. It's time to start dancing.
-
SKOPE MAGAZINE
[+ Show ]
3.5 out of 4 stars
Transgradulate is a made up term
that roughly means “to graduate into a new...3.5 out of 4 stars
Transgradulate is a made up term
that roughly means “to graduate into a new phase of life with joyâ€.
The meaning definitely stacks up to the new record as these three
musicians combine many different musical elements. The overall sound is quite different yet very fresh.
The band is made up of Whidden Flores on keyboards & drum machines, Lorin Atzen on drum machines & FX and Ani Johnson on vocals. Johnson recently
graduated from Cornish College of Arts as she once sang with the Seattle Opera and even backed up Janet Jackson. Flores, on the other hand, has been hittin’ those keys for 18 years and has even trained with Grammy artist, Julie Bonk. Atzen is a pure wiz at the turntable creating such creative sounds/sound effects.
The music on Transgradulate definitely has a techno vibe, but with a danceable pop groove. There are even elements of trance and electro-rock thanks to Whidden’s style of playing on the keyboard and drum machines. Wunderbugg seem to have created a virtual world full of wonder
& excitement.
One aspect that really floored me is that Wunderbugg took a techno, dance beat and added vocals to the mix that gave it that pop appeal. Pushing the envelope within the realm of techno, electronic and DJ music is the
obvious premise here. I must say also that Ani Johnson’s vocals seem
to add a nice layer and dimension to the overall picture. Johnson’s
singing ability is impressive contributing a wonderful pitch and melody to the final recording.
My favorite element on the record is the mixing of so many diverse
sounds. The audio visual is quite immense with an array of unique sound effects. You get a taste of a hypnotic/trippy state along with a
robotic/space-like feel during certain tracks. Overall, the drum
machines hit hard and their presence on the record is overly plush. In the end, I’m impressed with Wunderbugg’s original twisting of beats & music. Music that you can dance to, groove to, think to and even sing to
are all relevant here on Transgradulate.
-
PROGRESSION MAGAZINE
[+ Show ]
The new "Seattle Sound"? That's what the members of Wunderbugg are suggesting. From the ba...
The new "Seattle Sound"? That's what the members of Wunderbugg are suggesting. From the band's bio: "Wunderbug has had to do what Nirvana did in the early 90's; to make their own scene and draw the mainstream to them- and they have. They not only won over the crowd, they won over the skeptical as well...."
There's definitely a fresh-sounding vibe afoot here- like what might happen if Mike Oldfield and Jean-Michel Jarre decided to "get down" at a rave party. The band comprises a lady named Whidden Flores on key, drum machines and samplers along with Nick Evans on keys and drum machines. Together, they lay down soundscape foundations- sometimes symphonically majestic, sometimes spacey and ethereal- over wich melodic synth leads dip and soar while catchy (mostly danceable) rhythms set the pace.
Sometimes, as on "Last Lullaby of a Fallen Conquistador," the pumping rhythms defer to melodic flow, confirming that Wunderbugg is much more than just a DJ duo with a twist. These kids are definitely going places, and not only around Seattle.
-
NeuFutur Magazine Review
[+ Show ]
TRANSGRADULATE 2009 by James
“Sick Wrong World” is one of the most interesting tracks to be hea...TRANSGRADULATE 2009 by James
“Sick Wrong World” is one of the most interesting tracks to be heard
on “Transgradulate”, meaning that there is a definite step taken to
craft a rich foundation that later parts of the track can then work off
of. When the vocals do finally enter into the equation, there is a
darker, more earthy feel to “Sick Wrong World” that touches on a
number of different genres and styles. This means that there are nods to
both eighties and nineties goth music, while hints of The Cranberries,
Suzanne Vega, and Tori Amos all can be heard at different points here.
The vocals are even more impressive considering the fact that they
further the intricacy of the arrangements present in the track, providing
listeners with a constantly-shifting track that will require a number of
listens before listeners can be sure that they fully understand what the
band has laid down. “Dream Catcher” starts out with a very early
eighties veneer, tying together “People Are People”-era Depeche Mode
with Philip Glass neo-classical and Utah Saints dance touches. Again,
where Wunderbugg shines the brightest during “Transgradulate” would
have to be in the instrumental side of things. The vocals, when they are
present, bring things to a higher level but there is no discounting how
rich of a story that the instrumentation on the title provides listeners.
Each song on “Transgradulate” will impress fans , regardless of whom
their favorite artists may be.
“Dream Catcher” can work on a Madonna, DJ Sammy, or even an
Eurhythmics or New Order level. “Pandora’s Box” continues the
strong trend of tracks going, with a little bit of Middle Eastern
influence scattered around the introduction to the track providing
further tools for Wunderbugg’s toolbox. The track’s five-plus minute
runtime goes by quickly, as a number of twists and turns will lead
listeners to a point that is significantly different than where they
started the track; give special attention to the Herbie Hancock-like
dedication to unique time signatures here. Finally, check out the titular
track for a track that simultaneously exists in the past, current, and
future; there is a density of composition here that rivals that of even
“Sick Wrong World”. The distinctive, unique sound of Wunderbugg is
cultivated through the entirety of “Transgradulate”: a few full
listeners to the CD will show listeners the same beauty and brilliance
that I am trying to impart with this review. Check the band out around
Washington and Nevada in August.
Top Track: Dream Catcher
Rating: 8.4/10
Wunderbugg – Transgradulate / 2009 Self /
http://www.myspace.com/wunderbuggispimp
WRITTEN IN FLESH 2008
The electronic, industrial sound of Wunderbugg’s “Written In Flesh”
unities ambient music with a darker component, speaking to more than many singularly-focused albums would normally. While there is nothing in the way of vocals to be had during this opening salvo, Wunderbugg is able to create a narrative that leads strongly through “3molecules Away” and
into “Infected With Hope”. “Infected With Hope” still has hints
of this ambient sound, but the drum sequencing brings with it a
mid-nineties, dance sound. The more chill composition exhibited during “Infected With Hope” expands Wunderbugg’s horizons, as well as ensuring that listeners will be unsure where Wunderbugg will go next.
“Unsaid” adds a guitar-like component to Wunderbugg’s repertoire, initializing the track with a chiaroscuro between the relatively lighter guitar component and the deeper, darker sounds of the bells. The one thread that individuals will be able to discern are the ambient feeling to the track, which plays at the edge of the track throughout its
runtime. What Wunderbugg does during “Written In Flesh” is create
something out of a tired and beat-down genre that is sterling and shiny. Each of the tracks on “Written In Flesh” contribute something more to the entire story that Wunderbugg is trying to tell, ensuring that listeners that begin with “3molecules Away” will stick with the disc all the way until Wunderbugg finishes up with “Never Enough Time”. “Heartworm” is perhaps the strongest track on “Written In Flesh”, starting off with a percussion that mimics the first half of the title.
The piano-like twinkling at the top of the track creates another
interpretation to the “heart” in the title, speaking to a relationship. More so than providing a narrative, “Heartworm” also showcases the spontaneity of Wunderbugg. This means that there are a number of intricate time signatures, including some that would normally doom a lesser artist into qa clunky morass. The allure of Wunderbugg here
is that the band is able to link everything together and make a cohesive and coherent track with the results. No matter if one likes industrial, rock, jazz, or electronic and ambient music, there is something here to appreciation. Wunderbugg’s efforts on “Written In Flesh” is something that is truly timeless; make it a point to pick up “Written in Flesh” on CDBaby, Itunes, Amazon, or countless other methods of physical and digital distribution.
7.8 out of ten
-
Bulls Eye Magazine Review
[+ Show ]
On Written in Flesh Wunderbugg has created an electronic mix of
impressive proportions. A little el...On Written in Flesh Wunderbugg has created an electronic mix of
impressive proportions. A little electroclash here, a smidgen of ambient there, some dance and house beats sprinkled throughout. “3 Molecules Away” opens the album on a fuzzy, jagged note where the sublime mixes with the crunch of synths whirring away. “Infected with Hope” sounds
like its title might suggest; an ethereal space-age sort of breezy groove with a bit of a dark undertone running down the middle. “Heartworm” approaches the New Age side of the yard, and “Overdose No. 5” features raging beats that would please any of those 140 BPM and higher fans. Like many electronic-based groups, Wunderbugg’s repertoire doesn’t come off entirely clean over the course of this album, but what’s good here is very solid, indeed. It just seems a little faceless
at times.
3.5 stars
-
ReGen Magazine
[+ Show ]
Enveloping the listener in a blanket of frigid ambience and expansive solos, Wunderbugg's debut hark...Enveloping the listener in a blanket of frigid ambience and expansive solos, Wunderbugg's debut harkens back to a more adventurous time in experimental electronica.
Despite its somewhat bloodily suggestive title, Written in Flesh, the debut album from Wunderbugg actually resonates with expansive ambient energies and deceptively simple yet danceable rhythmic arrangements that will certainly put some listeners in the mind of early '90s IDM and experimental electronica. One need only listen to the cloudy atmospheres and chilly textures of "Infected with Hope" to notice similarities to Autechre's early work, particularly the Amber album, with layers of beacon-like arpeggios and almost Oriental-esque melodies drifting in and out of the mix like specters in a dream. "Unsaid" is another notable track, with a distorted solo that, not unlike many film scores of the '80s, almost mimics a guitar - or perhaps it is a guitar, who can say? - augmented by a simple but slightly off-time series of drum loops and synth backdrops that sound like church bells on Christmas morning, reverberating into an all-encompassing sonic cavalcade. And then you have a track like "Heartworm," in which once again the rhythms take the occasional off-kilter slants while a pensive piano underscores a simple progression of oscillating pads, while "Naked" takes on a bit of an aggressive edge with a hardened drumbeat, searing synth leads that unfortunately sound somewhat preset, though effective all the same, and taken into even more ethereal territory by an almost Mellotron-like chorale. Ending things on a much more trancelike note is "Never Enough Time;" with its succession of wavy synths, progressively minded keyboard solos, and a simple electro beat, it's the kind of track that would please electronic music enthusiasts and the dance crowd alike. While the interplay between Whidden Flores, Nick Evans, and Lorin Antzen creates a lush and icy bedrock of soothing energies, one of the glaring issues some may have with the album is that the sound is almost too big for their precious ears to handle. It's certainly not an indication of bad production or mastering, but rather that the band's sound could do with a little scrutiny so as not to envelop the listener into too frigid an audio landscape. Be that as it may, Wunderbugg does well to merge elements of progressive trance, ambient, and early IDM in such a way that experimental electronica as a whole would do well to pay credence.
-
SEATTLE PI
[+ Show ]
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/337664_postcard02.html
**please go to link to access full ar...http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/337664_postcard02.html
**please go to link to access full article.
-
Wildy's World ezine
[+ Show ]
From the Emerald City came a band full of power and light, driven by all that was good in electronic...From the Emerald City came a band full of power and light, driven by all that was good in electronic music. They would raise up with improvisational tenor the bounds of music and lift the consciousness of all who heard them. And they would be called Wunderbugg. Wunderbugg is the dream child of keyboardist Whidden Flores, who conceptualized the band several years ago at the tender age of fourteen. Joined by pianist/engineer Nick Evans and MIDI/effects processing wunderkind Lorin Atzen, Whidden leads us though ethereal and sometimes concentric musical patterns on the Wunderbugg's debut album, Written In Flesh.
Mixing in the usual rhythmic devices, Wunderbugg goes for something of a live band sound between two players of the keys. The band has been building a significant buzz in Seattle as an Indie, and has garnered significant recognition. More importantly, Wunderbugg has quite a heady list of fans, including Deep Forest, Scum Of The Earth, Mike Garson (David Bowie, NIN) and Mike Koglin (Gatecrashers/Creamfields). They've managed to fill venues in Seattle that are generally beyond the reach of any Indie band.
I am not going to discuss highlight tracks in depth here, as each listener will find their own groove that they identify with, but I will say that Last Lullaby Of A Fallen Conquistador is sheer genius. The song manages to convey heart and emotion, things that are all too often lost in electronic music. This is the must sublime talent that Wunberbugg brings to the table - an ability to feel and live through their music. It is this talent more than any other that allows them to touch the listener.
Written In Flesh rises above the crowded pack of Electronic music releases in 2008 to declare that it’s something special. We recommend you listen. Wunderbugg is in fine form.
Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)
-
www.rocknetwebzine.com
[+ Show ]
Sometimes CDs wind up on my desk and I pop them in the player and go what the fuck? Then I look at t...Sometimes CDs wind up on my desk and I pop them in the player and go what the fuck? Then I look at these people and decide that I like this guy's wacked out sneakers because my fashion taste runs that way and I listen to this CD some more. These guys are definitely psychedelic. And you don't even need to take LSD to find you dig some of this shit. The music is definitely eclectic and a bit different from what I usually listen to but this is good. The songs are varied and each one definitely tugs at you. If you're in the mood for something totally out of this world and not the usual stuff you listen to, put this disc in and give it a spin. Hell, you might even see yourself in one of these songs.
-
Wunderbugg's TRANSGRADULATE
[+ Show ]
Sick Wrong World is one of the most interesting tracks to be heard on 'Transgradulate', meaning th...Sick Wrong World is one of the most interesting tracks to be heard on 'Transgradulate', meaning that there is a definite step taken to craft a rich foundation that later parts of the track can then work off of. When the vocals do finally enter into the equation, there is a darker, more earthy feel to 'Sick Wrong World' that touches on a number of different genres and styles. This means that there are nods to both eighties and nineties goth music, while hints of The Cranberries, Suzanne Vega, and Tori Amos all can be heard at different points here.
The vocals are even more impressive considering the fact that they further the intricacy of the arrangements present in the track, providing listeners with a constantly-shifting track that will require a number of listens before listeners can be sure that they fully understand what the band has laid down. 'Dream Catcher' starts out with a very early eighties veneer, tying together People Are People-era Depeche Mode with Philip Glass neo-classical and Utah Saints dance touches. Again, where Wunderbugg shines the brightest during "Transgradulate" would have to be in the instrumental side of things. The vocals, when they are present, bring things to a higher level but there is no discounting how rich of a story that the instrumentation on the title provides listeners. Each song on "Transgradulate" will impress fans , regardless of whom their favorite artists may be.
"Dream Catcher" can work on a Madonna, DJ Sammy, or even an Eurhythmics or New Order level. Pandora's Box" continues the strong trend of tracks going, with a little bit of Middle Eastern influence scattered around the introduction to the track providing further tools for Wunderbugg's toolbox. The track's five-plus minute runtime goes by quickly, as a number of twists and turns will lead listeners to a point that is significantly different than where they started the track; give special attention to the Herbie Hancock-like dedication to unique time signatures here. Finally, check out the titular track for a track that simultaneously exists in the past, current, and future; there is a density of composition here that rivals that of even 'Sick Wrong World'. The distinctive, unique sound of Wunderbugg is cultivated through the entirety of "Transgradulate": a few full listeners to the CD will show listeners the same beauty and brilliance that I am trying to impart with this review. Check the band out around Washington and Nevada in August.
Top Track: Dream Catcher
Rating: 8.4/10
Wunderbugg “ Transgradulate / 2009 Self / www.myspace.com/wunderbuggispimp
supersonic
