Transmute

Transmute’s music speaks for itself. Just without words.

“We don’t have a lyricist or a vocalist, so sometimes it’s hard to interject meaning into the songs,” Joey Amspacher said. “But we do really love being an instrumental band.”

The Pensacola band incorporates many abstract sounds and unusual synth noises into their music, giving the songs a sometimes sci-fi sounding essence.

In the beginning of the song “Logos” off their EP “The Lema,” released last year, an older man’s voice can be heard, as though lecturing or giving a speech of some sort.

“The guy talking is a man named Alan Watts,” Amspacher said. “He’s a really smart dude and someone we all really like.”

Alan Watts was a British philosopher who was best known for discussing Eastern Philosophy. Another philosopher named Aleister Crowley can also be heard on the EP.

Transmute’s music brings a certain level of strangeness, but despite the ethereal other-worldly sounds that often resonates throughout the album.

“Sean Peterson recorded the album and he’s a friend of ours and a really nice guy,” Amspacher said. “And we have a really great synth player, and it’s just kind of his thing to come up with a lot of those sounds you hear on the record.”

Transmute will be playing their seventh show at Vinyl’s Local Showcase with Paloma, Pioneers! O Pioneers and Dinosaur Daze. Their first show was at the Break.

“It could have been much worse,” Amspacher said. “When you’re first starting out, you can’t be too picky.”

The crowd at the Break can be a tough one to please. Especially if there isn’t a cover song in sight, or a danceable beat to be heard.

Their set at Vinyl will include several things that they were unable to incorporate into their first show.

“We’ll have a huge screen with a few different projectors, a lot of extra visuals and lights that wouldn’t normally be there,” he said. “We want to try and have a well-rounded show with several elements to enjoy.”

And although the band doesn’t have any particular lyrics to follow or switch around, they appreciate structure in the set list.

“There are things we try to stay close to, although we will experiment a little with some of the sounds from the album,” Amspacher said. “We’ll be playing a lot of new stuff at this show though.”

Later in the year, the band is planning on releasing a new record, and then possibly touring the country.

“We’re just kind of feeling out the logistics of touring right now,” he said.

Touring and the possible new album aside, the band is just excited to be playing in Pensacola with their fellow musicians.

“Pensacola has a lot of really great bands and we’re just glad to be a part of it and to be highlighting it in a cool way,” Amspacher said.

VINYL’S LOCAL SHOWCASE
WHAT: Transmute with Paloma, Pioneers! O Pioneers and Dinosaur Daze
WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday, April 26
WHERE: Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox
COST: $5
DETAILS: vinylmusichall.com - Independent News