Snakedrill
Encyclopedia
Snakedrill was an EP
released by Wire
in 1986. The album features the return of the band after their five-year hiatus, and foreshadows their extensive use of electronic instrumentation on following albums, particularly on "'A Serious of Snakes...'", which contains multiple layered synth and keyboard parts.
The most well-known track on this release is "Drill", which was the first song written by Wire post-hiatus. The song is an exercise in "monophonic
, monorhythmic repetition"; the guitar part primarily consists of muted rhythmic scratching, while the drum beat is a semi-static four on the floor
played almost entirely on hi-hat
and kick drum. Live, the song was the band's springboard for improvisation, and would often mutate in beat and melody, occasionally stretching out to as long as 30 minutes. "Drill" is often cited as an influence on and early precursor to minimal techno
and other minimalistic dance sub-genres.
The entire EP is now included in the form of bonus tracks on The Ideal Copy
.
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
released by Wire
Wire (band)
Wire are an English rock band, formed in London in October 1976 by Colin Newman , Graham Lewis , Bruce Gilbert , and Robert Gotobed...
in 1986. The album features the return of the band after their five-year hiatus, and foreshadows their extensive use of electronic instrumentation on following albums, particularly on "'A Serious of Snakes...'", which contains multiple layered synth and keyboard parts.
The most well-known track on this release is "Drill", which was the first song written by Wire post-hiatus. The song is an exercise in "monophonic
Monophony
In music, monophony is the simplest of textures, consisting of melody without accompanying harmony. This may be realized as just one note at a time, or with the same note duplicated at the octave . If the entire melody is sung by two voices or a choir with an interval between the notes or in...
, monorhythmic repetition"; the guitar part primarily consists of muted rhythmic scratching, while the drum beat is a semi-static four on the floor
Four on the Floor
Four on the Floor was a sketch comedy series which aired on CBC Television in 1986. Consisting of only 13 episodes, the series was a showcase for The Frantics, a comedy troupe consisting of Paul Chato, Rick Green, Dan Redican and Peter Wildman...
played almost entirely on hi-hat
Hi-hat
A hi-hat, or hihat, is a type of cymbal and stand used as a typical part of a drum kit by percussionists in R&B, hip-hop, disco, jazz, rock and roll, house, reggae and other forms of contemporary popular music.- Operation :...
and kick drum. Live, the song was the band's springboard for improvisation, and would often mutate in beat and melody, occasionally stretching out to as long as 30 minutes. "Drill" is often cited as an influence on and early precursor to minimal techno
Minimal techno
Minimal techno is a minimalist sub-genre of techno. It is characterized by a stripped-down aesthetic that exploits the use of repetition, and understated development. This style of dance music production generally adheres to the motto less is more; a principle that has been previously utilized, to...
and other minimalistic dance sub-genres.
The entire EP is now included in the form of bonus tracks on The Ideal Copy
The Ideal Copy
The Ideal Copy is the fourth studio album album by the English rock group Wire. It was the first full-length recording following the band's hiatus of 1980–1985....
.
Track listing
- "'A Serious of Snakes...'" – 4:53
- "Drill" – 5:05
- "Advantage in Height" – 3:05
- "Up to the Sun" – 2:50