Yowie (band)
Encyclopedia
Yowie is a band from St. Louis, Missouri
, founded in 2001. The band was formerly made up of Jeremiah Wonsewitz on electric guitar
, Jimbo "Moppy" on electric guitar
and Shawn O'Connor "The Defenestrator" on drums.
Yowie plays a complex style of unprocessed instrumental math rock, composed of meticulously arranged pieces that are often misinterpreted as being free improvisation
. It is high-velocity music of intense discipline, rigid structure and focused force. The music has been compared to other math rock bands such as Hella
, Tera Melos
, Arab on Radar
, Ahleuchatistas
, Don Caballero
and even the Japanese Zeuhl
enroached Koenji Hyakkei
.
There have been many attempts at describing Yowie's unique sound, such as by Diana Benanti of the Riverfront Times, saying that "Music like this can't be made by mere people and yet, you couldn't write a computer program capable of producing this kind of brain damage. It's so grand in composition but honed and microperfected until words like "tempo
," "rhythm
" and "melody
" become meaningless abstractions."
Yowie have been signed to Skin Graft Records
since 2001, and spent three years writing and recording their debut album Cryptooology, released in 2004.
After a few failed attempts at replacing guitarist Jeremiah, he rejoined the band, and since then, they have been perfecting material for the second album, which they will reportedly record in Michigan at the end of July. They have last played a show on June 11, 2011, their first time performing live since 2009, and plan on playing more shows and even touring after the recording and release of their sophomore album.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, founded in 2001. The band was formerly made up of Jeremiah Wonsewitz on electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, Jimbo "Moppy" on electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and Shawn O'Connor "The Defenestrator" on drums.
Yowie plays a complex style of unprocessed instrumental math rock, composed of meticulously arranged pieces that are often misinterpreted as being free improvisation
Free improvisation
Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician involved. The term can refer to both a technique and as a recognizable genre in its own right....
. It is high-velocity music of intense discipline, rigid structure and focused force. The music has been compared to other math rock bands such as Hella
Hella (band)
Hella is an American band from Sacramento, California. They play a technical blend of math rock, noise rock, and experimental rock. The primary members of the band are Spencer Seim on electric guitar and Zach Hill on drums...
, Tera Melos
Tera Melos
Tera Melos is a band from Sacramento, California, that incorporates many styles of rock, jazz, ambient electronics and unconventional song structure. They are currently a three-piece , consisting of a guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist, bassist, and a drummer...
, Arab on Radar
Arab on Radar
Arab on Radar are a Providence, Rhode Island based noise rock band founded in 1994. They went on hiatus in 2002. Members of the band went on to form or join the bands The Chinese Stars, Athletic Automaton, Made in Mexico, and most recently Doomsday Student...
, Ahleuchatistas
Ahleuchatistas
Ahleuchatistas are an American instrumental math rock duo that mix influences of jazz, progressive rock, avant-garde, and experimental to create a unique sound. The band was formed in Asheville, North Carolina in November 2002....
, Don Caballero
Don Caballero
Don Caballero are an American rock group from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The group took their name from the character Guy Caballero, portrayed by Joe Flaherty, on the sketch comedy show Second City Television...
and even the Japanese Zeuhl
Zeuhl
Zeuhl means celestial in Kobaïan, the constructed language created by Christian Vander. Originally solely applied to the music of Vander's band, Magma, the term zeuhl was eventually used to describe the similar music produced by French bands, beginning in the mid-1970s...
enroached Koenji Hyakkei
Koenji hyakkei
, also known as Kōenjihyakkei, is a Japanese Zeuhl band led by Yoshida Tatsuya of Ruins fame. The band released their first album in 1994 with Aki Kubota from Bondage Fruit on vocals and keyboard...
.
There have been many attempts at describing Yowie's unique sound, such as by Diana Benanti of the Riverfront Times, saying that "Music like this can't be made by mere people and yet, you couldn't write a computer program capable of producing this kind of brain damage. It's so grand in composition but honed and microperfected until words like "tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
," "rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
" and "melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
" become meaningless abstractions."
Yowie have been signed to Skin Graft Records
Skin Graft Records
Skin Graft Records is an independent record label specializing in No Wave and noise rock music, originally based in Chicago, Illinois...
since 2001, and spent three years writing and recording their debut album Cryptooology, released in 2004.
After a few failed attempts at replacing guitarist Jeremiah, he rejoined the band, and since then, they have been perfecting material for the second album, which they will reportedly record in Michigan at the end of July. They have last played a show on June 11, 2011, their first time performing live since 2009, and plan on playing more shows and even touring after the recording and release of their sophomore album.