Wolf Eyes es un grupo experimental norteamericano de Detroit, Michigan, formado en 1998 por Nate Young. Más tarde se le unen Aaron Dilloway, James Baljo, John Olson, Mike Connelly y Crazy Jim. Actualmente es un dúo compuesto por Young y Olson, quienes también trabajan bajo el alias de Stare Case.

Wolf Eyes combina sonidos abrasivos y noise a través de sus dispositivos electrónicos construidos por ellos mismos, además de objetos encontrados, voces procesadas, grabadoras, sintetizadores y lenguetas adheridas a instrumentos de viento o autofabricados. Su sonido extremo se plasma en actuaciones desgarradoras que se combinan con la pintura, el arte postal y audiovisuales. Según Young: “Cuando comencé Wolf Eyes, se trataba de hacer sonidos que fueran dolorosos, hacer música irritante e imposible de escuchar”. (“The Wire”, Mayo 2013)

Este compilado reúne a los amigos y colaboradores de Wolf Eyes, Alex Moskos, Gretchen Gonzales, Aaron Dilloway y Raven Chacón. Originalmente se prensó en forma privada una serie de cajas pintadas en 7 pulgadas en una tirada super limitada. 

“Difficult Messages es una colección de canciones que adoptan una estructura canción de rock vanguardista, junto a ruidosas y ásperas texturas a través de una electrónica dura. “Phone Intro” que abre este compilado, es un diálogo de voces tratadas y acordes de bajo que circulan en loop, en tanto que “Dank Boone” compuesto por Short Hands (Nate Young y Alex Moskos) es una canción rock con guiños al blues en cuyo fondo se meten diversos ruidos. “Passive Tempos” de Time Designers (Alex Moskos y Nate Young) muestra una secuencia de pulsaciones de caja de ritmos pirateada. Le sigue “Locked Rivers” de Gretchen Gonzales quien experimenta con su guitarra que exuda ruidos ondulantes que giran y se retroalimentan. “Lost Head” de Stair Case (Nate Young y John Olson”) se despliegan con cierta precaución, sin mayores aspavientos si no fuera por los chirriantes ruidos. “Courted Reverb” de U Eye Trio (Olson y Young, junto a sus antiguos colaboradores Gretchen Gonzales y Aaron Dilloway), quienes producen ásperos sonidos sacados de sus dispositivos electrónicos inventados que se ciernen en una oscuridad inquietante. “Michigan Red Squirrel” de Animal Sounds es un track en el que revolotean sonidos de vida salvaje, junto a un pulso repetitivo sintetizado. “Tulsa Once” de Wolf Raven es una madeja de ruidos, estática, radio frecuencias que continúa en “Tense Lapse” de Universal Eyes, aunque en éste asoman los balbuceos de la lengüeta que también afloran en “Feedback 6” de Invisible Thread, junto a abstractos chasquidos de ruido.

En este compilado asistimos a un rock reconvertido que incorpora nuevas formas retorcidas con sonidos indistinguibles y realizados con total arrojo.  

https://wolf-eyes.bandcamp.com/album/difficult-messages

https://disciples.bandcamp.com/
https://wolfeyes.xyz/

 

Guillermo Escudero

Enero 2023

Wolf Eyes is an American experimental group from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 1996 by Nate Young. He is joined later by Aaron Dilloway, James Baljo, John Olson, Mike Connelly and Alex Moskos. Nowadays it's a duo made up of Young and Olson, who also work under the alias of Stare Case.

Wolf Eyes combines abrasive sounds and noise through their self-built electronic devices, as well as found objects, processed voices, recorders, self-made synthesizers and reeds attached to wind instruments or self-made ones. Their extreme sound is embodied in harrowing performances that are combined with painting, mail art, and audiovisuals.

“When I started Wolf Eyes, it was about making sounds that were painful – making unlistenable and irritating music,” recalls Nate Young. (‘The Wire’, May, 2013).

This compilation features Wolf Eyes’s friends and collaborators Alex Moskos, Gretchen Gonzales, Aaron Dilloway and Raven Chacón. Originally self-released as a series of super-limited 7” hand painted box sets.

“Difficult Messages is a collection of songs that embrace an edgy rock song structure, alongside loud, gritty textures through harsh electronica. "Phone Intro" that opens this compilation, is a dialogue of treated voices and bass chords that circulate in a loop, while "Dank Boone" composed by Short Hands (Nate Young and Alex Moskos) is a rock song with nods to blues in whose background hover screechy noises. “Passive Tempos” by Time Designers (Alex Moskos and Nate Young) shows a sequence of beats from a hacked drum machine. It is followed by “Locked Rivers” by Gretchen Gonzales, who experiments with his guitar, which exudes undulating noises that rotate and feedback. “Lost Head” by Stair Case (Nate Young and John Olson) unfolds with some caution, without much fuss except for the screeching noises. “Courted Reverb” by the U Eye Trio (Olson and Young along with longtime collaborators Gretchen Gonzales and Aaron Dilloway), who produce harsh sounds from their invented electronic devices that hover in eerie darkness. Animal Sounds' “Michigan Red Squirrel” is a track that flutters the sounds of wildlife, along with a repetitive synthesized pulse.

Wolf Raven's “Tulsa Once” is a skein of noise, static, radio frequencies that continues on “Tense Lapse” by Universal Eyes, although in this one the reed babbles come out, that also surface on Invisible Thread's “Feedback 6” track, along with abstract clicks of noise.

In this compilation we witness a reconverted rock that incorporates new twisted forms with indistinguishable sounds and performed with total courage.

https://wolf-eyes.bandcamp.com/album/difficult-messages  
https://disciples.bandcamp.com/
https://wolfeyes.xyz/

Guillermo Escudero

January 2023