WooliebuGGer is a producer and instrumentalist out of Aurora, Illinois who, despite possibly being new to the current EDM scene, has been quietly releasing quirky, experimental-style tracks since 1999. His first track from that era is a clunky, funky static-based track which almost sounds industrial. Since then he’s been all over the board, starting with trippy, DJ Shadow-style tracks and moving to more experimental ambient styles in the last five years or so. Almost unequivocally, however, WooliebuGGer’s work has always had a strong beat.
“Constant Evolution Parts 1&2” is the newest release from this EDM mad scientist, and this track or tracks will be the first off his upcoming EP. The artist himself calls this track a change in direction, especially since his last full-length album called ambnt pkts snd up 1, which is definitely the most ambient of his huge discography on Bandcamp. That album was as close as WooliebuGGer has gotten to being beatless, as he chose to focus on sound design and ambient sounds a’la Tangerine Dream. It can be said, then, that “Constant Evolution Part 1&2” are a return to form as they contain beats again, but these aren’t your mother’s trip hop beats.
A solid house beat steadily pounds throughout “Constant Evolution Parts 1&2,” as well as an opening housey synth. There are other synths and sounds, however, which reflect a throwback ’80s style, channeling Kraftwerk and some other early techno acts. What’s unusual about this particular track is that the aforementioned house beat is offset against the synths. What this means, essentially, is that the entire track, or part one of the track, sounds like a big, messy trainwreck. The listener’s mind is thus left constantly trying to correct for the rhythmic dissonance until the second part of the track.
Part two goes more ambient, with the beat going back to what would be called the skeleton of a break beat. There’s very little bass and the snares very nearly whisper in the listener’s ears. In the meantime there is a bass synth wobbling over and and around this much-more-organized-than-part-one beat, but that doesn’t mean there is any less dissonance. The artist calls part two a “nice cool down,” but because of the way the sound design works with the ambient synths and the soft beat, it actually may be more excitable to the brain than part one.
Experimental electronica is always an interesting side pursuit for EDM fans, because it shows said fans what would happen if they didn’t like dancing so much. Electronic music can go a number of different ways, and here WooliebuGGer shows just how many ways it can actually go in one 12-minute track. Even when it’s for the dancefloor, as in part one, electronic music can still challenge the mind sonically and intellectually.
“Constant Evolution Parts 1&2” are out now on WooliebuGGer’s Bandcamp page, with his next due out next year.