Wolf Eyes

Drawing from such disparate sources as Throbbing Gristle, Black Flag, and King Tubby, the Michigan trio Wolf Eyes create harsh and hypnotic electronic landscapes that merge the frenzied energy of hardcore with the nihilistic menace of early industrial and noise. Constant touring in the early 2000s brought the group a strong cult fan base and opened the hermetic world of the noise underground to a new generation of curious indie rockers, punks, and experimentalists. Initially, Wolf Eyes was the solo moniker for Nate Young, vocalist and chief instrument builder of the group. Young was previously a member of electronic absurdists Nautical Almanac, Neanderthal performance troupe the Beast People, and party noise duo Mini-Systems. The latter group featured many of Young's artful instrument creations, including a pulsing orb that oozed fuzzy static and a glowing three-tiered synthesizer cake, which were as visually dynamic as they were sonically curious. After a lone solo cassette in 1997, Young added guitarist and fellow Beast People member Aaron Dilloway to the Wolf Eyes fold in 1999. Dilloway had an equally storied past in the Michigan underground as a member of Galen, Couch, and the Universal Indians, and as owner of Hanson Records, which along with the more rock-aligned Bulb Records was the chief outlet for many of the groups mentioned above. As a duo, the sound of Wolf Eyes was rooted in rock riffs more than abstract electronic weirdness. However, even as their self-titled debut was released on Bulb, the band's sound was changing. Tiring of the rock side of their sound, the duo did a series of limited-edition collaborations with Universal Indians drummer John Olson as Wolf Eyes with Spykes. The Spykes name was one of many aliases for Olson, whose prolific noise and...