With a band name like All Tiny Creatures, it seems fitting to describe its sound as chameleonic. Just as chameleons change their skin according to their body temperature, members Thomas Wincek, Andrew Fitzpatrick, Ben Derickson and Matthew Skemp create their psychedelic and experimental brand of rock by transforming the sound of traditional instruments including guitar, bass and drums.
“I like the idea of using the standard instruments that you find in a rock band like guitars and bass but thinking about how you can process them and change them into something that doesn’t necessarily sound like that any more,” Wincek said.
All Tiny Creatures began as Wincek’s solo project.
“I think we’ve definitely developed a style and a sound instead of having it be this personal project,” Wincek said.
A musical project that began as an exploration of process pieces has been garnering critical acclaim in Madison. The A.V. Club ranked “An Iris” Madison’s top song in 2010. Saturday, All Tiny Creatures played at the Project Lodge alongside Icarus Himself and St?kenberg, two other Madison bands that received high honors on the list.
“It’s nice to be in a town where the people writing about music recognize what you’re doing,” Wincek said. “It’s cool that people are open and receptive to the music in your hometown.”
All Tiny Creatures released its first EP, Segni, in 2009. Between the EP and Harbors, the full-length album released in March, All Tiny Creatures created a series of mixtapes designed to introduce singles off the album.
“We did the mixtapes to bridge the gap, and recorded a bunch of new material for them too, just Andy and I,” Wincek said. “The idea was that it would all blend together. I’m actually really happy with the way those turned out.”
The group’s sound transcends notes and chords. Instead, it attempts to explore the texture of sound through the music, Wincek said.
“We’re doing a lot of micro looping and taking a small snippet of sound and repeating it a lot and then processing acoustic sound with different computer methods,” Wincek said.
For All Tiny Creatures guitarist Fitzpatrick, musical interpretation lies in recasting existing sounds and musical techniques.
“The process in working inspires me the most actually; just coming up with a problem or a solution to a problem that’s really specific,” Wincek said. “What if I put these constraints on a song or a chord progression”?
All Tiny Creatures strives to create an alternate reality for listeners, Wincek said. The group prefers to play without illumination from houselights.
“We had this idea pretty early on to perform in the dark,” Wincek said. “People try to ratchet up the intensity by jumping around and being really intense on stage. I like doing the opposite and presenting alternate zones where you can listen and still have an immersive experience. … I think people appreciate less intense lighting [when] the house lights are down.”
He added it can be difficult to categorically situate the music All Tiny Creatures creates.
“We’re coming from a lot of different places as individuals and collectively,” Fitzpatrick agreed. “We’re not really going for a certain style necessarily. I think at first we were trying to do this pseudo-kraut rock, taking music from the ’70s with really repetitive drums and doing a revival of that. I think it’s gone well past that at this point.”
All Tiny Creatures seeks to create moments where its music surpasses everyday emotions, Wincek said. Without a narrative structure, the music this local foursome creates echoes, floats and trills as if listeners are eating pop rocks while watching a flickering stream of conscious movie. Sound explodes in soothing bursts with whimsy for flavor.
Catch All Tiny Creatures as they open for the Sea and Cake on May 18 at the Frequency. Doors open at 9 p.m.
