Culture
Athens’ Inoculous Perfecting Chops With Numerous Live Performances
By: Jessica Jones
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Athens’s very own Inoculous will be performing this Thursday evening, September 12, at Casa Nueva. The up-and-coming math rock band has been taking Athens by storm, playing live shows nearly every week.
The group consists of three members, Demetri Wolfe on guitar, Bryan Sheets on Drums, and Jake Evans on bass. Their three-track EP, Creature Beach, was released earlier this year in March. “Creature Beach is a look inside someone’s life. Life is the beginning of the longest experience you will ever endure,” Wolfe said. “It’s an opportunity to take advantage of every possibility to optimize itself.”
Inoculous was formed just under two years ago, with Wolfe writing the music for the rest of the band to play. Since day one, the trio’s goal was to play live shows. In lieu of lyrics, complex rhythms and melodies are used to make up the voice of the songs.
“We play 4/4 as little as possible, we like 7⁄8, 9/8, things that are really hard to keep track of,” said Sheets,
“Math rock,” is defined as music that is composed of complex rhythmic and instrumental patterns, and has become increasingly popular with the DIY scene.
“I would say math rock, just as the genre people have come to know, it really stems from post-’80s hard rock, which really utilizes the guitar and melody as the focal point, as opposed to people concentrating on lyrics and words, so that’s where the instrumental concept comes into play,” said Wolfe.
Due to the complex nature of the songs Demitri writes, it generally takes the group about a month to learn one song.
Taking inspiration from artists like Charlie Parker and Tim Collins, the band produces its own unique sound. A little bit of bebop, a little bit of avant-garde, the sound is distinct yet authentic.
“’Donna Lee’ (by Charlie Parker) was one of those songs that just really changed my life; the bebop and hard bop standard really set the drive of the energy I really wanted,” said Wolfe.
With each musician having a strong background in music knowledge -whether it be learning to play from a young age or growing up with a family history of musicians- it certainly helps the band when it comes to playing such challenging music. Math rock is a genre full of unique and intricate compositions, something one typically doesn’t get to experience when listening to pop or classic rock.
If you like the idea of multiple melodies and harmonies swirling around your head, be sure to check out Inoculous at Casa Nueva this Thursday, September 12. They will also be performing again at Casa the following week on September 21.