Wume is a
polyrhythmic rock duo consisting of April Camlin (drums, vocals) and Albert Schatz (synthesizers, electronics). The band formed in Chicago in 2009, and is currently based in
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
.
The name Wume derives from the band's fondness for
Krautrock
Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock
Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments ...
pioneers
Faust, who formed in the town of
Wümme
Wümme () is a river in northern Germany, in the states Lower Saxony and Bremen, marking the border between the two states for part of its course. It is the main headstream of the Lesum.
The Wümme's length is . Including the Lesum, that runs in ...
. In addition to Krautrock, the band cites influences such as
Francis Bebey
Francis Bebey (, 15 July 1929 in Douala, Cameroon – 28 May 2001 in Paris, France) was a Cameroonian writer and composer.
Early life
Francis Bebey was born in Douala, Cameroon, on 15 July 1929. Bebey attended college in Douala, where he studied ...
,
Erkin Koray, and
Alice Coltrane, writing their songs around challenging polyrhythms "in search of purpose and personal liberation." Wume has toured with fellow Baltimore acts such as
Beach House,
Future Islands,
Dan Deacon, and
Lower Dens.
Wume released their studio album ''Towards the Shadow'' on Northern Spy Records in November 2018. In reviewing the record for Pitchfork, Jonathan Williger wrote, "Perhaps not since
Fugazi
Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They are noted for their style-tr ...
or
Stereolab has a band addressed the failings of capitalism and its effects on the human psyche in such direct terms," offering comparisons to the music of
Steve Reich
Stephen Michael Reich ( ; born October 3, 1936) is an American composer known for his contribution to the development of minimal music in the mid to late 1960s. Reich's work is marked by its use of repetitive figures, slow harmonic rhythm, a ...
and
Can
Can may refer to:
Containers
* Aluminum can
* Drink can
* Oil can
* Steel and tin cans
* Trash can
* Petrol can
* Metal can (disambiguation)
Music
* Can (band), West Germany, 1968
** ''Can'' (album), 1979
* Can (South Korean band)
Other
* C ...
, and noting that "the majority of the songs are written in odd time signatures, but the effect is largely thrilling rather than obtuse."
Discography
Albums
*''Maintain'', Ehse Records, 2015
*''Towards the Shadow'',
Northern Spy Records, 2018
References
{{Reflist
Musical groups from Baltimore
Musical groups established in 2009
Rock music groups from Maryland