The Zipstream: All Tiny Creatures' experimental odds and ends, Nick Nice mixes
Welcome to The Zipstream, a semi-regular new column in which The A.V. Club will round up new local albums, mixtapes, and EPs that Madison-connected artists share via such channels as Bandcamp pages and upload sites. Got something you'd like us to consider? Email sgordon@theonion.com.
All Tiny Creatures, Experiments And Improvisations
Madison band All Tiny Creatures made its debut to the world earlier this year with Segni, an EP of instrumentals that mostly center on leader Thomas Wincek's perversely orderly little towers of keyboard melody. It's actually pretty enjoyable and accessible as heady minimalist experiments go, but Experiments And Improvisations (which the band recently posted to kick off its "Online Release Series") serves as a reminder that Wincek likes to take music apart as much as he likes to build it up. Mostly working apart from ATC's well-rounded band setup, he digitally manipulates his way through a series of droning chords for 10 minutes on "Seeds Today," and seeks out the more abstract side of the guitar on "Strummed Harmonics On Four Acoustic Guitars." Who knows if these five tracks will appeal to folks who aren't obsessive musical tinkerers themselves, but "Melodica And Keyboard On The Porch" has a certain low-key charm. The melodica and a cheap, battery-powered keyboard make for a festive display of minimalism, suggesting what ATC might sound like if forced to play an impromptu hoedown without plugging in its stockpile of keyboards and laptops. Download here.
DJ Nick Nice mixes
Should you wish to balance this out with something that's far-reaching in a more straightforward way, we might as well remind you that Madison DJ Nick Nice regularly posts downloadable mixes of his gigs on his Podomatic page. From his "Late Nite Deep Grooves" sets at Maduro to a rave revival ("Quarantine") at the High Noon Saloon a few weeks ago, Nice has a classy way of sliding all over the place, from straight-ahead disco to creepy dubstep to new remixes to trippy '90s overstimulation. If you're not able to keep up with all of his various gigs around town, these'll give you some appreciation for the versatility that makes Nice a fixture. Download here.
