Posted in Bootleg Theater on November 8th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
As you and I sit comfortably in our reclining easychairs, gently clinking crystal highballs of actually-old-fashioned old fashioneds and toasting the ease of our lives, Iowa two-piece Telekinetic Yeti are once again out on the road, slogging away and carrying a silly-billy amount of amplifiers and playing louder than is recommended by medical professionals. The yeoman’s work of riffs. They’re out with JD Pinkus, who if you were going to put a bassist in the band would be a good one for the job, and will hit up the Southeast region and a little bit in their native Midwest as they put yet more miles between themselves and last year’s Tee Pee Records label debut, Primordial (review here).
And yes, that album was primordial. Willfully lunkheaded in how it clubbed your unassuming skull with riff after fuzz-coated riff. And I’m glad to have the excuse to revisit it that the video provides. Maybe this is Telekinetic Yeti saying goodbye to Primordial as they round out the tour cycle and begin to think about moving forward again — they don’t strike me as the ‘go home for two years’ types, but one never knows — with new material and, subsequent to that, probably a whole other round of touring. I’m very glad I got to see them play these songs.
If you haven’t, there’s still time. Dates and PR wire info follow the clip below.
Please enjoy:
Telekinetic Yeti, “Beast” official video
TELEKINETIC YETI RELEASE “BEAST” VIDEO
ANIMATED CLIP COMES FROM BAND’S ALBUM, PRIMORDIAL
U.S. TOUR UNDERWAY; J.D. PINKUS SUPPORTS
Directed by Brodie Rush. Featuring Alex Baumann (guitar and vocals) and Rockwel Heim (drums).
The duo share the larger theme behind the track: “’Beast’ is a reflection on societal disillusionment and the inherent desire to escape the cyclical trap of wage slavery. Acknowledging that these empires are built on sand as well as the human need to escape the tentacles that bind us through mindless, obligatory, financially-centered routines facilitated by hypnotic black magic.”
Telekinetic Yeti have spent the past year-plus on the road supporting the well-received, 11-song Primordial, including multiple headlining treks and a stint with Weedeater. The band is in the midst of their final 2023 tour dates, playing tomorrow at Maggie Meyers in Huntsville, Ala. J.D. Pinkus opens on all remaining shows.
11/08/2023 Huntsville AL @ Maggie Meyers 11/09/2023 Little Rock AR @ Four Quarter 11/10/2023 Lafayette LA @ Freetown Boom Boom Room 11/11/2023 New Orleans LA @ Poor Boys 11/12/2023 Panama City Beach FL @ Moseys 11/15/2023 Cape Coral FL @ Nice Guys 11/16/2023 Tampa FL @ Brass Mug 11/17/2023 Jacksonville FL @ Kona Skatepark 11/18/2023 Savannah GA @ EL Rocko Lounge 11/19/2023 Charleston SC @ Trolley Pub 11/20/2023 Piedmont SC @ Tribbles 11/21/2023 Raleigh NC @ Pour House 11/22/2023 Atlanta GA @ Star Bar 11/24/2023 Wilmington NC @ Reggies 11/25/2023 Chesapeake Bay VA @ Riffhouse 11/26/2023 Bensalem PA @ Broken Goblet
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 12th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Think we’ll get a new record from these guys in 2024? I wouldn’t mind one showing up. Based in Iowa but spending markedly little time there the past couple years, Telekinetic Yeti seem to treat hard-touring as a defining ethic. This past summer, they undertook their first headlining stint on the US West Coast with the backing of Tone Deaf Touring, with support from Stinking Lizaveta, Somnuri and Rifflord (at various points, though that’d be a mean package tour if those are still a thing) after going to the UK in Spring with Weedeater and Mars Red Sky. At least to-date in the tenure of the band, this is what they do.
And 2022’s Primordial (review here), as the ostensible cause they’re supporting, stands up to the volume and vitality they bring to it on stage. It hasn’t been so long that the record has lost its mud-tinted luster, whatever that might even mean — I guess just that it still sounds good listening to it as I put this together — but for an act with such an intense focus on forward momentum, it might not be unreasonable to think that would extend to recording. Or maybe the full-color shirts do well enough on the road that they can take their time and keep re-pressing sold out LPs. Good work if you can get it. Also hard work. Fair enough.
They’re out this time with JD Pinkus of Butthole Surfers, Melvins, etc., which will certainly not make any given gig less raucous. Telekinetic Yeti put up the poster with a quick blurb on social media, and wouldn’t you know it, here it is:
Get ready! We are joining forces with JD Pinkus this fall for a road trip! Highly excited about this one! Get your tickets now! Where will we see you?
Posted in Whathaveyou on May 5th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Iowa’s Telekinetic Yeti, slotting comfortably into position as headliners. Can’t say they didn’t earn it, no matter what angle you want to see the question from. Their 2022 album, Primordial (review here), was the stuff of stoner doom memes not made by the band, and live the two-piece lay waste, as I was fortunate enough to see them do at Desertfest New York last Spring (review here). Right now they’re out in the UK with Weedeater and Mars Red Sky headed to Desertfest London this weekend, and when they come back from that, they’ve now got this summer stint lined up with support from instrumental prog-heavy legends Stinking Lizaveta — whose new album, Anthems andPhantoms, will have just come out on June 23 — as well as alternate openers Somnuri for most of the shows and Rifflord for the last few.
Incidentally — or more likely, not — Telekinetic Yeti and Stinking Lizaveta both played that day at Desertfest New York — Somnuri the day before — and while I don’t know if they met there or not, they’re both Tone Deaf Touring clients, and the shows are gonna be bangers. It’s not my job to sell you on a thing, but really, even if it was, I feel like this one sells itself. Megafuzz meets ultrajazz with crush and/or nod as a preface. That’s a good night.
Dates follow:
TELEKINETIC YETI Announces U.S. Summer Headlining Tour
Psychedelic doom duo Telekinetic Yeti will be embarking on a U.S. headlining tour this July with support from Stinking Lizaveta (all dates), Somnuri (July 5-26), and Rifflord (July 27-30). The extensive trek kicks off on July 5 in Des Moines, IA and will conclude on July 30 in Chicago, IL. The full itinerary and ticket links can be found below!
The band will be supporting its 2022 sophomore full-length, ‘Primordial,’ which was released on July 8, 2022 via Tee Pee Records. Stream/order/download HERE.
Telekinetic Yeti U.S. Tour Dates (w/ Stinking Lizaveta (all dates), Somnuri (July 5-26), and Rifflord (5/27-30): 07/05: Des Moines, IA @ Leftys 07/06: Denver, CO @ Hi Dive 07/07: Salt Lake City, UT@ Aces High Saloon (On Sale Friday May 5 @ 10:00 A.M. EDT) 07/08: Boise, ID @ Shredder (On Sale Friday May 5 @ 10:00 A.M. EDT) 07/11: Vancouver, BC @ The Wise 07/12: Bellingham, WA @ Shakedown 07/13: Seattle, WA @ Funhouse @ El Corazon 07/14: Portland, OR @ Dantes 07/15: Eugene, OR @ John Henrys 07/18: San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill 07/19: Pacifica, CA @ Winters Tavern 07/20: Palmdale, CA @ Transplants Brewery 07/21: Hollywood, CA @ Knitting Factory 07/22: Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theatre 07/25: Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th St 07/26: Tulsa, OK @ Mercury Lounge 07/27: Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck (On Sale Friday May 5 @ 10:00 A.M. EDT) 07/28: Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry 07/29: Lincoln, NE @ Cosmic Eye 07/30: Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club ALL TICKET LINKS: http://tonedeaftouring.com/yeti
Telekinetic Yeti is: Alex Baumann – Guitar/Vocals Rockwel Heim – Drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 11th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
It’s a god damned riff bonanza, is what it is.
Guitarist/vocalist Alex Baumann and drummer Rockwel Heim comprise Dubuque, Iowa’s Telekinetic Yeti and Primordial is their debut on Tee Pee Records and second album overall. Recorded by Phillip Cope (formerly of Kylesa, producer of Black Tusk, Irata, the original Baroness EPs, etc.), Primordial follows the riff-worshiping Midwesterners’ 2017 debut, Abominable (review here), and years of obviously-interrupted-there-for-a-while touring, as well as a lineup change that brought an ugly split between Baumann and fellow founder Anthony Dreyer, who now plays in Twin Wizard. Restored to a duo, Telekinetic Yeti strike with maximum force and gravity on Primordial, laying claim to the beginnings of a generational shift and making their influences their own through their megatonality and absolute willingness to speak to the ‘stoner’ in stoner rock.
Those who dare the 11 songs and 43 minutes of Primordial will find a more fully realized version of Telekinetic Yeti for their efforts. Granted, Abominable had “Stoned and Feathered,” but with the second record, cuts like “Ancient Nug,” “Stoned Ape Theory,” and “Toke Wizard” outright don the trappings of weedianism, and that’s even more telling since “Stoned Ape Theory” — also the longest song at a still-ready-to-squeeze-into-the-live-set 5:25 — which hypnotizes even as it seems to pummel you further into the ground with each of its many thuds, is instrumental. Theoretically at least, they could’ve called that anything at all, and the title they chose is telling about both the audience they’re speaking to and the self-aware manner in which they’re doing it.
Influences show themselves like YOB in the opening title-track, High on Fire in the call-to-war drums on the closer “Cult of Yeti,” The Sword in the uptempo bouncing shove of “Toke Wizard,” earliest Mastodon in the barks from Baumann late in “Ghost Train,” or how the fuzzed-out guitar solo interlude “Light in a Dying World” speaks both to Earthless and Hendrix with a rumble of its own underneath, Floor in “Ancient Nug” and the melody and movement of centerpiece “Beast,” and maybe some Red Fang in “Tides of Change” a short while later, but that’s the point. Telekinetic Yeti have taken these elements, melted them down with the heat from burning tube amps lit by the central nodder riff in “Rogue Planet” into what I’ll assume is a very dense, very heavy black iron cauldron, and created a sound that can only be defined as their own from it. Sure, Conan put their guitar (and bass in their case) tone at the forefront of their immediate impression as well, but that’s the point. Telekinetic Yeti represent a new generation of heavy that’s learned from what’s come before.
There is not one song on Primordial that isn’t ready to be memed about — from the shut-up-and-take-my-money hook of “Ancient Nug” to the when-the-slowdown-hits slowdown of that song or “Invention of Fire” — and though that sounds like a joke, it’s actually crucial to comprehending how Telekinetic Yeti are engaging with their listeners. Think about meme culture at large. It is a generational advent, distilling elements of popular culture, news, life, anything into a concise, snappy, often impactful statement with an intention to be seen and appreciated even outside of an understanding of the joke if it is one. Telekinetic Yeti likewise have processed the heavy stylings of the aughts — now 20 years ago — and crafted Primordial as a distillation with its own purposes and its own expression. And like with meme culture at first, or like with the wave of bands noted above who were tagged “hipster metal” when they came out and broadly derided, there invariably will be those who call this album derivative instead of understanding that Telekinetic Yeti are a fresh representation of the tenets of genre, and they at very least sound like they know it.
In “Cult of Yeti,” the chorus issues both the challenge and the proclamation, “You will never scale these mountains,” and even the idea of the song, album, band as such a giant rock formation is in conversation with the genre itself, from Sleep to Stoned Jesus. But if you’ve hit those lofty peaks, it’s these mountains we’re talking about now. This tone, this delivery, this vitality that is Telekinetic Yeti‘s own. Even calling the album Primordial — let alone the maybe narrative of bombed-brain evolution between “Stoned Ape Theory” and “Tides of Change,” “Invention of Fire,” and so on — is emblematic of Baumann and Heim‘s deep-running vision of what they want the band to be and to do. This is stoner metal stripped, as Max Cavalera once put it, “back to the primitive.” There is no feigned attempt at sounding progressive or like they’re trying to push the genre forward. Telekinetic Yeti may eventually do that, but one suspects that even if they do it will be on their own terms given the strength of the statement here in the opposite direction.
This is a band willing to be big, lumbering, bringing their riffs down on you like an avalanche or a wrecking ball — take your pick — and while Primordial is atmospheric even at its most intense moments, its purpose is unwavering. If there’s pretense here, I’m not sure where, but at the same time, there’s a sense of stage presence to the music, the push of the duo in the headspinning middle of “Invention of Fire,” the lead notes and sticks-on-the-rim-of-the-drum that begin “Toke Wizard,” and in that nasty feedback and layered-over plod of “Ghost Train” — never mind the actual hooks in cuts like “Primordial,” “Ancient Nug,” “Cult of Yeti,” and so on — that feel purpose-crafted to tour with as much as circumstances might permit.
And maybe that’s where they’ll most shine, in a live setting, but the substance of Primordial is still more than just an advertisement for showing up to the gig and buying a shirt. The declarative aspects of Telekinetic Yeti‘s songs, the attention to detail in the mix, the depth of their sans-bass low end, the head-in-clouds largesse of the riffy monoliths they’re building; it all speaks to a band who are looking to position themselves at the forefront of riff-based heavy, and as they continue to put their work in on tour — perhaps more than ever, with live music “back” and their lineup concerns seemingly settled — it’s entirely possible they’ll get there.
In the spirit of Primordial, I’ll say it simply: This shit fucking crushes. Ace riffs. Killer delivery, killer sound, enough variety, knows what it is and how to do what it wants. Band with a plan. They nailed it. Stone on.
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 1st, 2022 by JJ Koczan
I’ve listened to the new Telekinetic Yeti album, Primordial, and it seems to me like a wilful, meme-ready singer stoner metal answer to heavy rock’s progressive turn of these last few years. The Midwestern duo seem to build off earliest Monolord‘s heft-worship, and find their purpose in volume rather than self-indulgence, which results in a refreshingly regressive take. The riffs are big and they land on your head and it’s very heavy and you listen and go “wow that’s very heavy” and you have a good time and forget for a few minutes that the world is ending and/or has already ended.
Escapism through smashy-smashy? Maybe, or maybe I just spend too much time around a four year old. Either way, having recently seen Telekinetic Yeti playing on a stage surrounded by guitar cabs, I’d suggest you’ll likely not regret doing similar, and the chance will come this summer as the band embark on an extensive US tour put on by Tone Deaf. It should tell you something about their rising stature even ahead of Primordial‘s July release on Tee Pee Records that the long-running psych outfit White Hills will support.
Dates and info from the PR wire:
TELEKINETIC YETI ANNOUNCE NORTH AMERICAN SUMMER TOUR; JOIN WEEDEATER FOR SEVERAL DATES
Telekinetic Yeti, the Iowa-based duo of Alex Baumann (guitar/vocals) and Rockwel Heim (drums), have announced an extensive, two month North American Summer tour, with the pair joining Weedeater for two weeks before kicking off their own headlining trek with openers White Hills.
The news arrives as the band prepares for the July 8 arrival of Primordial (Tee Pee Records), with a preview of the 11-song album coming via the band’s “Ancient Nug” video (https://youtu.be/dr3bQUAakq0).
Primordial was produced by Phillip Cope (Kylesa, Baroness). Album pre-orders are available now (https://teepeerecords.com/products/telekinetic-yeti-primordial-cd-lp), with the collection available on several limited-edition colored vinyl variants, CD and digitally.
Tour dates:
With Weedeater: July 2 Piedmont, SC Tribbles July 3 Atlanta, GA Sabbath Brewing July 4 Memphis, TN Hi Tone July 5 Lafayette, LA Freetown Boom Boom Room July 6 Denton, TX Rubber Gloves July 7 Austin, TX Lost Well July 8 Houston, TX Last Concert Café July 9 Tulsa, OK Mercury Lounge July 12 Madison, WI High Noon July 13 Grand Rapids Pyramid Scheme July 14 Bloomington, IL Nightshop July 15 Athens, OH The Union July 16 Cleveland, OH No Class July 17 Johnson City, TN The Hideaway
Headlining dates, White Hills support: July 19 Charlotte, NC Snug Harbor July 20 Charlottesville, VA Champion Brewing (free show) July 21 Morgantown, WV 123 Pleasant St July 23 Richmond, VA Richmond Music Hall July 24 Philadelphia, PA Silk City July 25 Brooklyn, NY Knitting Factory July 26 Pittsburgh, PA Crafthouse July 28 Detroit, MI Smalls July 31 Newport, KY Southgate House August 1 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle August 3 Green Bay, WI Lyric Room August 4 Iowa City, IA Wildwood August 7 Denver, CO Globe Hall August 8 Salt Lake City, UT Aces High August 10 Seattle, WA Substation August 11 Bellingham, WA Shakedown August 12 Vancouver, BC Rickshaw Theatre August 13 Portland, OR Bossanova Ballroom August 14 Sacramento, CA Café Colonial August 16 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill August 19 Tempe, AZ Yucca Taproom August 20 Albuquerque, NM 606 August 21 Oklahoma City, OK 89th St August 25 Kansas City, MO Record Bar August 26 St. Louis, MO Red Flag August 27 Rock Island, IL Skylark August 29 Minneapolis, MN 7th St Entry
Tickets for all shows are on-sale now: https://telekineticyeti.com/ticket-links.
Posted in Whathaveyou on April 25th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
Okay, here’s what I know. Telekinetic Yeti were the shit circa the 2017 release of their debut album, Abominable (featured here). Dudes were losing their minds, like “RIFFS AAARRRGGH GOD THE RIFFS ARE SO GOOD!” on and on. Hyperbole enough to drown in. And fair enough. The Iowan two-piece delivered high-energy fuzz in brash style, hitting into an early mastery of their style and a penchant for memorable craft. Plus they toured. And had big beards.
Then drama happened. Now Telekinetic Yeti is one band and Twin Wizard is another. We got two good bands out of one. I don’t know what the deal was — it seemed ugly, as some do — but at the end of the day, the new Telekinetic Yeti song is heavier than those boxes of books you (I) had to carry yesterday and as far as I’m concerned if a band has to split, getting two bands out of the deal and having both be cool is the best case. Primordial, the second Telekinetic Yeti LP and first with the lineup of guitarist/vocalist Alex Baumann and drummer Rockwel Heim, will be released July 8 through the venerable Tee Pee Records. The band will tour their way to and through Desertfest New York next month, and there you have it.
Oh wait. Here you have it. Sorry:
TELEKINETIC YETI RELEASE PRIMORDIAL ON JULY 8 VIA TEE PEE RECORDS
Telekinetic Yeti, the Iowa-based duo of Alex Baumann (guitar/vocals) and Rockwel Heim (drums) whose self-released debut album earned them accolades across the metal underground, have set a July 8 release date for their Tee Pee Records’ debut, Primordial.
“This song is about searching for meaning and purpose amidst the ubiquitous suffering we endure,” explains Baumann. “It’s also about something long lost being rediscovered, and the resonating ripples of butterfly effects from the ancient past that affect all life today. We really liked filming in this location because it had such a meditative and surreal quality to it. We felt that it fit the themes of the song well.”
A preview of the 11-song album arrives with the Joe Gibbs directed video for “Ancient Nug” video (https://metalinjection.net/video/telekinetic-yeti-sludges-their-way-through-new-single-ancient-nug).
Primordial was produced by Phillip Cope (Kylesa, Baroness). Album pre-orders are available now (https://teepeerecords.com/products/telekinetic-yeti-primordial-cd-lp), with the collection available on several limited-edition colored vinyl variants, CD and digitally.
Telekinetic Yeti’s debut album, Abominable, was one of the year’s most talked about debuts, as tours with Clutch, Red Fang and Weedeater followed. With Primordial, the band takes their game to a whole new level. The album explores themes as diverse as evolution, sorcery, black magic and the contradictions of the gloriously uplifting yet simultaneously melancholic human condition.
The band will spend the remainder of the year touring with a slot already on deck for Desertfest NYC.
Tour dates: May 11 Canton, OH Buzzbin May 12 Youngstown, OH Westside Bowl May 14 Boston, MA Middle East May 15 New York, NY Desertfest NYC May 16 Buffalo, NY Mohawk Place May 17 Columbus, OH Ace of Cups
Primordial track list: 1. Primordial 2. Ancient Nug 3. Ghost Train Haze 4. Stoned Ape Theory 5. Light In a Dying World 6. Beast 7. Toke Wizard 8. Rogue Planet 9. Tides of Change 10. Invention of Fire 11. Cult of Yeti
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 4th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
I don’t know if there was a debut album that made an impression last year to match Telekinetic Yeti‘s Abominable (review here; interview here). Released on Sump Pump Records, it set the wheels in motion for the Iowa-based two-piece and they haven’t slowed down yet. After hitting the road earlier this year with Weedeater, they’ll be out on a headlining run as of July 7 — that’s this Saturday, in case you, like me, still think it’s March — and as a part of that will also have a couple dates opening for Black Label Society. With their fervent heavy fuzz and max-groove approach, I can’t help but wonder when Telekinetic Yeti might get down to the business of making their second record, but one can hardly begrudge them building on the momentum they’ve established so far in the wake of Abominable, which only continues to reap acclaim the more ears that hear it.
Once again, the tour starts later this week. Support comes from Hyborian for most of the shows. Dates follow with ticket-buy links where applicable:
Telekinetic Yeti July/August Tour Dates
07/07/2018 Des Moines IA @ 80 / 35 Festival – https://bit.ly/2IpuSod 07/16/2018 Peoria IL @ Monarch Music Hall w/BLS – https://ticketf.ly/2yfm841 07/17/2018 Joliet IL @ The Forge w/BLS – https://bit.ly/2MsT6AZ 07/18/2018 Detroit MI @ El Club – https://ticketf.ly/2lcxX1d 07/19/2018 Kalamazoo MI @ Shakespeares – https://bit.ly/2K1yAW9 7/20/2018 Indianapolis IN @ State Street Pub (Tickets expected to go on sale soon) 7/22 Lexington KY @ Cosmic Charlies (tickets expected to go on sale soon) 07/23/2018 Pittsburgh PA @ Howlers – https://bit.ly/2to7em3 07/24/2018 Toronto ON @ Bovine Sex Club – https://ticketf.ly/2MKTdrN 07/25/2018 Ottawa ON @ Cafe Dekcuf – (tickets expected to go on sale soon) 07/26/2018 Montreal QC @ La Vitrola – https://bit.ly/2ldoebf 07/27/2018 Portland ME @ Genos Rock Club – https://bit.ly/2tcDhFL 07/29/2018 Hartford CT @ Webster Theatre w/BLS – https://bit.ly/2MsT6AZ 07/30/2018 Brooklyn NY @ Kingsland – https://bit.ly/2JSEAom 07/31/2018 Philadelphia PA @ Kung Fu Necktie – https://ticketf.ly/2K57vER 08/01/2018 Baltimore MD @ Metro Gallery – https://bit.ly/2JPX44S 08/03/2018 Chapel Hill NC @ Local 506 – https://ticketf.ly/2JGIr83 08/05/2018 New Orleans LA @ Santos Bar – (tickets expected to go on sale soon) 08/06/2018 Houston TX @ Boondocks – (FREE SHOW) 08/07/2018 Austin TX @ Barracuda – https://bit.ly/2K4Gezl 08/08/2018 Oklahoma City OK @ 89th St – (tickets expected to go on sale soon) 08/09/2018 Little Rock AR @ Whitewater – (tickets expected to go on sale soon) 08/11/2018 Omaha NE @ Stoned Meadow of Doom – https://bit.ly/2yeHv5o 08/31/2018 Chicago IL @ Scorched Tundra Festival – https://bit.ly/29W1AMk
Iowan guitarist/vocalist Alex Baumann and drummer Anthony Dreyer — who together go by Telekinetic Yeti and have the beards to prove it — stomped their way into the hearts and minds of the converted this past March with the Sump Pump Records release of Abominable (review here). Their debut album and in fact their first offering of any kind, it telegraphs lumbering intent in massive lumber and the shouts of Baumann, playing to the duo-intensity of Black Cobra on its leadoff title-track while later opting for a fuller-fuzzed groove on “Lightbearer” and jamming into more spacious terrain on “Colossus.”
A purposeful sense of variety offered tone that could bring to mind Conan just as easily as Truckfighters or fellow Midwesterners Valley of the Sun, and Baumann and Dreyer proved no less comfortable as songwriters in either context. Working with Luke Tweedy at Flat Black Studios, the pair harness a sound that is just as likely to impress with its detail as with its overarching impact; ambient transitions between songs tying them together and subtle changes in rhythm, structure and intensity go a long way in making Abominable feel like a complete album rather than an initial batch of material from a new band getting their feet under them.
This June will find Telekinetic Yeti on the road throughout the Midwest for their most extensive tour to-date, and they’ve already begun writing songs for a follow-up to Abominable, which could come together for a possible 2018 release, depending on pressing schedule, recording times, further tour plans, and any number of other variables that crop up along the way. Still, it’s in progress, so all the more reason to chase down the busy twosome and get further introduced to their ways and methods.
Baumann and Dreyer opted to answer as a collective, so please consider them speaking on behalf of each other, and please enjoy the following Six Dumb Questions:
Six Dumb Questions with Telekinetic Yeti
What’s Telekinetic Yeti’s origin story? How did you guys get together and how did the band start to take shape with the two of you? At what point did you know you wanted to remain a duo, and what was behind that decision?
Anthony and I had known each other for years from playing in some different bands years before. After that last band broke up in early 2010, Anthony had moved out west. When he moved back to the Midwest in 2014 we tried to revive the old band. When that didn’t work out with the other members we decided to see what we could do as just two people. We got together for a jam session and the first song we wrote was what ended up being the first song on our new album. We were stoked about how things were sounding so we kept with it. Once we were playing out a lot and people loved it so much just as two people, we kind of figured there was no reason to add a third person if its working so well as two.
Tell me about recording Abominable. How long were you in the studio and what was your time there like? The tones seem to vary so much between songs like “Stoned and Feathered” and “Himalayan Hymn,” between doom-thick and more rocker-fuzz. How were these captured?
We started recording in January, ironically enough during a blizzard. We recorded at Flat Black Studios which is a barn in Lone Tree, Iowa, that was converted into a really nice studio by Luke Tweedy. We were in the studio for approximately 14 days. Luke refers to it as his “recording resort,” which is accurate. We were able to sleep and shower and have everything we needed out there, which was really nice. Luke is amazing to work with. He really understands how to get a band to sound as natural yet raw as possible. Sonically each song has its own character whether that’s due to using a lot of whammy in certain songs or using specific fuzz pedals… also a lot of the songs are in different keys which sometimes responds a little differently with the amps and depending on where on the fretboard I’m playing stuff. We also used a wide array of amps to record with from different little combo amps to micing up the rigs we use live. We tried to leave no stone unturned.
How do you feel the results on Abominable represent where you want to go as a band? Are there lessons you’ll take into your next studio session, and if so, what will you be keeping in mind as you move forward from here?
As far as lessons learned, we have a better idea of how long it will take for us to record an album now. We had no idea how long it would take and initially didn’t book enough time. We ended up spending about 100 hours between recording and mixing in the studio, which is something we can plan for a little better for our next full length.
We are really happy with how Abominable turned out and feel it’s a great launching pad for us to show people what we are about. Originally when we were writing most of those songs, we were just trying to round up enough songs to play our first show. Once we had that we started focusing more on writing specific songs that we thought the album needed. Especially like “Himalayan Hymn,” we wrote that specifically as a song we wanted to end the album with. Even “Electronaut” and “Colossus,” those songs we played at our first show but they initially were much shorter songs (probably because we wrote our first set so fast) which had different endings.
We went back and added a lot of cool new parts and revamped them. We thought the songs turned out much better than they were originally. Also when we started creating layers of ambience for between songs it started to feel more like an album. As far as where we will go with our next album, we already have some new songs finished for it, which we think are a continuation of what we did before but in their own way better and different. We aren’t going to drastically change our sound, but we also try to not write the same song twice.
Where did the transitions at the ends of the songs come from and what do you feel they add to Abominable overall?
We’ve always been inspired by concept albums, whether that’s albums by the Mars Volta, or a band like Rosetta. We’ve always liked music that had more drama and depth to it, we feel like transitions in between songs can make an album feel deeper and more interesting. We feel like bands that add extra layers in between songs leaves you hearing something new every time you listen to it, which adds to replay value. Also when you listen to records like that, you can listen to the album from front to back and it feels more like an experience then just a collection of songs.
Will you tour to support the album?
Yes. We did a handful of Midwest dates as our album release, and this June we are going out for 19 days touring the Rust Belt. Here are those dates:
June 14 Dubuque IA @ The Smokestack
June 15 Dekalb IL @ The House Cafe
June 16 Grand Rapids MI @ The Workshop
June 17 Kalamazoo MI @ Shakespears
June 18 Wyandotte MI @ The Rockery
June 19 Toledo OH @ The Ottawa Tavern
June 20 Cleveland OH @ Mahall’s
June 21 Kent OH @ The Stone Tavern
June 22 Pittsburgh PA @ Mr Roboto
June 23 Altoona PA @ Mcgarveys
June 24 Philadelphia PA @ Pharmacy
June 25 Baltimore MD @ The Depot
June 26 Morgantown WV @ 123 Pleasant St
June 27 Columbus OH @ No Culture (House)
June 28 Fort Wayne IN @ The Brass Rail
June 29 Indianapolis IN @ Kuma’s Corner
June 30 Joliet IL @ Drunken Donut
July 1 Peoria IL @ Rail II
July 2 Rock Island IL @ The Arena
We are also playing the Stoned Meadow of Doom Fest in Omaha on Friday, Sept. 29, and are doing a West Coast tour this Fall, which starts in September and ends around the second week of November.
Any other plans or closing words you want to mention?
Thanks to The Obelisk for doing this interview. We look forward to hopefully meeting many of you on the road this year!
