Oakland’s lo-fi synth punk menace Shrinkwrap Killers returns with Feed the Clones Pt. 2, the latest chapter in Greg Wilkinson’s twisted new wave saga—out June 13 via Carbonized Records. Best known for his role behind the boards at Earhammer Studios (Necrot, High On Fire, Autopsy) and his work in skull-caving projects like Deathgrave, Autopsy, and Brainoil, Wilkinson swaps blastbeats for drum machines and feedback for paranoia in this bizarre solo endeavor.
Today we’re premiering the second single and video, “Eminent Death,” a minimal yet magnetic death cry from orbit. Wilkinson explains:
“Our timeline really sucks right now but not as much as the one this song is about! Shortly after the protagonist’s arrival to space, Earth was nuked and everyone below was decimated. This hauntingly off-kilter track follows this character’s bellowing pleas to anyone alive while floating in the Earth’s orbital debris awaiting death.
I chose the adjective ‘Eminent’ in lieu of ‘Imminent’ to convey the protagonist’s desire for death while going through the futile motions of searching for other survivors. It’s as if they worship the idea of death.
This track really stuck out to me while recording it from start to finish. I was able to play the drum track off of my close friend Jon’s Fun Machine straight into Pro Tools. There’s a full circle effect as he is half-owner of Iron Lung Records, who released Feed the Clones Pt. 1. For this track, I actually composed the song singing to this low-fi drum track. With lyrics and the melody established, it was easy to compose and layer all the music around these two elements. This was all done within an hour or two after tracking the vocals. I decided any more layers or mixing would probably wreck the strange desolate vibe.”
That vibe—desperate, deranged, and eerily danceable—defines Shrinkwrap Killers. Formed in 2018 and named after a scene from the film Bad Boy Bubby, the project channels Wilkinson’s love of ‘70s/‘80s punk, film scores, sci-fi, and weird pop culture ephemera. Feed the Clones Pt. 2 continues the experiment, flipping the compositional method from Pt. 1—here, the lyrics and melody came first, with everything else falling into place around the vocals.
The result is punk grit reassembled in a synth-drenched cryo-chamber—recommended if you like The Spits, Tubeway Army, Devo, or watching the Earth burn from space.
Watch “Eminent Death” below and preorder Feed the Clones Pt. 2 on CD, LP, cassette, and digital from Carbonized Records:
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The post Video Premiere: Shrinkwrap Killers – “Eminent Death” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.