More copies available at: snowflakeschristmassingles.bandcamp.com
U.S. cinematic outfit Whatitdo Archive Group announces a Christmas-themed 45 vinyl called “Wild Man” featuring two WAG’S brand new singles. The first single “Wild Man” will be available on October 23rd, while the 45 vinyl and the second single “Greensleeves” will be released on November 29th. The limited 45 is courtesy of the Snowflakes Christmas Single Club, get more info here: snowflakeschristmassingles.bandcamp.com.
After navigating the labyrinthine musical chambers of their 2023 modern exotica album “Palace Of A Thousand Sounds,” Whatitdo Archive Group has returned with their first-ever holiday offering—venturing into the darker side of Christmas folklore with their new ice-cold 45, “Wild Man.” The first single “Wild Man” will be available on October 23rd on digital platforms, while the 45 vinyl and the second single “Greensleeves” will be released on November 29th via Snowflakes Christmas Singles and Record Kicks.
Drawing inspiration from a global archetypical myth of the same name, Whatitdo Archive Group examines the ancient story of the Wild Man—the hairy, half-human, half-beast that stalks the shadows of humanity’s shared primeval past. Listeners already know the myth of the Wild Man, a folktale that goes by many names: The Yeti of the Himalayas, the Bigfoot of North America, and, of course, Krampus of Eastern Europe—a yuletide beast with a reputation as a child-devouring “Anti-Claus” who now finds himself the subject of Whatitdo’s latest musical exploration.
On the A-side, the original track “Wild Man” gives us a glimpse into the band’s newest sonic direction. With a heavy rhythm section carried by Korostinsky’s driving bass line, the sticky wah-guitar of Sexton’s L-5, and the acrobatic lines of the Wurlitzer electric piano, “Wild Man” revels in the spiritual jazz flavors of Pharoah Sanders and grooves hard like the classic soul-jazz stylings of Ramsey Lewis. Much like the Krampus myth itself, “Wild Man” is meant to weave an ominous spell over any Christmas cocktail party long after the kids have gone to bed. Hear the warning for yourself in the song’s haunting chant: “You better watch out for your life, when the Wild Man comes in the night.”
But mythology isn’t abandoned on the B-side. Flipping the record, the band takes the traditional English folk melody “Greensleeves” and reimagines it through the musical lens of Ethio-jazz. Recorded live at Korostinsky’s Archive Group Studios, the track exudes a dark, roomy atmosphere, drenched in unease and mystery courtesy of the wandering electric piano dancing above the hypnotic rhythm section and mesmeric groove of the distant Batá drums. This fresh reimagining taps into the ancient, cross-cultural lineage of the “Green Man” myth, a pagan symbol of rebirth and the power of the natural world, further blurring the lines between holiday cheer and the primal, elemental forces enshrined in our collective cultural memory.
After the band’s “Palace Of A Thousand Sounds” was named 2023’s “Best Library Record” by PopMatters Magazine, their new “Wild Man” 7” capitalizes on the same creative process that shaped their last record, while now exploring new conceptual territory. By drawing inspiration from archaic global folklore and again utilizing their peculiar recording techniques, W.A.G. has crafted a truly unique holiday offering that unearths the darker, more primal undercurrents of the Christmas tradition.
Steeped in obscurity, a cult following of crate-diggers and musical oddity collectors has been brewing over the mysterious releases of the Whatitdo Archive Group. Surfacing in 2009 from the high deserts of Reno, NV USA, this three-piece recording collective (Alexander Korostinsky, Mark Sexton and Aaron Chiazza) focuses solely on curating, performing and preserving esoteric soundtrack, library and deep-groove collections. As an onlooker, it’s hard to tell whether the music they are procuring is actually archival, music of their own creation, or both. Their debut LP The Black Stone Affair, the formerly lost soundtrack music of a once-shelved Italian cinematic masterpiece, was released in 2021 and received praise from the likes of Wall Street Journal, Mojo Magazine, Uncut, Shindig, Blues & Soul Magazine, BBC 6, FIP Radio (FR), KCRW (US), JazzFM (UK) and more. Two years later, Whatitdo Archive Group continued their musical journey with an exotic adventure in the form of their sophomore full-length effort: Palace of a Thousand Sounds.
