Chicago illustrator, writer, and psych musician Plastic Crimewave needs little introduction in his hometown. In addition to playing in various incarnations of his Plastic Crimewave Sound, the artist’s “Secret History of Chicago Music“, a comic which celebrates some of the cities’ lesser known musical figures, appears semi-regularly in the Chicago Reader–and it runs in coordination with WGN-AM‘s Secret History of Chicago Music series on The Nick Digilio Show. Crimewave, whose real name is Steve Krakow, also runs Drag City‘s imprint label Galactic Zoo Disk, as well as editing their Galactic Zoo Dossier magazine. As if that wasn’t enough, Krakow also founded the Million Tongues Festival, and on occasion he’s even been known to organize his guitar orchestra, the Vision Celestial Guitarkestra. A lot of work for one man, but heck, someone’s gotta do it!
Here, he appears in his Werewheels project with sonic partner Dawn Aquarius. “Necromagick” can be found on the duo’s 2014 EP of the same name, and will also be featured on their 2016 LP Arcane Dimensions (Sunstone)–an album that includes contributions from Jon Seagroatt of Comus, as well as the legendary Kawabata Makoto of Acid Mothers Temple. Weaving a hazy sonic spell from the heavy buzz of Dawn’s keys and treated vocals, as well as Crimewave’s ergot soaked guitar mantras, “Necromagick” sounds something like Moon Duo and Gang Gang Dance jamming over a mutual love of Suicide. The video for the track was directed by Frankie Delmane, and the lycanthropic visuals composite images of the duo playing live in London over old werewolf movies.
You can catch Werewheels live at The Burlington Bar on Saturday, October 22nd for the Protovulcan Stakes Is Low Release Show . Look for The Velcro Lewis Group to be on the bill that night, too.
