Intentional Experiments

Andrew Fitzpatrick and Thomas Wincek of All Tiny Creatures. Photo by John Baker.

Experimenting with electronics and other instruments in rock/pop structures.

This statement is what you’ll find when looking at the Bandcamp page of Madison-based band All Tiny Creatures. It’s a simple sentence that speaks volumes to what listeners can expect. That is… you don’t quite know what you can expect. But the “rock/pop” shout provides a hint of an onramp for whatever the result of that experimentation yields.

Going back to their first release in 2009, a lot has changed between Sengi’s opening “17 minute long piano and percussion piece” and the 2024 single “Four Oh Five” featuring a danceable beat, pulsating synths, and dreamy vocals from Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak, Flock of Dimes, Bon Iver).

You’d be hard pressed to put All Tiny Creatures (ATC) in any sort of box, but that open spirit of experimentation and discovery seems to fit their discography perfectly, especially for those two songs with a 15 year gap between them.

The cast of ATC collaborators and members has shifted over the years, but at the heart of the band is composer and synthesizer wizard Thomas Wincek. His fingerprints can be heard across a great web of Wisconsin music, including Bon Iver, Collections of Colonies of Bees, Field Report and Volcano Choir. In truth, the ATC bio statement reflects aspects of each of these projects. Perhaps that’s because Wincek’s musical identity, instincts, and ideas appear to be intertwined with experimenting.

But this approach goes beyond his own projects, friends, and collaborators.

Wincek has been a longtime composer for us at The License Lab, contributing a number of standout projects that we often cite among TLL Favorites. When trying to describe his style and strengths within these production music albums, we find ourselves going back to the ATC bio. If you remove the last bit and turn it into a blank… “Experimenting with electronics and other instruments in _________”, one can see how “production music” can easily slide into this ethos.

Unsurprisingly, each of the records that Wincek has produced for us revolve around the synthesizer. Calling him a “synthesizer wizard” was not hyperbole, evidenced by the first album we worked on together called Retrograde Synths (just look at this promo video!)

Let’s just spell out each of the albums within that ATC framework:

“Experimenting with electronics and other instruments in… vintage soundtracks for horror, drama, and suspense.” — Retrograde Synths (E&E-021)

“Experimenting with electronics and other instruments in… synthwave dance parties.”— Synthwave (E&E-029)

“Experimenting with electronics and other instruments in… nostalgia chillwave for the romantic geek in all of us.” — Vaporwave (E&E-022)

“Experimenting with electronics and other instruments in… post-punk cassette culture rebellion.” — New Wave UK (ACPM-024)

This case-study on a production music composer along with his own art showcases what we value so much in a creative partner. It all adds up to music that is clearly spawned from an exciting intention and sense of adventure that leads to genuine inspiration. The same is true across Wincek’s entire, impressive catalog and web of collaborators. We’re proud to be among them.

While the last ATC album was released back in 2013, the band has recently begun sharing new work like the aforementioned single while teasing more. To get a comprehensive look at All Tiny Creatures along with an insightful interview with Wincek, check out this piece by Scott Gordon in Tone Madison.

Pitchfork’s review of ATC’s 2011 album Harbors begins by saying “Thomas Wincek appears to be the type of musician who can never sit still…”