Jack Stratton is a Mad Genius.
And here’s 5 reasons why.
Hardcore fans of Vulfpeck will already know this, but the more I listen to Vulfpeck, the more I realize that as a mixer/producer and just in general, Jack Stratton is a complete mad genius. I’ve been aware of Vulfpeck’s music for about a year and a half. I was first introduced to the group on Facebook via videos that would play after other music related videos. They stood out for the strange videos and the general funky vibes. They quickly appealed to my taste for groovy, feel-good music.
Ever since I’ve grown steadily more a fan, delving deeper and deeper into the Vulf-verse. It started with blasting Sky Mall after summer shifts in a kitchen and has grown to the low volume funk group being a daily listen. As I’ve started listening more to Vulfpeck as inspirations for mixing of my own music, I’ve realized just how insane Jack Stratton is. I submit, for the Vulfpeck fandom, my top 5 reasons why Jack Stratton is a mad genius.
5. Music Adjacent Pursuits
I’m going to start this list by grouping all the things that aren’t directly related to how he mixes music into one point. Whether it’s the soccer player uniform, the holy trinity series, or his apperance on CNBC to discuss the Spotify IPO, few can question that Jack is an eccentric guy. These eccentricities, no matter how put on they may be, have served to separate Vulfpeck from the ranks of the good bands by giving them something to stand out. A list of Jack’s most genius moments wouldn’t be complete without mention of Sleepify, or my personal favorite, the video where Jack announced the raffling of a track off of The Joy of Music, The Job of Real Estate.
4. Game Winner Swoosh
Enough of me gushing about Jack Stratton’s non-music escapades. Time to dive into the music. This one is a small touch that isn’t revolutionary, but makes me smile every time I hear it. In Game Winner, entering the final chorus, there’s a stop and in the brief silence the swoosh of a basketball hitting a net plays before the band comes back in.
Game Winner was written by Joey Dosik and he recorded his own version of the song first. Vulfpeck then came out with the version above, with Dosik also playing on the song. This highlights another thing that Stratton does incredibly well, take a composition from a friend or band member, and create a version that is undeniably Vulfpeck. Look no further than Love is a Beautiful Thing, Baby I Don’t Know, and another Dosik composition, Running Away.
3. The Jack Stratton Shuffle
Before I step in it to deep, 2 things should be noted: this is something I really only have a theory about and haven’t studied in depth, and I’m a drummer, so not studying this deeper is really a disgrace. But here it goes. There’s a certain shuffle style beat that is common throughout Vulpeck songs that I haven’t recognized in other songs. If I were to try to describe it, it’s like a paradiddle between the hi-hat and snare, followed by an inverted paradiddle led by the snare hand, then rinse and repeat. I don’t know if this is a common beat that I just haven’t heard before listening to Vulpeck, but Jack’s use of it on songs like 3 on E, a similar beat on It Gets Funkier III, and Animal Spirits has cemented it in my brain.
2. Dean Town Panning
Recently, I listened to Dean Town with headphones for the first time, and if you’ve never done it, it’s essential. The keys throughout the song pan seemingly at random between the left and right sides, making for a listening experience that keeps you on your toes.
1. Birds of a Feather Drum EQ
The final point is also the reason that drove me to write this article. I was listening to Birds of a Feather tonight and realized something that I hadn’t realized in my first hundred listens to this point. I had always thought that the song featured just kick and snare for drums. The video had never caused me to think otherwise, as it features Jack “playing” the drum part on pancakes on a griddle(you read that right.) But a closer listen tonight revealed to me that the drum part does have hi-hat, but the drums are mixed in such a way that the high end is rolled off in the mix. The result is a hi-hat that is mostly the thuddy-hit of the stick connecting with the cymbal. Give it a listen, especially when the other instruments are not as involved:
What?! Who does that? Who thinks to do that? Jack Stratton. That’s who.
In Conclusion
Thanks for reading my ode to Jack Stratton. What are some of your favorite Jack Stratton moments? Do you have a favorite Vulfpeck song? If you’re a huge Vulfpeck fan, point me in the direction of some obscure videos that I’ve never seen!
