Vollmilch

Released in late 2012, Vollmilch is the second EP from the Michigan-based collective Vulfpeck and is widely considered the release that solidified their 'Vulf' sound. Following their debut Mit Peck, this record leans harder into the jazz-fusion and 'session musician' aesthetic. The EP is entirely instrumental, highlighting the virtuosity of bassist Joe Dart and the multi-instrumental talents of Jack Stratton, Theo Katzman, and Woody Goss. It features the second iteration of their 'It Gets Funkier' series, a recurring theme in their discography. The production is famously dry, utilizing minimal microphones and heavy compression to achieve a vintage, 'dead' room sound that became their trademark. Critically, it helped establish their DIY, YouTube-centric marketing model, where the visual of the band performing in the studio became inseparable from the music itself. It remains a fan favorite for its pure focus on groove and its lack of guest vocalists, which would become more common on their later full-length albums.