{{Short description|Sound collage from Phoenix, Arizona}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> | name = Vampire Rodents | image = Vampire_Rodents.jpg | caption = Vampire Rodents circa 1993, from left to right: Victor Wulf; Andrea Akastia; Daniel Vahnke | image_size = 250 | landscape = yes | background = group_or_band | alias = | origin = [[Phoenix, Arizona]], US | genre = [[Experimental rock]], [[sound collage]], [[Industrial music|industrial]] | years_active = 1989–1996 | label = {{hlist| [[List of industrial music labels|Dossier]] | [[Fifth Colvmn Records|Fifth Colvmn]] | [[Re-Constriction Records|Re-Constriction]] | V.R. }} | website ={{URL|facebook.com/VampireRodentsOfficial}} | current_members = | past_members = *Andrea Akastia *[[Daniel Vahnke]] *[[Victor Wulf]] }}
'''Vampire Rodents''' was a [[sound collage]] and [[experimental music]] ensemble based out of [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], [[Arizona]], although its core members originally came from [[Canada]]. The creative nucleus of the project comprised vocalist and composer [[Daniel Vahnke]] and keyboardist [[Victor Wulf]]. Daniel Vahnke was primarily influenced by [[20th-century classical music|20th-century classical]] and [[avant-garde music]], whereas Wulf drew from [[New-age music|new age]], [[ambient music|ambient]] and synth-driven [[pop music]]. Their work also dabbled in [[big band]], [[bebop]], [[musique concrète]], [[industrial music|industrial]], [[Electro (music)|electro]], [[Indian classical music|Indian classical]], and [[Music of Greece|Greek music]].
Vampire Rodents debuted with ''[[War Music (Vampire Rodents album)|War Music]]'' (1991), an album that showcased their knack for dark humor and experimentation with the pop and industrial music format. ''[[Premonition (Vampire Rodents album)|Premonition]]'' (1992), recorded with violinist and cellist Andrea Akastia, revealed the band's artistic ambitious and interest in [[Electroacoustic music|electroacoustic]] and [[ambient music]]. Considered by some to be the group's magnum opus, ''[[Lullaby Land (album)|Lullaby Land]]'' (1993) further expanded the sound with the inclusion of additional musicians, [[House music|house beats]], [[Swing (jazz performance style)|swing rhythms]] and [[world music]].
In 1993, Akastia and Wulf ceased to make direct contributions to Vampire Rodents and it became Vahnke's solo project, although he continued to utilize music his former bandmates had recorded previous to their departure. Vampire Rodents embraced an [[electro-industrial]] sound informed by orchestral music on ''[[Clockseed]]'' (1995) with the help of producer Chase and the contributions of numerous musicians already established in the 1990s industrial rock scene. The final album, ''[[Gravity's Rim]]'' (1996), returned to the more aggressive and sardonic nature of past work while emphasizing dense string and horn arrangements backed by drum machine rhythms.
Vampire Rodents' last recordings were made in 1996 when Vahnke was preparing the follow-up to ''Gravity's Rim''. Legal issues with [[Fifth Colvmn Records]] unexpectedly halted activity and the project was put on hiatus. After over a decade of inactivity, Daniel Vahnke officially announced his musical retirement and the project's abandonment in 2009. In 2016, Vahnke established an official YouTube page titled Rodentia Productions and began issuing unreleased material with the suggestion that it would be made available for purchase. On November 11, 2017, Vampire Rodents' sixth album, ''[[Noises in the Wall]]'', was issued digitally on their official [[Bandcamp]] page.
==History== ===Early years in Toronto (1987–1989)=== Composers [[Daniel Vahnke]] and [[Victor Wulf]] met while studying anthropology at the university of Toronto. Victor had been composing film music under pseudonyms since 1977 and was composing experimental pop track with samplers during the 1980s. Daniel had been working on player piano pieces based on Chinese character stroke analysis since 1986. They began collaborating in 1987 and composed several independent films scores together. In June 1989, they began a project that incorporated elements of [[industrial rock]] and [[sound collage]], which was conceived as a form of self-entertainment and as a way to play a joke on the music industry.<ref name="rodentint07">{{cite web|first=Gabe|last=Wilkinson|url=https://themindofmicrowaved.blogspot.com/2007/06/vampire-rodentsether-bunny-interview.html|title=Vampire Rodents/Ether Bunny Interview 2007|publisher=themindofmicrowaved.blogspot.com|date=June 2007|access-date=July 9, 2015}}</ref> They named the project Vampire Rodents after an animal skull with two large incisors that Vahnke discovered on an Anthropological dig in Arizona.<ref name="industrialnatint92">{{cite journal|first=Kim|last=Traub|url=http://pilot.msu.edu/user/tarjason/IndNat.html|title=Interview With Victor Wulf and Anton Rathausen of the Vampire Rodents|journal=[[Industrialnation]]|date=1992|issue=6|access-date=July 10, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990202055907/http://pilot.msu.edu/user/tarjason/IndNat.html|archive-date=February 2, 1999}}</ref>
=== ''War Music'' and move to Arizona (1989–1990)=== {{Listen |filename = Vampire Rodents - Success.ogg |title = "Success" (1990) |description = "Success" (''War Music''), written by Daniel Vahnke and Victor Wulf }} By 1989, the duo had relocated to [[Phoenix, Arizona]] and enlisted the aid of Karl Geist on bass guitar and keyboards, Ivan Koci on guitar and Jing Laoshu on percussion. Recording for ''[[War Music (Vampire Rodents album)|War Music]]'' was completed in January 1990.<ref name="permissionint93">{{cite journal|first=Randy|last=Yau|url=http://www.msu.edu/user/tarjason/Permission.htm|title=Permission Interview|journal=[[Permission (magazine)|Permission]]|date=July 7, 1993|access-date=July 10, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000305182156/http://www.msu.edu/user/tarjason/Permission.htm|archive-date=March 5, 2000}}</ref> Vahnke chose to compose and record under an alias, and was credited as Anton Rathausen on every Vampire Rodent release. He would use the alias when being interviewed and would ask that the interviewer address Vahnke and Rathausen as separate people.<ref name="sonicboomint96">{{cite web|first1=Kevin A.|last1=Congdon|first2=Jason J.|last2=Tar|url=http://www.sonic-boom.com/interview/vampire.rodents.interview.html|title=Interview With Daniel Vahnke of the Vampire Rodents|publisher=Sonic-Boom Magazine|date=June 1996|access-date=July 10, 2015}}</ref>
Like other industrial rock at the time, the compositions of ''War Music'' made heavy use of sampled movie and television dialogue. Because of this, coupled with Vahnke's vocal technique, publications drew comparisons between the Rodents' music and that of early [[Skinny Puppy]]. The album also received attention for the lyrics, which utilized dark humor to sardonically critique Western culture.<ref name="technologyworks91">{{cite journal|last=Chase|url=http://www.msu.edu/~tarjason/TechWorks.htm|title=Interview with Victor Wulf and Anton Rathausen of the Vampire Rodents|journal=Technology Works|date=1991|issue=12|access-date=September 15, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000518193302/http://www.msu.edu/~tarjason/TechWorks.htm|archive-date=May 18, 2000}}</ref>
=== ''Premonition'' and experimental phase (1990–1992) === {{Listen |filename = Vampire Rodents - Demon est Deus inversus.ogg |title = "Demon est Deus inversus" (1992) |description = "Demon est Deus inversus" (''Premonition''), demonstrating influence of musique concrète and modern classical composers }}
Geist left the band after the release of ''War Music'', opting to seek employment with the Bristol-based label Words of Warning.<ref name="rocklinepremonition">{{cite journal|first=Emanuele|last=Pavia|url=http://www.rockline.it/recensione/vampire-rodents/premonition|title=Vampire Rodents: ''RockLine Italia''|journal=[[Alternative Press (music magazine)|Alternative Press]]|publisher=Associazione Culturale RockLine|date=April 14, 2013|language=it|access-date=January 14, 2016}}</ref> Vahnke and Wulf realized the artistic merit of their project and began moving away from the mock [[industrial rock]] of ''War Music'' to draw inspiration from [[Electroacoustic music|electroacoustic]] and [[ambient music]]. In 1991, the duo issued a thirty-minute [[Compact Cassette|cassette tape]] titled ''[[Premonition (Vampire Rodents album)|Premonition]]'', which would serve as the foundation for their second full-length album.
''Premonition'' was expanded and completed in 1992 with violinist and cellist Andrea Akastia.<ref name="altpressbio94">{{cite journal|first=Michael|last=Mahan|url=http://www.msu.edu/~tarjason/Digizine.htm|title=Michael Mahan's Biography of Vampire Rodents|journal=[[Alternative Press (music magazine)|Alternative Press]]|date=May 1994|issue=70|access-date=July 10, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990128104807/http://pilot.msu.edu/user/tarjason/AltPress.htm|archive-date=January 28, 1999}}</ref> The album garnered further praise from critics and the band began to receive wider notice, with tracks such as "Sitio" receiving airplay on the college radio stations.<ref name="permissionint93"/>
=== ''Lullaby Land'' and critical acclaim (1992–1993) === {{Listen |filename = Vampire Rodents - Catacomb.ogg |title = "Catacomb" (1993) |description = "Catacomb" (''Lullaby Land''), demonstrating mix of house beats and string samples }}
''Premonition'' caught the attention of [[industrial music]] label [[Re-Constriction Records]],<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000123780|pure_url=yes}}|title=Lullaby Land |publisher=Allmusic |access-date=July 9, 2015}}</ref> who adopted the band into its roster. ''[[Lullaby Land (album)|Lullaby Land]]'' was released in 1993 and marked a musical maturity for Vampire Rodents. The music boasted [[House music|house beats]], [[Swing (jazz performance style)|swing rhythms]] and [[world music]] influences while continuing to explore [[avant-garde music|avant-garde]] and [[industrial music]]. It also marked the first time Vampire Rodents collaborated with guest musicians, utilizing the singing talents of Dan Grotta of [[Babyland]]; Jared Hendrickson of [[Chemlab]]; and [[Pall Jenkins]] of [[Three Mile Pilot]]. After the album's release, Akastia and Wulf scaled back their involvement with Vampire Rodents to pursue other interests. Their final in-studio collaboration was the track "Lizardman", which was released on the ''Masked Beauty in a Sea of Sadness'' various artists compilation.
''Lullaby Land'' was well received by critics upon its release. ''[[Exclaim!]]'' called it their best work, saying "these folks can turn collage into counterpoint the way only masters of the avant-garde have done; Zappa comes to mind for those old enough to remember the delirious metamorphoses on Absolutely Free." ''[[Gear (magazine)|Gear]]'' credited the band with creating a cinematic experience with their music, saying they "want to create classic horror movies and are using music, not film, as their medium." Much was also said concerning the eclecticism of the music, with ''[[RIP magazine|RIP]]'' and i/e crediting the band for pushing the boundaries of [[industrial music]], the latter saying "with no repeated chorus rhymes and musical riffs, they forge ahead, staying away from stale techno and industrial treachery" and that "nobody creates the different moods and emotional states that the Vampires create."
=== ''Clockseed'' and mainstream sound (1992–1995) === {{Listen |filename = Vampire Rodents - Mother Tongue.ogg |title = "Mother Tongue" (1995) |description = "Mother Tongue" (''Clockseed'') By 1995, their music had begun to prominently utilize dance beats informed by [[Electro (music)|electro]] and [[hip hop music]] }}
With Vampire Rodents essentially becoming his solo project, Vahnke decided to take the music in a different direction. He began moving away from the dissonant industrial sound that characterized his earlier work to focus on composing lush arrangements comprising clarinets, bassoons, trumpets, trombones, flutes, oboes and saxophones. The music became more dependent on dance beats and informed by [[Electro (music)|electro]] and even [[hip hop music]].
1995's ''[[Clockseed]]'' introduced this new sound, with heavy emphasis placed on dance beats and vocals. Guest involvement had been increased to feature a new vocalist on every song, with Vahnke providing vocals for only four of the twenty-two tracks. Because of this, the lyrics contain social commentary more typical of [[industrial rock]] and [[electronica]] and less of Vahnke's grotesque humor. In an interview with ''Under the Volcano'', Vahnke explained the reasoning behind the collaborative process: "We've always felt that it was important to have as much vocal diversity as possible. Clockseed finally brings the whole concept together, thanks to all the great singers who volunteered their effort and ingenuity. Chase [head of Re-Constriction] was instrumental in orchestrating the whole process. We're continuing to work with nearly 25 vocalists and following a similar approach. I think the experimental "hands off" policy seems to bring excellent results. It gives us new challenges to create for these artists." He further stated "We try to give a vocalist a challenging task. Often we intentionally offer a track totally unlike what the artist is used to working with." Besides connecting Vahnke with the contributing artists, Chase also provided [[Loop (music)|loops]] for the music.
=== ''Gravity's Rim'' and hiatus (1995–2016) === {{Listen |filename = Vampire Rodents - Underneath.ogg |title = "Underneath" (1996) |description = "Underneath" (''Gravity's Rim''), demonstrating further emphasis of dense string and horn arrangements backed by drum machine rhythms }}
At the advice of Chase and [[Jared Louche|Jared Hendrickson]], Vahnke decided to continue issuing his work under [[Fifth Colvmn Records]]. In 1996, ''[[Gravity's Rim]]'' was released and marked a return to the more aggressive and sardonic nature of past work while emphasizing dense string and horn arrangements backed by drum machine rhythms. Returning collaborators included [[Maria Azevedo]], [[Society Burning|Dave Creadeau]], Mark Edwards, [[Chemlab|Jared Hendrickson]] and [[Society Burning|Boom chr Paige]]. The album also predominantly featured [[Spahn Ranch (band)|Spahn Ranch]] and future [[Black Tape for a Blue Girl]] vocalist [[Athan Maroulis]], who contributed to four tracks.<ref name="2000ad96">{{cite journal|first=Dixon|last=Christie|url=http://www.msu.edu/~tarjason/Digizine.htm|title=Permission Interview|journal=2000AD Online|date=1996|access-date=July 10, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000529161452/http://www.msu.edu/~tarjason/Digizine.htm|archive-date=May 29, 2000}}</ref>
Vahnke was especially prolific at this point and was interested in touring the band<ref name="hortechkint96">{{cite journal|last=Ice IX|url=http://pilot.msu.edu/user/tarjason/Hortechk.htm|title=Hortechk Interview With Daniel Vahnke|journal=Hor-Techk|date=1996|issue=3|access-date=July 9, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990202042050/http://pilot.msu.edu/user/tarjason/Hortechk.htm|archive-date=February 2, 1999}}</ref> and launching several musical projects across several genres. This included a new Vampire Rodents album, slated for release in 1997. It was intended to be an entirely instrumental double disc album titled ''Noises in the Wall'' and would have comprised music recorded between 1993 and 1996. A re-imagining of [[Franz Schubert]]'s [[Piano Trio No. 2 (Schubert)|Piano Trio No. 2, op. 100, D. 929]] that was recorded for the album appeared on a [[Cleopatra Records]] compilation<ref>{{cite book|first=Janell R.|last=Duxbury|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2-wyCE21VEQC&pg=PA218|title=Rockin' the Classics and Classicizin' the Rock|publisher=[[Xlibris Corporation]]|date=February 5, 2001|page=218|isbn=9781462807369|access-date=July 10, 2015}}</ref>{{Self-published inline|certain=yes|date=December 2017}} and five tracks that would have been part of the first disc were made available through the band's official Myspace page in January 2008. Plans to remaster and re-issue the entire Rodent catalog were also made.
Vahnke was unable to find a record label to issue his work and was lacked the means necessary to release compositions himself. In 2002, he had expressed his desire to establish an [[MPEG-1|mpg.]] site to make his work accessible to the public. Vahnke and officially announced his retirement from music in 2009.<ref name="fabrykaint09">{{cite web|first=Marco|last=Gariboldi|url=http://industrialrock.net/php-files_en/articles.php?article_id=299|title=Vampire Rodents (Daniel Vahnke) - Interview (2009)|publisher=Fabryka Music Magazine|date=September 2, 2009|access-date=July 9, 2015}}</ref> He mentioned in an interview that he had in his possession three hours of completed Vampire Rodents tracks as well as another three hours of other compositions that he has been unable to find an outlet for.<ref name="rodentint07"/>
===Hiatus and project revival (2016–present)=== In 2016, Vahnke established official YouTube and Facebook pages that serve as outlets for unreleased compositions, including Vampire Rodents compositions. An abridged version of ''Noises in the Wall'' as well as "Smartass", the intended final track of ''Gravity's Rim'', have been made available to the public for the first time since they were recorded. In 2017, the band started its official bandcamp page and began digitally issuing their back catalog along with unreleased material.<ref name="bjorkodioint">{{cite web |first=David |last=Cappuccini |url=https://bjorkodioblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/07/intervista-a-daniel-vahnke-vampire-rodents/ |title=Intervista a Daniel Vahnke (Vampire Rodents) |publisher=Santa Sangre |date=March 7, 2017 |access-date=December 21, 2017}}</ref>
Vampire Rodents' sixth album ''[[Noises in the Wall]]'' was officially released for the first time on November 11, 2017. Ostensibly a double album, ''Noises in the Wall'' is the band's longest release to date and, in the spirit of Vahnke's [[Ether Bunny]] project, is Vampire Rodents' only entirely instrumental album. The album well received critically, with reviewer's praising the wide scope of musical genres and styles. The ten part suite "Zombie Dolls", the frantic industrial collage of "Good Humour", the eight-minute composition "Cyborghostsex", the [[Electroacoustic music|electroacoustic]] "Itume" and Vahnke's interpretation of [[Franz Schubert|Schubert's]] "[[Piano Trio No. 2 (Schubert)|Piano Trio No. 2]]" were referenced as being among the album's high points.<ref name="ondarockbio">{{cite web |first=Stefano |last=Villa |url=http://www.ondarock.it/altrisuoni/vampirerodents.htm |title=Vampire Rodents: La scienza del collage |publisher=Onda Rock |date=2009 |language=it |access-date=December 21, 2017}}</ref><ref name="santasangremagazine">{{cite web |first=Peter |last=Marks |url=https://santasangremagazine.wordpress.com/2017/11/14/vampire-rodents-noises-in-the-wall/ |title=Vampire Rodents – Noises in the Wall |publisher=Santa Sangre |date=November 14, 2017 |access-date=December 21, 2017}}</ref>
==Musical style== ===Vocals and lyrics=== [[File:MariaAzevedo.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Maria Azevedo]] of [[Battery (electro-industrial band)|Battery]] provided vocals for several songs on [[Clockseed]] and [[Gravity's Rim]].]] Based on ''[[A Modest Proposal]]'', "Abortion Clinic Deli" is one of their more raunchy songs, with lyrics championing the consuming of aborted fetuses for both protein and pleasure.<ref name="technologyworks91"/> Songs like "Dumme Weisse Menschen", which translates to "stupid white people", critique of Western culture while "Tatoo" is critical of hollow vogues.<ref name="technologyworks91"/> The collaborating artists who contributed the vocals to songs on ''[[Lullaby Land (album)|Lullaby Land]]'', ''[[Clockseed]]'' and ''[[Gravity's Rim]]'' also penned their own lyrics. For example, Jared Hendrickson's "Low Orbit" is about two of his deceased friends appearing to him in his sleep and "Revisioned" by Sounds of Mass Production concerns systemic oppression at the hands of the government and establishment.
===Composition technique=== The music of Vampire Rodents is entirely created by sampled music. Vahnke takes sections of previously recorded improvised or composed music and edits, notates and catalogues it in his sample database for later use.<ref name="technologyworks91"/><ref name="technicalchaos91">{{cite journal|last=Laliberte|url=http://www.msu.edu/user/tarjason/TChaos.htm|title=Interview with Victor Wulf and Anton Rathausen of the Vampire Rodents|journal=Technical Chaos|date=October 17, 1991|access-date=September 15, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000305202248/http://www.msu.edu/user/tarjason/TChaos.htm|archive-date=March 5, 2000|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Shying away from using modern or high-end equipment, Vahnke prefers utilizing two [[Sampler (musical instrument)#Roland|Roland S-50s]] and a [[Commodore 64]] for sequencing the samples. He usually begins composing by structuring the piece with drum beats, the percussion is mostly structured around several interlocking loops. The melodic content enters the picture secondly, with the sampled sections sequenced in order of instrumental dominance.<ref name="volcanoint95">{{cite journal|last=Mr. Hymson|url=http://www.msu.edu/~tarjason/Under.htm|title=Mr. Hymson Interviews Daniel Vahnke|journal=Under the Volcano|date=May 1995|issue=28|access-date=July 10, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000602170244/http://www.msu.edu/~tarjason/Under.htm|archive-date=June 2, 2000}}</ref>
Vahnke previously worked in modern classical music but became frustrated because, "Most music in your head cannot be realized by instruments because of the octave's twelve-interval restrictions." More in keeping with real sounds, quarter tones expand the piano's octave from 12 to 28 keys. Vahnke felt sampling allowed more freedom when composing his pieces. Not intended for replication in a live setting, Vahnke constructed sample-based pieces on linear time graphs in a manner similar to [[Conlon Nancarrow]]'s player-piano roll compositions.<ref name="altpressbio94"/>
==Other projects== Besides Vampire Rodents, both [[Daniel Vahnke]] and [[Victor Wulf]] have been involved in separate musical projects. After Wulf parted from the band in 1993, after which he began composing and releasing solo work under the name [[Dilate (musical project)|Dilate]]. Influenced by [[Ambient music|ambient]] and [[new-age music]], Dilate released two albums, ''[[Cyclos (album)|Cyclos]]'' in 1996 and ''[[Octagon (Dilate album)|Octagon]]'' the following year.<ref name="allmusicdilatebio">{{cite web |first=John |last=Bush |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0000258034/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Dilate > Biography |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=August 21, 2020}}</ref> Both were issued by [[Hypnotic Records]], a sublabel of [[Cleopatra Records]], and mostly well received by critics.<ref name="allmusicoctagon">{{cite web |first=Jim |last=Brenholts |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000240142|pure_url=yes}}|title=Dilate: ''Octagon'' > Review |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=August 20, 2020}}</ref><ref name="magicalblenddilate">{{cite journal |first=Kim Ann |last=Alexander |url=http://www.msu.edu/user/tarjason/DReview.htm |title=Dilate: ''Octagon'' |journal=Magical Blend |date=March 13, 1999 |access-date=August 21, 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000616182843/http://www.msu.edu/user/tarjason/DReview.htm |archive-date=June 16, 2000 }}</ref><ref name="cleopatraoctagon">{{cite web |url=http://pilot.msu.edu/user/tarjason/OReviews.htm |title=''Octagon'' Press Sheet |publisher=[[Cleopatra Records]] |date=February 2, 1999 |access-date=August 21, 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991013182152/http://pilot.msu.edu/user/tarjason/OReviews.htm |archive-date=October 13, 1999}}</ref>
Vahnke began writing and recording music for his [[big band]]-influenced project Ether Bunny in 1993. Ether Bunny's debut [[studio album]], titled ''[[Papa Woody]]'', was released on [[Fifth Colvmn Records]] in 1996.<ref name="allmusicpapawoody">{{cite web |first=Ned |last=Raggett |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000648111|pure_url=yes}}|title=Ether Bunny: ''Papa Woody'' > Review |publisher=Allmusic |access-date=August 21, 2020}}</ref> Vahnke has pointed to ''Papa Woody'' as containing the music he is most proud of and he intended to follow up that release with a second album titled ''Toy Box'', which was eventually released in 2017 as ''[[Attention Please (Ether Bunny album)|Attention Please]]''. In the years between the release of ''[[Gravity's Rim]]'' and his retirement from music, Vahnke composed for several composition projects with the intention of collaborating with artists he had worked with previously. This included an ambient music album called Obsidian with [[Maria Azevedo]] and her band [[Battery (electro-industrial band)|Battery]],<ref name="ondarockbio"/> an adult contemporary pop music oriented project with [[Athan Maroulis]] called Alchemia<ref name="hortechkint96"/> and a collaboration with vocalist Eric Powell of [[16Volt]] called Pillow.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jester|url=http://www.sonic-boom.com/interview/16.volt-2.interview.html|title=Interview With Eric Powell of 16 Volt, La Luna, Portland, OR|publisher=Sonic-Boom Magazine|date=February 27, 1997|access-date=July 10, 2015}}</ref><ref name="sonicboomint96"/> An album titled [[Axon Tremolo]], collecting music that was originally recorded for Alchemia, made its debut on Vahnke's official [[Bandcamp]].<ref name="idieyoudieaxontremolo">{{cite journal |first=Bruce |last=Lord |url=https://www.idieyoudie.com/2018/07/23/tracks-july-23rd-2018/ |title=Traxks: July 23rd, 2018 |journal=I Die: You Die |publisher=idieyoudie.com |date=March 6, 2012 |access-date=August 21, 2020}}</ref> The album ''[[ElevatorMan]]'', a collaboration between Daniel Vahnke Vahnke and Phoenix musician Otis Francis, was released in 2020 and included half original songs and half [[Cover song|cover versions]] of [[Roy Acuff]], [[Johnny Cash]], [[Leonard Cohen]], [[Dick Jurgens]] and [[Elvis Presley]].<ref name="linearnoteselevatorman">{{cite AV media notes |title=ElevatorMan |title-link=ElevatorMan |others=[[Elevator ManN]] |year=2020 |type=digital |publisher=[[Rodentia Productions]]}}</ref>
==Band members== '''Former members''' * Andrea Akastia – [[String instrument|strings]] <small>(1991–1994)</small> * [[Daniel Vahnke]] – [[Singing|vocals]] and [[Sampler (musical instrument)|sampler]] <small>(1989–1996)</small> * [[Victor Wulf]] – [[Keyboard instrument|keyboards]] <small>(1989–1994)</small>
'''Timeline''' <div align="center"> <timeline> ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:30 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:60 top:0 right:50 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:06/01/1989 till:01/01/1997 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Colors = id:Vocal value:red legend:Lead_vocals id:Sampler value:lavender legend:Samplers id:Keyboard value:purple legend:Keyboards id:String value:yellowgreen legend:Strings id:Lines value:black legend:Studio albums
Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom
ScaleMajor = increment:1 start:1990 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1991
LineData =
at:08/20/1990 color:black layer:back at:05/19/1992 color:black layer:back at:10/25/1993 color:black layer:back at:04/07/1995 color:black layer:back at:05/14/1996 color:black layer:back
BarData =
bar:Daniel text:"Daniel Vahnke" bar:Victor text:"Victor Wulf" bar:Andrea text:"Andrea Akastia"
PlotData=
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Daniel from:06/01/1989 till:12/01/1996 color:Sampler bar:Daniel from:06/01/1989 till:12/01/1996 color:Vocal width:3 bar:Victor from:06/01/1989 till:01/01/1994 color:Keyboard bar:Andrea from:01/01/1991 till:01/01/1994 color:String
</timeline> </div>
==Discography== {{main|Daniel Vahnke discography}}
'''Studio albums''' *''[[War Music (Vampire Rodents album)|War Music]]'' (V.R., 1990) *''[[Premonition (Vampire Rodents album)|Premonition]]'' (V.R., 1992) *''[[Lullaby Land (album)|Lullaby Land]]'' ([[Re-Constriction Records|Re-Constriction]], 1993) *''[[Clockseed]]'' (Re-Constriction, 1995) *''[[Gravity's Rim]]'' ([[Fifth Colvmn Records|Fifth Colvmn]], 1996) *''[[Noises in the Wall]]'' (Rodentia Productions, 2017)
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== *{{Bandcamp|rodentiaproductions|Vampire Rodents}} *{{YouTube|channel=UCrOiaAOX402_hgIfVV3kVQQ|title=Vampire Rodents}} *{{Discogs artist}} *{{MusicBrainz artist|id=26fc8b57-e6fa-4f7d-ad8f-c7767953834a}}
{{Vampire Rodents}} {{Daniel Vahnke}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vampire Rodents}} [[Category:Canadian expatriate musicians in the United States]] [[Category:American ambient music groups]] [[Category:American experimental musical groups]] [[Category:American industrial music groups]] [[Category:Musical groups from Phoenix, Arizona]] [[Category:Musical groups from Toronto]] [[Category:Musical groups established in 1989]] [[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1996]] [[Category:Fifth Colvmn Records artists]] [[Category:Re-Constriction Records artists]] [[Category:Sound collage artists]]