Rudi Zygadlo - 'Achtung!' EP Out Now
Littlebig welcomes Rudi Zygadlo! Prepare your ears and adjust your brain for some of the most inventive modern pop you’ll hear all year, with Rudi Zygadlo’s debut ‘Great Western Laymen’.
Rudi Zygadlo’s is a musician like no other, taking the fundamentals of dubstep in a direction that is as unexpected as it is unique, he’s created an amalgamation of pop song writing with a contemporary electronic rewiring which is heavy with influences as wide as Frank Zappa, John Carpenter, Eastern European Classical music and contemporary US indie. Working like a disciplined artist, Rudi’s music squeezes the most out of what he’s got, working with a restricted palette of sounds, using no plug-ins, but layering on live instruments to give the music an added depth, and the results are astounding.
The new EP, 'Achtung!' is the build up to his second album. Side A demonstrates Zygadlo’s quieter sensibilities, replete with live instrumentation, side B is an altogether more beat driven affair. There is a distinct pop character running through all four tracks, though all the while Zygadlo fights it with unexpected twists and turns, general musical filigree and good humour, which lends itself to the narrative based musicality of the compositions. Title track, “Achtung!” is a pastiche dig at electro, with self-remonstrative lyrics exploring youth and materialism. The song culminates with, heavy organ chords stretched over a straight four beat (influences equally attributable to Justice or Chromeo). “The Deaf School” is possibly the track most in keeping with his previous work. It opens with an incredible wash of pulsating and darkly brooding synths which explosively modulate into the opening verse where Zygadlo displays a matured lyrical coherency in describing a composer’s neuroses concerning personal relationships and the loss of hearing. Dance-friendly stuff. Though, perhaps the highlight is the opener, Catherine; a lost beloved, a futile war and a motherless son. It is sung with an introspective sincerity, backed by decorative guitar and a fitting, nostalgic trumpet line.
PRESS:
“really really good stuff from Rudi Zygadlo, Variously Made Men is the name of the track. Reminds me in a way of the first Hot Chip album, Coming On Strong, there’s a similar sort of vocal style there that really had my brain thinking back to that” Jon Hillcock on BBC6Music
“the return of one of electronic music’s most interesting producers in a fine and elegant fashion.” Keith Pishnery, Sonic Router
Contact > marcus{at}littlebig.org.uk
Rudi Zygadlo on Blog
Rudi Zygadlo Planet-Mu Album
Mary Anne Hobbs Radio One Session
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Review from Boomkat
"Glasgow's Rudi Zygadlo offers his take on the purple dubstep sound backed with remixes from Starkey and Slugabed on Planet Mu. Rudi's sound is essentially dubstep fusion, adding pop structures, eastern European classical music and contemporary US indie into a entirely plausible mesh that prioritises the song over all else. 'Resealable Friendship' starts the session with a shock of Gemmy/Zappa style squiggly synth riffage and punchy syndrums, while Starkey embellishes the dancefloor potential with crunked beats and Slugabed folds the riddim into concatenated angular strikes. 'The Udu And The Clave' closes with a rocking display of IDM extravagance."
Permalink | September 09, 2011
Rudi Zygadlo - New EP 'Achtung!'
Littlebig welcomes Rudi Zygadlo!
Prepare your ears and adjust your brain for some of the most inventive modern pop you’ll hear all year, with Rudi Zygadlo’s debut ‘Great Western Laymen’.
Rudi Zygadlo’s is a musician like no other, taking the fundamentals of dubstep in a direction that is as unexpected as it is unique, he’s created an amalgamation of pop song writing with a contemporary electronic rewiring which is heavy with influences as wide as Frank Zappa, John Carpenter, Eastern European Classical music and contemporary US indie. Working like a disciplined artist, Rudi’s music squeezes the most out of what he’s got, working with a restricted palette of sounds, using no plug-ins, but layering on live instruments to give the music an added depth, and the results are astounding.
New EP, 'Achtung!' out now on Pictures Music, building up to his second album. Side A demonstrates Zygadlo’s quieter sensibilities, replete with live instrumentation, side B is an altogether more beat driven affair. There is a distinct pop character running through all four tracks, though all the while Zygadlo fights it with unexpected twists and turns, general musical filigree and good humour, which lends itself to the narrative based musicality of the compositions. Title track, “Achtung!” is a pastiche dig at electro, with self-remonstrative lyrics exploring youth and materialism. The song culminates with, heavy organ chords stretched over a straight four beat (influences equally attributable to Justice or Chromeo). “The Deaf School” is possibly the track most in keeping with his previous work. It opens with an incredible wash of pulsating and darkly brooding synths which explosively modulate into the opening verse where Zygadlo displays a matured lyrical coherency in describing a composer’s neuroses concerning personal relationships and the loss of hearing. Dance-friendly stuff. Though, perhaps the highlight is the opener, Catherine; a lost beloved, a futile war and a motherless son. It is sung with an introspective sincerity, backed by decorative guitar and a fitting, nostalgic trumpet line.
To support the release Rudi has some exciting live shows in the pipeline; supporting Modeselektor on 4th November in Geneva and touring with Solar Bears and Young Montana? throughout November.
PRESS:
“really really good stuff from Rudi Zygadlo, Variously Made Men is the name of the track. Reminds me in a way of the first Hot Chip album, Coming On Strong, there’s a similar sort of vocal style there that really had my brain thinking back to that” Jon Hillcock on BBC6Music
“the return of one of electronic music’s most interesting producers in a fine and elegant fashion.” Keith Pishnery, Sonic Router
Available for solo shows as well as part of the SB.RZ.YM tour alongside Solar Bears and Young Montana?
Contact > marcus{at}littlebig.org.uk
Rudi Zygadlo on Blog
Rudi Zygadlo Planet-Mu Album
Mary Anne Hobbs Radio One Session
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Review from Boomkat
"Glasgow's Rudi Zygadlo offers his take on the purple dubstep sound backed with remixes from Starkey and Slugabed on Planet Mu. Rudi's sound is essentially dubstep fusion, adding pop structures, eastern European classical music and contemporary US indie into a entirely plausible mesh that prioritises the song over all else. 'Resealable Friendship' starts the session with a shock of Gemmy/Zappa style squiggly synth riffage and punchy syndrums, while Starkey embellishes the dancefloor potential with crunked beats and Slugabed folds the riddim into concatenated angular strikes. 'The Udu And The Clave' closes with a rocking display of IDM extravagance."
Permalink | December 00, 0000
