ZU
Zu have just finished mixing their new album, which happens to be also their Ipecac Recordings debut and features collaborations with Mike Patton and King Buzzo of Melvins. The “Carboniferous” album comes after one year of consistent touring in quartet with Patton.
With their original line-up (since 1999) of drums (Jacopo Battaglia), bass (Massimo Pupillo), and saxophone (Luca T Mai), they gradually developed into their current form of highly intricate, experimental, metal/math/no-wave/free/noise/punk/jazz inspired work, breaking from the narrow confines of given music genres, and incorporating a wide array of influences into a unique sound. Driven by a “Black Flag” work ethic, Zu have played the astounding number of over 1000 gigs all over Europe, America, Canada, Asia, Russia, and even Africa, and have released 14 albums on such labels as Ipecac, Atavistic, Frenetic, Red Note, Public Guilt, Headz (Japan), Wallace, etc.
Talking of previous recordings, “Igneo” was engineered by Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio. “Radiale” was recorded by Bob Weston, and went into the jazz polls of NYC Village Voice.
Zu have always been curious and open to collaborations with a vast number of great musicians as: Mike Patton, Melvins, Dalek, The Ex, Peter Brötzmann, Hamid Drake, Ken Vandermark, Alvin Curran, Nobukazu Takemura, Damo Suzuki, Eugene Chadbourne, Mats Gustafsson, Han Bennink,Paal Nilssen-Love, Fred Lonberg- Holm, Joe Lally (Fugazi), Altered States, Amy Denio, Steve MacKay (The Stooges!), etc., and shared tours and stages with: Fantomas, The Melvins, Lightning Bolt, The Ex, Ruins, Dälek, NoMeansNo, Vandermark 5, The Thing, and many more.
"...combining the abstractions of Sonic Youth with the out-there explorations of the best free jazz"
- THE TIMES
"never has such an ugly beauty of a free-for-all sounded so appealing, so dynamic, so completely, mind-numbingly delightful…irresistible, addictive, and perhaps even evil!”
- ALLMUSIC
see also
Official Website of ZU
ZU Myspace
Ipecac Recordings
Contact > gee{at}littlebig.org.uk
