Listenable – Zola Jesus, the low-fi band that doesn’t exist
Posted by Mat | Filed under Music
“Zola Jesus didn’t need to clean up to stand apart from the Lo-fi horde– they already had Nika Danilova’s voice”
In the very first sentence of their review of Zola Jesus’ new EP Stridulum, Pitchfork presents the reader with a clear image of the music – great female vocals and Lo-fi sound. The expectations are set – early Liz Phair, or maybe the garage sounds of No Age or Vivian girls.
Nope, no Lo-fi here.
Buzzing guitars, scratchy vocals, pervasive noise, and other Lo-fi staples have been supplanted by dron, martial percussion, and a sole, powerful and echoing, voice. This is downright goth.
A look over at Zola Jesus’ site confirms the thought:
What are your musical influences? – Singers with big voices, like Diamanda Galas and Tina Turner. Divas. Film scores from the ’70s and ’80s. Industrial and power electronics. BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Opera, Philip K. Dick.
Bizarre female vocalist? Really avant garde electronic music? Dystopian science fiction?
Congrats to you, Zola Christ, you’ve managed to break the vicious cycle – you’re beyond the scene and have a much more relevant genre tag. I have found my post-goth figure to rally behind.
Tags: elitism, industrial, listenable, low-fi, post-goth, scene, zola jesus
Listenable – L.A.’s post-goth looking glass
Posted by Mat | Filed under Music
Apparently, somewhere between the Highland and Havenhurst exits, I crossed through the looking glass.
Perhaps I’ve fallen prey to a very grassroots, viral marketing scheme for a new Jack Sparrow + the guy that boned Planet of the Apes flick. Or, maybe I shouldn’t have given Jerry O’Connell a buck when I saw him outside of 7-11.
All I know is that I’m in a world in which Los Angeles post-goth duo, She Wants Revenge exists, but doesn’t suck. Maybe suck is a bit strong of a word. How about ‘but doesn’t bring anything new to the table.’
They also have a new name – The Delta Mirror.
Whereas in my side of the looking glass, I had Bauhaus rips and songs about jilling and popsickles, The Delta Mirror Brings depth (rabbit hole deep). Yes, we get the post-goth sounds – brooding music and properly laid beats, but we also get piano, vocal textures, and fluttering IDM touches.
Instead of a weak Blade Runner concept album, there are the Vangelis-like flows of electronics that only M83 seem to be able to pull off.
Most importantly, we get the droning and flawed voice, but it has a sense of emotion that leaks into the rest of the layer tracks, rather than just talking over them.
Really, instead of traveling through the looking glass, it would seem that I was lucky enough to have instead discovered the long hidden, secret love child of Idioteque and Atmosphere. While they might never be cooler than their parents, as long as they don’t grow up to be accountants, their pedigree is secure.
The Delta Mirror have an album out this month along with a residency at The Echo, in Los Angeles – I plan to give them money, you should too
Tags: listenable, los angeles, M83, post-goth, scene, she wants revenge, the delta mirror
