The Inbox Giveth: Zu

Zu
“Axion (Phantomsmasher remix)” b/w “Chthonian (James Plotkin remix)”
7” single
Public Guilt
Released: 3.21.11

This morning, I received a promo invitation for a new 7” from Zu: two remixed tracks from their 2009 album, Carboniferous. The remixes, created by one guy, (James Plotkin), two egos, (Plotkin, Phantomsmasher), thankfully maintain the band’s heavy rhythm and experimental spirit. They’re enjoyable to listen to and interesting enough to consider.

The “remix” tag almost always signifies lesser-than variations of original music featuring electro-pulse beats, or flimsy keyboard translations of the song’s familiar melody; overlay upon overlay of vocal snippets or dance music additives. It’s rare that remixologists, for lack of a better made-up term, come up with something other than an effects-laden reworking of a song. Instead you get knob-twisting self-indulgence that never sounds necessary or outdoes the original track. Plotkin doesn’t outdo Zu’s already idiosyncratic vision, but he at least attempts to maintain their sense of the abstract, coming up with an interesting companion piece to Carboniferous.


Copies are limited to 500 and are available in either grey or clear “with a grey haze” according to Public Guilt’s press release.



Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead

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