A very promising first release from Zoombézoom, worth keeping an eye on if you like slightly off-kilter dance music.
The first release—and a pretty darn good one—on new Los Angeles-based label Zoombézoom is a 12″ vinyl slab of four to the floor groove and abstract noodling from Vitreous Men (aka Konstantin Gabbro). Some might recognize Konstantin Gabbro synonymous with labels such as Orac and Adjunct Audio—now we have Zoombézoom with the Gossamer 12″ EP.
Gossamer starts off with “Let This Moment Pass,” a four/four number with a somewhat skewed orientation. Subtle shifts in emphasis and stress stop the beat from settling, giving it a restless sense of agitation. The Hitchcock/Herman style horror sounds that filter in and out with the uneasy string plucks that pepper the soundscape add to the sense of uncomfortable undercurrent that encroaches on the periphery of your awareness. It’s really good! Did I mention the groove? It’s got it by the bucket-load, offsetting the unease that might otherwise make this an altogether different track. When the woodblock comes in at around 1:30, the effect is sublime.
Track two is a very different affair. “Bendable” is the beatless sound design track of the release. Sometimes these work, and sometimes they don’t, I can’t quite make up my mind on this one. Maybe because it comes on the heels of the previous track, which is a real groover, an ambient soundscape seems a bit of a sudden transition. It’s not bad, but just seems a little laboured after “Let This Moment Pass.”
Track three, otherwise known as “Gossamer” is back on it. It’s a lengthy beast coming in at around nine minutes and takes up the whole of the B side (it’s a record, remember). Again, there’s a good groove and great sonic stuff swirling around, involving a fair bit of guitar twiddling. It doesn’t quite have the same pull as the lead track, but is nonetheless a solid tune.
A very promising first release from Zoombézoom, worth keeping an eye on if you like slightly off-kilter dance music.
Gossamer is available on Zoombézoom.
