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$17.99 CDx2
$34.99 LPx3+MP3
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ZOMBY
With Love
(4AD)
 "If I Will"
"Glass Ocean"
In the wonderful world of lone electronic producers, I admittedly am one of the Zombyheads. I love breaks and breakbeats, emotion-filled hip-hop instrumentals, the artificial textures and rhythms of the UK grime scene, dubstep's bass bin womb, and classical-inspired minimal electronics. I can also remember where I was in (and the sound of) 1992, so needless to say, I'm thrilled that Zomby is back with a new double album, his second for 4AD. With Love is such a fitting title for the latest release from this mysteriously mirror-masked, ballet-loving, British b-boy (who now resides in Brooklyn), for much like the fan-made Zomby Dubs series of downloadable zip files collecting various radio rips, mixes, YouTube and Twitter exclusives, and other odds and ends, this is music primarily for his devoted followers. His most wide-reaching and expansive outing, this also feels like a more personalized collection of his own favorite tracks from the last few years -- a mixtape of Zomby, by Zomby, if you will. With Love creates a captivating mise-en-scéne with tight sequencing and well-placed snippets of inspiration, like a grime version of J Dilla's Donuts.
The son of a songwriter, Zomby grew up surrounded by music, listening to pirate radio and developing a strong love of breaks and bass, while digesting the compositional aspects within the sounds he heard. He lives in a world where fractured memories of dance culture run wild, warehouse parties flourish, darkened alleys are things of beauty, and rhythm, melody, and emotion lead the way through the blackness. Mini-moments of frenetic and soul-drenched rhythms sit next to more spacious movements of stark beauty, minimalist compositions, and intergalactic digital constellations. With Love is a series of lonely sonic sonnets written upon inspiration, then carefully placed into a handmade box of mementos. He treats his love of grime, jungle, trap, R&B, dubstep, French house, and hip-hop with extreme care and refinement; like couture street wear, his is the designers' sound of the street, presented as a one-of-a kind original that reflects the current flavor of the underground with stylized grit and texture. Yet Zomby's music is the real deal, not an overpriced knockoff -- this music is in his blood and in his bones.
Though he's often grouped in with Actress and Burial, on With Love Zomby distances himself from the London scene a bit, aligning himself more with current sonic and rhythmic trends in American soul. More than a few tracks could be underground hip-hop instrumentals, yet with an air of refinement and a sense of beauty missing from most of the producers he's referencing. He moves closer to creating electronic R&B, compositions made of rhythm and dark-hued emotion, rugged and deep. Zomby purposefully has stood on the fringe of the global electronic scene, and that seems to be where he's most needed -- looking in, observing, absorbing, and reporting back with albums of fine and unique design, not succumbing to the path or structure of a "traditional" artist.
Disc one is heavy on the jungle and has a more clubby aspect, while the second explores spacious low-end filled trap rhythms and gamelan-referencing piano meditations. On this album he showcases the many sides of his interests, and with 33 tracks of sonic manipulations, every aspect of his discography thus far is touched upon. Through the moments of reflection and introspection, Zomby also moves forward, not so much with sheen as with structure, composition, and overall ability. Most of his tracks average just one or two minutes, like he's walking from room to room within a club; one minute hedonistic communal dancing, the next pure mind expansion, he's time-traveling from party to party, with every moment, emotion, and sonic nuance detailed. Like a good photographer, he has the ability to place you in the action, capturing the emotional center of a given scene. There is a lot to enjoy here, even if the moments may be short, much like the memories themselves that are reflected upon -- they come in a flash, linger a bit, then are gone. If you like Kuedo's Servant or Aphex Twin's Druqs, hip-hop producers Lex Luger, Drumma Boy, Clams Casino, or AraabMuzik, and can appreciate Wiley as much as Phillip Glass or Arvo Part, With Love is a combination of all the above, re-imagined in the warm glow of high-definition darkness. Definitely recommended. [DG]
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