It's Zombi time

Every now and again, I’ll get some kind of unconscious pull towards a band that I’ve never heard before, which usually causes me to check out a song, which then leads to an album, which then leads to the purchase of their entire catalog. (I’m kinda obsessive that way.) So it was with Arthur Russell a few months back, and so it has been over the past few weeks with Zombi, an East Coast duo comprised of multi-instrumentalists Steve Moore and A.E. Paterra that puts out instrumental prog-rock records on Relapse, a label known for some intense hardcore metal monstrosities.

Only Zombi doesn’t quite fit that mode, except for the name. For the most part, what they sound like is actually pretty simple: early Rush without the guitars & vocals, mixed with the John Carpenter scores to The Fog and Halloween, with a little Red-era King Crimson thrown in for seasoning. In other words, awesome as shit.

Over the years since their '04 proper debut Cosmos, their discography has tracked a progression from smaller filmic set pieces to more sprawling epics, with the virtuosity and vision improving with each release. However, they’ve topped themselves so far in the '09 with two releases: Spirit Animal (on Relapse, with the album cover above) and a 12” release of former b-side “Sapphire” on the indie Throne Of Blood (a vinyl & digital download dance label set up by members of The Rapture).

The two releases couldn't be more different, and speak to some interesting new directions for the band. Spirit Animal is a vast, percussive and persuasive beast, insinuating through repetition and honed melody. But “Sapphire” is enervated with disco ghosts of yore (Giorgio Moroder in particular) sparking an Italo-influenced dance floor adventure with just the right hint of menace. If the earlier Zombi albums could soundtrack slasher films, the tracks on “Sapphire” could support throbbing and gyrating club scenes worldwide.

I've had their entire catalog on my iPod Shuffle for the past few weeks (well, that and the entire oeuvre of Steely Dan; it's an engaging sugar-and-spice combination perfect for shoveling, hanging, walking, and lurking) and it's been eerie as to how many times I've been doing things and the most perfectest Zombi song will pop up to echo and score the minutiae of life. Again, awesome as shit. Go buy their stuff and slip into another world. No twenty-sided die needed.