|
Zu is an Italian band (Massimo Pupillo on bass, Jacopo Battaglia on drums, Luca Mai on saxophone, and, on the first album, Roy Paci on trumpet) that plays some of the most adventurous post-rock music at the turn of the century, occasionally evoking the
legendary Last Exit with Sharrock's guitar replaced by Pupillo's bass.
They fine-tuned their aesthetics with a series of theatrical soundtracks
("Vladimir Majakovskj", "Il Funambolo", "Histoire du Rock'n'Roll", "Octavia")
and eventually debuted with Bromio (Wide, 1999), a wild, loud and fast
work (Detonatore, Testa di Cane, Epidurale,
La Grande Madre Delle Bestie)
that harked back to the heydays of jazzcore
(Saccharine Trust,
Universal Congress,
the Ex), with bits of
free-jazz and funk sprayed onto the convoluted mix in the manner of
Captain Beefheart and
the Contortions.
Zu's fame began to trickle to the other side of the ocean, and led to
two collaborations with
Eugene Chadbourne:
The Zu Side (New Tone, 2000) and
Motorhellington (2001), a collection of ironic covers.
Pared down to a trio, but boasting the collaborations of
saxophonist Ken Vandermark, trombonist Jeb Bishop, cellist Fred Lomberg-Holm,
Zu released their second album, Igneo (Wide, 2002 -
Frenetic, 2006), a tour de force
of brutal, free-form instrumental music.
The Elusive Character of Victory,
Eli, Eli, Elu and Mar Glaciale Artico
strike the rare balance between the academic and the emotional.
Dogon is bassist Massimo "Zu" Pupillo's project with turntablist Filippo "Okapi" Paolini and bassist Maurizio Martusciello. Before And After (Amanita, 2002) runs the gamut from Canterbury's jazz-rock to free-noise, but
Who Is Playing In The Shadow Of Whom? (Wallace, 2003), with Martusciello
mostly on electronics, sounds indulgent
and unedited.
Radiale (Atavistic, 2004) is a collaboration with
Chicago jazz-rock outfit Spaceways Inc
(Ken Vandermark, Hamid Drake, Nate McBride), resulting in
in cerebral jazzcore and psychotic funk-rock.
The Way of the Animal Powers (2005) is a collaboration with
Fred Lomberg-Holm.
How To Raise An Ox (2005) is a collaboration with
Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson (of the Thing).
Ardecore is a collaboration with other musicians focusing on covers
of traditional folk songs.
The single
Observing The Armies In The Battlefield (Public Guilt) was another
burst of free-jazz madness.
Identification With The Enemy - A Key To The Underworld (Atavistic, 2007) is a collaboration with laptop musician
Nobukazu Takemura.
|
(Translation by/ Tradotto da Alessandro Martin)
Gli Zu sono un quartetto italiano (Massimo Pupillo al basso, Jacopo Battaglia alla batteria, Luca
Mai al sassofono, Roy Paci alla tromba), uno dei più avventurosi esempi di post rock all'alba del
nuovo secolo, evocando talvolta i leggendari Last Exit con la chitarra di Sharrock's sostituita dal
basso di Pupillo.
Affinata la propria estetica con una serie di colonne sonore tetrali ("Vladimir Majakovskj", "Il
Funambolo", "Histoire du Rock'n'Roll", "Octavia"), finalmente debuttano con Bromio (Wide,
1999), un'opera selvaggia, fragorosa e veloce (Detonatore, Testa di Cane, Epidurale, La
Grande Madre Delle Bestie) che ricorda l'apice del jazzcore (Saccharine Trust, Universal
Congress, the Ex), con pezzi di free-jazz e funk spruzzati in un contorto mix alla maniera di
Captain Beefheart e Contortions.
La fama degli Zu inizia a trapelare dall'altra parte dell'oceano, e porta a due collaborazioni con
Eugene Chadbourne: The Zu Side (New Tone, 2000) e Motorhellingtone (2001) una raccolta
di cover ironiche.
Ridotti ad un trio, ma vantando le collaborazioni del sassofonista Ken Vandermark , del
trombonista Jeb Bishop e del violoncellista Fred Lomberg-Holm, gli Zu pubblicano il loro
secondo album Igneo (Wide, 2002), un tour de force di brutale e destrutturata musica
strumentale. The Elusive Character of Victory, Eli, Eli, Elu e Mar Glaciale Artico
raggiungono il raro equilibrio fra l'accademico e l'emozionale.
I Dogon sono il progetto del bassista Massimo “Zu” Pupillo con il dj Filippo
“Okapi” Paolini e il compositore d'avanguardia Maurizio Martuscello. Before And
After (Amanita, 2002) spazia fra il jazz-rock di Canterbury ed il free-noise, ma Who Is Playing
In The Shadow Of Whom? (Wallace, 2003) suona indulgente e poco curato.
Radiale (Atavistic, 2004) è una collaboazione con la compagnia jazz-rock Spacewais Inc. (Ken
Vandermark, Hamid Drake, Nate McBride), ne derivano un jazzcore cerebrale ed uno psicotico
funk rock.
|
