Listening Notes: Special Z

Time passed so quickly that January finally reached the end of the road. As I mentioned before, this moment would be filled with seven releases from artists whose names start with the letter Z.

Here we go!

Zabumbo – Shallows.1 (2024)

76%

Zabumbo actually sits at the very end of this playlist, below Zatrebil, making it function nicely as a cooldown. Starting with a typical atmospheric hip-hop/vaporwave opener, it then shifts into a comfy ambient style from “Mrcnhrtbrk.” onward, all the way to the finish.

For me, the best tracks are those other than “Mrcnhrtbrk.” and “2023-12-05.” The reason is simple: they carry stronger experimental vibrations.

Zac Crye – Three Finger Lid (2020)

72%

A solid EP in the grunge/rock realm, although the cover art is rather gory. The track “Possession” brings to mind Papa Roach, Three Days Grace, and Nirvana. The other two tracks have slight touches of stoner/southern rock, but they don’t quite click with me.

Overall, Three Finger Lid suits fans of Jack White, Ty Segall, and Nirvana.

Zack Kerouac – Memos to Myself. Demos to You (2024)

49%

This young man from Lewiston, Maine presents raw voice memos—guitar jams and other instrument recordings from 2019–2020—deliberately left unpolished. This kind of thing may often feel questionable or even embarrassing, but that’s the Bandcamp ecosystem as I see it. There’s a lot of underrated and also not-so-good music out there, whether due to production issues, lack of support, or simply taste.

Out of 13 tracks, some still manage to feel emotional despite their simplicity, such as “Organ and Guitar Loop” and “Electric Keys.” “FeedBach” and “Synth Noir” can be considered fairly solid experimental/noise products.

Ah… this makes me want to upload some half-baked songs again.

Zadiq the Jasp – 植生寿像望郷 (Vegetation & Statue) (2023)

78%

Ah, the weekend. Images of relaxation and holidays in a heavenly destination flow effortlessly when Zadiq the Jasp’s jazzy vaporwave starts playing. But my brain doesn’t fully accept it, as reality slaps me back down—I’m just lower middle class. Hahaha…

It might be better to enjoy this album before sleep. The right moment to dream as high as possible, dreams that can later be realized in sleep.

That’s why I don’t feel like picking any tracks for my playlist, despite the album’s quality—except for the piano lullaby in “キスして,” which fits my taste better.

Zakè & City of Dawn – Wander (2020)

78%

2020 already feels quite far away now, but what can you do—time can’t be rewound.

At the start of that year, Zakè with City of Dawn released a 47-minute drone ambient album, featuring piano at the end of “Cicatrize” and Bålsam-like field recordings in “Psalm,” making both tracks stand out. There’s also an intense dark ambient feel in “Shenandoah,” which automatically pushes it aside for me.

Still, as one of the ambient artists I highly regard, Zakè has more than proven his musical quality here.

Zatrebil – I in the Eye of Killers (2022)

71%

I tried this Californian man’s raw black metal a few years ago, but nothing really stood out except his dungeon synth album Corridors of Victory. This time, though, it feels a bit different.

The drum hits land solidly in “Damned Existence” and “I in the Eye of Killers,” while synth additions shine in “A Wicked Sorrow” and “Desert Riders.” Noise also dominates those tracks along with two others.

So finally, I see a glimmer of hope in Zatrebil. I’ll pick either “Damned Existence” or “I in the Eye of Killers,” although the riff in “Desert Riders” is also quite interesting.

Zenxith – Talk About Prolific (2024)

55%

Once again… England.

The UK clearly played an important role in the indie music scene through the C86 compilation, which later influenced projects like Zenxith, an indie pop act from Newcastle.

Talk About Prolific is the tenth album by Daniel McGee aka Zenxith, who isn’t even in his mid-20s yet. Unfortunately, the atmosphere doesn’t feel fluid, especially in the vocals. The track “Control Pad” feels like a savior, closing the album with the most fitting sound—Daniel’s vocals finally blend with dream-pop-style music, something I wish had been applied throughout the rest of the release.