The magical Chasing Unicorns label creeps ever closer to double figures with another fantastic offering, this time from pirate radio talent Zeb Wayne aka Zebidiah. Acclaimed talent and Civil Music man Brassica comes good once again on the remix front.
This is actually Zebidiah’s debut solo EP, but in the past he collaborated (on Southern Fried Records and Nervous) with Thomas Gandey for EPs that got plenty of praise from Wolf & Lamb and Damian Lazarus. The man himself has been known to play jazz and classical at piano concerts as well as having a love of hip hop, experimental music and plenty of house and techno. Opener ‘Unpremeditated’ is a spacious, lurching muddle of slapping drum hits and firmly rooted bass that’s run through with weirdly treated vocal snippets, found sounds and instrumental daubs. Eventually it coalesces into an upbeat – pop leaning house track but never does it sound anything less than wholly inventive. The Brassica remix is an 80s sounding, serrated and arpeggiated affair with over sized drums, laser like searching synths and corrugated rums that make you want to move.
Zebidiah’s next cut ‘Tengoku’ is another beguiling and off kilter arrangement of glitches, snatched drum hits and implicit post-garage rhythms. Never settling in one place it fires your every synapse with its urban sense of neo synthetic soul. Lastly, ‘The Soloist’ pairs skipping, rubbery drum kicks with off time percussion and an airy male vocal and, overall, has a playful sense of rhythm and unpredictable charm.
This is a fantastic statement of intent from the Zebidiah and announces the arrival of a fantastic new talent on an equally well-esteemed young label.
