Thursday March 28th, 2024
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EP Review: Zuli is Back on Lee Gamble's UIQ with a Superb Six Track Release

Industrial grime with a smudging of maleficent bass.

Staff Writer

Zuli is on a roll this month. After taking over Fact Mag’s Mix 612, he comes out with his second EP on Lee Gamble’s UIQ. Six tracks appear on the vinyl release, with an instant digital download available with purchase. 

Zuli’s methodic industrial grime dominates, taking the listener on an unpredictable journey. Kicking off with Bow! a five minute intro into the multitude of different sounds planted in the EP.

Commproto is typical Zuli dance floor altruism, he doesn't hold back, unleashing one line after the other of infectious rhythm, alternating from a 4/4 drive to a subsequent breakbeat drop galavanting up and down the sound spectrum - frequency modulation is evident, creating a rough and gritty facade.

Side A is dispelled with She’s Hearing Voices, kicking off the B side with What You Do - strong essence of signature Zuli noise is evident throughout the EP but never so more than on this track. A lot of field recordings went into the making of Zuli’s sound - most of his library is made out of recorded samples that are processed to smithereens on Ableton, he also uses the DAW's factory analog synth, operator, and sampler.

The B side continues with two more tracks Tongue Chomper and Foam Home, the former - as the name suggests - inflicts wounds onto the listener. Harrowing synth lines and a repetitive bass blind sides you into a systematic groove with samples popping up amidst the upset - it ends swiftly.

Finally Foam Home eliminates any dwelling sense of reality, Zuli encapsulates us in a rousing sonic bubble with bleeps, wobs, and a rumbling bass line that persists till the bitter sweet ending. You’ll probably have lost all capacity of self awareness by the end of the EP, nothing else will ever sound chaotic to you again after this spasm of methodical pandemonium. 

Check out Zuli on Facebook here and his Soundcloud for more tunes - purchase the release here.