Zubzub - Primate

[Blubber]

Artist: Zubzub

Title: Primate

Label: Monkeyface Records

Released: May 2011

 

 

Tracklist:

 

1. Huge Orange Sun

2. Conniption

3. Trancehall

4. Sacred Langur

5. Elemental

6. Ascendant

7. Shards

8. Nanocrumb

9. Out To The Stars

 

Bonus EP:

 

1. Mumbling Halfwit

2. Yoda's Dad

3. Monkey Lover

 

Hello readers, welcome to the first album review of my life! While introducing you to the world of Zubzub, it would be nice to hear some sounds, wouldn't it? Check goastore for a continuous flow of the samples while reading.

 

Zubzub is ex-Ozrics bass player Zia Geelani collaborating with various friends. For Primate, the 4th Zubzub album, he teams up with Mark Fletcher, John Egan and Alex Pym. And they invite you to an organic trip through Monkeyland.

 

The Primate journey begins with a more downtempoish tune, interrupted by a synthesized breakbeat before evolving in a nice guitar-floating highlight - the Huge Orange Sun rises.

Then, the monkeys start moving and jumping, highly funk-influenced. Some of them are starting to laugh, others are falling into heavy Conniption, they really fancy funny dancing. Hell, me too! That's how to start the day!

Enter the Trancehall now, but that's a weird trancehall, dominated from drums'n'basses, instrumental ads and wobbling asses.

The Sacred Langur steps into the arena, he brought a straight rhythm with him, giving the mood a more serious touch, but only slightly. The funk is still around.

But then, the party is stopped, I don't know why, but it seems that some sober monkey has to remind all about the beauty and the planet. The Elemental break is a floating hippie one.

The hippie-monkeys are still around, they praise the Ascendants, slowly nod their heads and worship the instruments of the band. They are more the calm version of party-goers, spending their time in the chillout tent.

Let's focus on the rock'n'rollers, they like heavy guitars, breakbeat parts, weird melodies and they break a too tranquil atmosphere into Shards.

Yeah, that's how it goes, the shards are cracked into Nanocrumbs, let's give a fuck about seriousness. We're invited to a final funky-freaky-dance and look at these monkey-moves! You know who teached us dancing, do you?

Phew, unfortunately the party seems to be over, the huge orange sun goes down. Have a look at the universe and try to reach Out To The Stars. Well, while some would totally freak out in the sky, the tourguide wants to calm you down and bring you back. Yepp, mission accomplished!

 

Wow, what a journey! This is some of the most diverse music I've ever listened to, and the Zubzubs really master all genres. Really, while the trip is relatively short (about 1 hour), you travel from downtempo to fast-paced rhythms, from drum'n'bass and breakbeat parts back to ambient atmospheres, all spiced with funky bass guitars, nice solos and interesting instrumentation. I must admit that I prefer the uptempo tracks and find the middle comedown part a little bit displaced (not really displaced but the party was too nice to get such a break), but I think the huge orange sun just stands to high at noon in monkeyland. Another plus is definitely the bonus ep with 3 typical Zubzub tracks. You get funk and fun throughout all of them. And this is what I like most: You hear the fun that Zubzub had with composing and playing, I imagine them smiling and laughing in the studios and on stage all the time. If you like to take part in a diverse day of a Primate, go there!! And enjoy Funkadelic Trance!

[Trance2MoveU]

What a great first review! Welcome aboard!

 

Mdk

[Blubber]

thanks a lot!

weird to see, that some parts i wrote i find quite silly now. but who knows at the beginning, how the end will look like?