Epic Gap

 

During the April Three Epics posts, one of the truly epic bands I shared was Zenzile, a French troupe that began as a Dub unit & gradually expanded outward to encompass & enhance all the styles & sounds their members loved & loved playing.

As I sez at the time:
     "Following Living in Monochrome (2007), Zenzile expanded their sound in numerous sound experiments: (Pawnshop - pop); (Electric Soul - soul); (Berlin - film soundtrack); (Elements - audio-visual installation). I will explore those four in a further edition featuring this great band...What began as Dub became broad & cinematic, with the band dabbling in rock, progressive, electro, new wave, funk-punk or krautrock until Dub had almost completely disappearred on the 2017s Elements release."

The entire purpose of the Three Epics posts was to showcase three bands that didn't simply re-do there previous releases each time out, but used their creativity to branch out to various styles that fit their own personal design. Of the three, Zenzile perhaps personifies that concept to the greatest degree. As varying as each release is, each one is a masterpiece on its own, showcasing the band incredible mucical talents over a wide range of styles, while never forsaking or forgetting that they are at heart a Dubwise unit of the highest order. In every iteration you can still feel the truest soul of Dub.

With this share I will illuminate a fantastic ten-year creative period in the developement of Zenzile.

First off Zenzile takes a stab at their own unique twist on folk/pop.

Zenzile - Pawnshop, Discograph 6144982, 2009
all decryption codes in comments

Histoire de Papiers
Life's a Dance
The Crooked Man
Motorbremsen
Fire Eater
Mind over Matter
White Spirit
National Quota
Thursday Night Rover Disco
Caution Horses

 

 

 

 

This one should be self-evident... 

 

 

Zenzile - Electric Soul, Yotanka YO26, 2012.

Scars   
No Idol   
Mind Control   
Stay   
Yuri's Porthole   
Magic Number
Chewin' Mi Mic   
Over/Time   
Man Made Machine

 

 

 

 

Next Zenzile created a live soundtrack for the famous documentary directed by Walter Ruttmann in 1927, Berlin: Symphony of a Great City (Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt), a fascinating depiction of a single day in the Berlin of the 1920s.

 

 

Zenzile - Berlin, Yotanka YO37, 2014.

Der Zug   
Die Architektur    
Die Strasse    
Die Fabrik   
Die Laden   
Die Bourgeoisie   
Der Verkehr   
Der Windergarten   
Die Brucke   
Die Freizeit   
Der Tanz

 

 

 

 

Having found great success with their soundtrack effort, Zenzile embarked on their next project, music for an audio-visual art installation. The final fill in the ten year gap...

 

 

Zenzile - Elements, Yotanka YO56, 2017.

Bird   
Outsight   
Storm   
Dry   
Escape   
Sequences   
Stellar   
Presence   
Poly

 

 

 

 

Epic enjoyment,
NØ