Zomby: Nothing EP - Album Review

Zomby
Nothing EP
Rating: Meh

Relatively mysterious UK producer Zomby moves easily between so many genres it is difficult if not impossible to peg him into any one camp. From the rave reminiscing of Where Were You In '92? or his 4AD label debut Dedication that spun densely layered beat explorations, Zomby doesn't sit still for long. Ever restless, Zomby has released Nothing, a 7 track EP made up of apparently unused tracks from the Dedication sessions, however, it mostly feels like a merging of his two most prevalent styles, the breakbeat rave compositions and his more beat intensive work. Unfortunately, Nothing comes across more like a hard drive dump than a truly cohesive collection. Many of the tracks end abruptly, harshly flow into each other, or feel like sketches that need to be fleshed out more. There are some good ideas here, but you can see why they were left off either album; they just don't fit correctly. Despite these flaws, if you listen to the tracks as just individual pieces and not part of a collective whole, you will derive a better experience.

I find I am more partial to the rave-influenced tracks. The dense beats and drum and bass breaks of "Ecstacy Versions" bring back the rush I felt when listening to Where Were You In '92? All I have to do is hear that diva wail and air raid siren to be pulled back into the hazy club atmosphere.



"Labyrinth" evokes the dreamy, ambient techno and rave of 808 State and Altern 8.



While "Sens" is all hyper break beats and skittering samples.



The more esoteric tracks would have had more impact if packaged separately. You can see their link to his work on Dedication; the more skeletal beats and programming, shimmeringly repetitive synths, and a mood less of exaltation, and more of introspection and loneliness. "Trapdoor" hypnotically weaves a pattern of modulated synths and atmospheric washes.



"Digital Fractal" builds off a stuttering 2-step beat, gently adding deep bass and layers of analog keyboards.



The two worlds semi-collide on the busy "Equinox," featuring whiplash programming, bloopy synths, and a tense feeling of paranoia.



Nothing is definitely a stopgap EP before the next full length from Zomby. It really doesn't showcase a new direction or feed off any one genre. It merely is a compilation of very disparate tracks that just never coalesce together into something unified. There is nothing wrong with this approach if the individual tracks can stand on their own. As such, these mostly sketches never really take off and bring the listener to a new place. While I can appreciate these tracks, they only make me long for a more definitive statement.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.