Zu
Igneo

The Zu are from Rome. Yes, it's good to start right off like this: clearly. The Zu are Italian. And they are perhaps one of the few entities to be genuinely proud of in our beautiful contemporary national music scene.

Formed Idon'tknowwhen, the Zu define themselves as acrobatic-jazz-punk or acrobatic-punk-jazz, Idon'tremember. I've seen them live 3 times. The second time, I was in the bathroom waiting for a guy to come out of the stall, and I found myself in front of a burly guy (but not that much, let's say maybe "chubby") fiddling with his goatee. He was the saxophonist of the group. Well, this pathetic introduction is over, now I'll move on to talk about them.

The band consists of 3 members: drums, bass, and saxophone, plus a sound engineer who follows them everywhere. It will be difficult for you to find something from Zu on peer-to-peer platforms. In this regard, I have nothing against it; the Internet is a fantastic database. But sometimes it might be advisable to buy their CDs. And this is one of those times.
All their works are always strictly instrumental, studied to the millimeter, energetic, atmospheric, and stratospheric, metamusical, hypercultural - but without frills or intellectual twists. Igneo sounds like a total oceanic journey. It is no coincidence that the back cover shows a kind of map with coordinates... "and the last track is titled Arctic Ocean...".

But enough bullshit now. These guys deserve our support because they are great. Great musicians, great characters, and great people. At the end of the first concert (it was their first album tour), they were under the stage, talking to us common mortals. I approached and hugged all three of them. Fantastic. I know, this review can't be helpful if you don't know them. I know well. That's why I urge you to look for them. And I know (I know) that I haven't yet spent a word about their mad and mathematical music, precise to the limit of electronic (without electric electricity, but only human electricity... HYPERHUMAN!!!), frantic and compelling, never predictable, thrilling to the edge of solitary and alien pogo. I know. I know...