Zaum: Materialismus (2012)

If I understand matters correctly, Italian band ZAUM started out in the 1970's, disbanded without ever releasing any material and then reformed with a new line-up in the 1990's. Prior to disbanding again in 2000 they recorded an album's worth of material that had been awaiting release for a good few years. But thanks to Italian label Psych Up Melodies "Materialismus" was finally made available to the public at large in 2012.

And it is a fairly innovative production we're dealing with in this case. An album of the kind that is just as hard to describe as to place within a specific context, and those keen on organizing their music into a fixed predescribed category will get a serious migraine from this one. Eclectic is something of a key word I guess.

The core of the band appears to be 70's jazzrock however, and liberally flavoured with funk at that. Intricate, energetic drum patterns and Latin-flavourd percussion are mainstay elements, supplemented by driving funky bass motifs that occasionally strays close to P-funk territories if I my impressions and music history is more or less correct, with sometimes gentle, sometimes lazy and occasionally psych-flavoured jazz rock guitar licks added to the proceedings. And on top, a lead vocalist that can shout like a brother from Harlem just as easy as smoothly and harmonic can produce lead vocals that would fit in gentle, emotional folk music. Add in occasional tribal inspired rhythm sections and backing vocal effects as well as subtle, eerie sound effects and you cover this bands repertoire quite nicely. Almost.

An additional factor brought into play here are dramatic inserts. Just about when you're used to the amalgam described above, then Zaum decides to shift gears, adding dark-toned, haunting and most often massive guitar riffs to the proceedings. Sometimes briefly for dramatic effect, sometimes as an elongated feature, other times they develop back to the opening theme(s) again from this brutal intermission and they also utilize as an effect switching between the gentle and harder part of their sonic palette. Unpredictable is a word that does indeed come to mind.

The interesting bit is that it works pretty well too. Best of all on Mò l'omme in my personal opinion, and the slightly subtler use of dramatic effects for the live take of Ombra Roce that ends this disc is another piece I'd pull forth as an example of this band at their very, very best.

The subtly psych and world music tinged jazzrock of Zaum, complete with dramatic metal-oriented inserts, isn't a package that will interest anyone, the sheer eclectic nature of this production will most likely limit their core audience quite a lot. But those who generally find themselves intrigued by innovative, creative exploits that look at genre convictions as boundaries to be broken down and uniform stylistic expressions as an enemy that needs to be eradicated should try out this production for size. It should suit those who identify themselves with such a description quite nicely.

My rating: 78/100

Track list:
1. Ma Pure
2. Inte
3. Ombra Roce
4. Materialismus
5. Il Cerchio Rosso
6. Glob
7. Mo L'omme
8. Viecchie (Live)
9. Ombra Roce (Live)