Züüngar are an Italian drum n bass duo. They explore contamination between jungle beats and an ethnic bluesy sound; by playing Didgeridoo [wood and fiberglass], Baritone Ukulele, Harmonica, Scat singing, Djembe, Kazoo and Spoons.
In their self-titled LP you will recognise stolen samples [from movies, traditional songs, classical music], remixes [like ‘Monkey Island Theme’, ‘Cuccuruccucu’ by Franco Battiato and ‘Trouble so hard’ by Vera Hall] and a lot of quotations [from ‘60’s rock’n’roll to a tribute to the ‘Amen Break’] and odd noises [like an electric shaver, an entry phone and a creaking door].
Tracklist:
1 Duru duru
2 Don’t worry, be Amen
3 Cuccuruccucu
4 Danger drum
5 Taboo
6 Pirati
7 Johnny be Goodman
8 Isola dei monchi
9 La Jungla
10 Il fil di ferro del corpo
11 Trouble so hard
Personnel:
Achille Zoni: Didgeridoo, Harmonica, Microkorg and Percussions.
Marco Rip Turconi: Beats, Vocals, Ukulele, Beatbox and Kazoo.
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Rip at Wave Lab Studios [Caronno Pertusella, Varese, Italy].
Symbolic Static Electricity
We start with the assumption that in our society image and appearance mean everything, and designers seem to be the new architects of our cities.
Züüngar [a mongol word that means ‘the left side’] just as the ethnic group that during the 18th century caused a lot of sacks in Chinese territory, chooses to ‘steal’ from the most significant and heavy symbol of ‘900 – the swastika – its graphic interface. This provocation tries to demonstrate the unequivocal power of a symbol that, first of all, lies in the collective subconscious.
Our logo is certainly nearer to Zorro’s ‘Z’ than Hitler’s cross but its chromatic combination and its geometry give to it what we call a “symbolic static electricity”.
This gives it a great visual impact which, up to us, would suggest a consideration about our subservience from the image.
In the perspective of a catharsis, in the live set Züüngar tries to create a ceremonial atmosphere that, through the ritual of dance, gives to our minds freedom from social taboo; in order to reach the pure aesthetic experience. The holy drum’n’bass experience.
‘And we should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once. And we should call every truth false which was not accompanied by at least one laugh.’ [Friedrich Nietzsche]
‘They’re not particular about whether you’re playing a flatted fifth or a ruptured 129th as long as they can dance to it.’ [Dizzy Gillespie]
‘In obsessive rhythms is the key of tribal rites: reigns of shamans and rebellious gipsy musicians.’ [Franco Battiato]
Format: MP3 [320k]
