Zongamin - Zongamin

Written by Eric Olsen
Published August 21, 2003

Imagine the music created by a 29-year-old Japanese visual artist (Susumu Mukai) living in London on his home four-track with analog electronics, samples, guitars, bass, turntables, electric piano organ and other keyboards, clarinet, cooking spatulas, a matchbox and other found objects, drawing equally from severe avant garde electronica, disco (especially the Chic-like guitar), funk, punk, Sergio Morricone-style film music, surf, and breakbeat dance styles.

You'd have Zongamin, the "group" and the album. I love this quirky, eccentric, back-to-the-future, DIY, post-modern amalgam of the ultra-real and the ultra-false, as cheesy, disorienting, yet as very human as a Japanese monster flick.

The CD is engrossing all the way through, but the last two songs kill: the disco-funk workout "Tunnel Music" cooks with a futurist vengeance, and "Mummies" is a music box-inspired ambient wonder with a hint of menace - very cool iconic graphics by the artist as well. This is what it feels like to be digested and eliminated by popular culture, and enjoy it.

Career media professional Eric Olsen is honored to be the founder and publisher of Blogcritics.org, which, quite frankly, rules - as do his wife and four children.
Keep reading for information and comments on this article, and add some feedback of your own!
Buy from Amazon.com
Zongamin Zongamin
Zongamin
Music,

Zongamin - Zongamin
Published: August 21, 2003
Type:
Section: Music
Filed Under: Music: Electronica
Writer: Eric Olsen
Eric Olsen's BC Writer page
Eric Olsen's personal site
Spread the Word
Like this article?
Email this
Submit to del.icio.us Save to del.icio.us
RSS Feeds
All RSS Feeds (240+)
Comments on this article
BC articles by Eric Olsen
Music: Electronica
All Music Articles
Eric Olsen's personal weblog
All BC articles
All BC Comments

Comments

#1 — August 21, 2003 @ 19:48PM — BJ [URL]

Thanks for the review, Eric. I picked it up today (on Emusic) and am having fun listening to it now.

And if anyone is wondering, it really does sound like what Eric described. A couple of the songs also have very cool percussion - lord knows what instruments made the sounds.

#2 — August 21, 2003 @ 21:50PM — Eric Olsen

Thanks BJ, I'm glad you like it and my powers of observation feel vindicated.

#3 — December 4, 2006 @ 17:30PM — Ben [URL]

Yes but can you get tunnel music released in 2001 on vinyl. Not so far for love nor money but I will suceed eventually

Want comments emailed to you? No spam, promise! Address:

Add your comment, speak your mind

(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/7742)

Personal attacks are not allowed. Please read our comment policy.





Remember Name/URL?

Please preview your comment!

Fresh
Articles
Fresh
Comments