If you’ve seen the mighty ZS live lately, you may have been wondering why Sam Hillmer looks the same as ever, while guitar player Ben Greenberg and drummer Ian Antonio have completely switched styles and undergone extensive cosmetic surgery. Well, it turns out that Greenberg and Antonio left the lineup last year and those fellas playing up there are Patrick Higgins and Greg Fox!! Oh man, now I get why they were so resistant to spooning in my bed after the show… :(
For anyone else rocked by the news of an all-new ZS trio, the band has an LP planned for release that will help guide the listener from past to future with minimal motion sickness and maximal ~~ZS~vibe~~. Grain, out April 30 on LP and CD via Northern Spy, introduces ZS PHASE III by presiding over the final unreleased recordings of PHASE II, remixing the former trio’s work to a time-obliterating extreme across two side-long tracks, much like when fashion designers create new apparel from the husks of last year’s runway models. Side A is manhandled by Hillmer and Higgins, while Side B is all Greg Fox’s doing.
FYI, Grain is a “remix” in the same sense that MMW (TMT Review) and New Slaves (TMT Review) were “studio” recordings — where the given constraint is treated like the lead instrument, pushing beyond the physical limits of the band and transforming their sound into something huge. The new ZS have arrived… it’s just in the form of a ghostly, sweaty hologram.
Grain tracklisting:
01. Grain Part One (by Patrick Higgins and Sam Hillmer)
02. Grain Part Two (by Greg Fox)
March tourdateZS:
03.03.13 - Brooklyn, NY - The New Music Bakesale at Roulette *
03.06.13 - Pittsburgh, PA - Gooski’s *
03.07.13 - Cleveland, OH - Now That’s Class *
03.08.13 - Chicago, IL - Experimental Sound Studios *
03.08.13 - Chicago, IL - The Observatory *
03.09.13 - Chicago, IL - Swerp Mansion #
03.10.13 - Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle *
03.11.13 - Little Rock, AR - house show *
03.12.13 - Dallas, TX - Bryan Street Tavern *
03.13-15.13 - Austin, TX - SXSW
03.16.13 - Louisiana - TBA *
03.17.13 - Orlando, FL - Timucua White House
03.18.13 - Orlando, FL - Lil Indies *
03.19.13 - Atlanta, GA - 529 *
03.20.13 - Raleigh, NC - NC Kings Barcade *
03.21.13 - Richmond, VA - Strange Matter *
03.23.13 - New York, NY - location TBA %
* Guardian Alien
# ZS solo performances (Greg Fox, Patrick Higgins, Diamond Terrifier)
% Mivos Quartet
• ZS: http://www.zzzsss.com
• Northern Spy: http://northern-spy.com
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