Cassette Review // Ziwzih Ziwzih "sea glass chrysalis" (Ingrown Records)
This cassette begins with deep, underwater guitar notes and bass. There is some distortion but it feels like grunge and then this brightness takes over the music. Sounds make it feel like seagulls at the beach as well, and we've somehow gone from that Nirvana/Weezer feeling of rock to something much more upbeat. Vocals come in now, as they have a deep bass with them. The notes just feel so pleasant and that's the first song.
As this second song comes on it feels a bit more like rambling, like that classic surf guitar riff. Some higher pitched guitar tones come through as well, and those deep vocals returns. Everything kicks in so quickly now with these drum beats and muted words which also somehow carry this weight. It's chaotic, it's trapping lightning in a bottle and it's that jolt of energy which you need to get you out of bed in the morning and on your way.
Into a more upbeat sound, as if we're just walking through our neighborhood on a bright, sunshine day. The percussion feels acoustic and the vocals come in lo-fi now. We dive into electric distortion now and in some grand way this cassette can remind me of Pearl Jam's "Vitalogy" at times. I think this, of course, as high pitched vocals come in with the hyper-energetic electronics. Beats come in next, which remind me of a cross between Cyndi Lauper and 100 gecs.
This all begins to take on quite the magical feeling, as it hits some arcade-style tones. Tones come through like sonar and then we get into this almost X-Files type of loop as lo-fi vocals return. The percussion also comes in a way which feels rather electronic, almost video game-like. Glass bottles are rattling and this could be a slow dance number. This leads us into those big, arena rock type of beats that we maybe heard in the 1990's from NKOTB. Is it bad that Donnie was always my favorite but he's everything I don't want to be now. (What, successful?)
Words come out like glitched audio samples and they can sound like they're saying "poison rain". Into a deeper, more suspenseful type of sound now, followed by faster breaking electronics. Expansive, dance beats now like we've just hit that perfect part of where the 1980's and 1990's merge. Vocals come into this dance number now and they're somewhat high pitched. It does feel like every time you hear vocals on this cassette they sound slightly different.
We're into some "Stranger Things" style synth now. That ends and we're right into these dance beats. At some point in this cassette we just turned into a dance machine. It's just pounding out those beats like an old school rave. Vocals come out now with a deeper distortion but it's those lighter vaporwave synth tones. This does make me think of Fire-Toolz. When this wants to take you away with the beats though, it feels as if there is no stopping it.
As if we needed more variety now, we're into an acoustic stroll that almost feels like we're leaning towards folk here. This, as most things do on this cassette, becomes the beats. There is just such a wandering/moving way about this all. We turn into more synth tones and begin to feel like we're going out dancing but without the beats right now. Everything comes screaming through like vocals might. I don't hear words, but I can sing along with the pattern.
Deep bass vocals come in now as the percussion hits like that ominous knocking. Synths are growing and expanding within this magical sound as well, like watching flowers bloom. The way these tones build just feel like we're building to an adventure, like some sort of Disney Afternoon animated series. That knocking sound continues until we turn into more of those dance beats. Big synth expansions ring out and this just goes full on dance.
Slower, more desolate sounds now. Pushing closer towards both acoustic and alien sounds here. We slowly come back with the next song, which has steady beats and singing. The way that this sound sort of creeps in feels eerie in ways, it's like it's going to take you over without you even knowing it and it's just that slow burn. An audio clip about a heat wave now as softer, more delicate tones fill out the sound. More singing now and this is just a beauty of a song. As that fades, more beats come in now with some alien-like electronics.
Synth tones come in with the beats like "Stranger Things" as there words being spoken about needing that vitamin B shot. The way in which this feels like it's just spinning around can feel hypnotic. "This volcano is dying and that's where we get our energy" is a good way to sum up how things are going in the world right now. Everything from these audio samples to the distortion crackling through and the synth groove takes us to the end of it all.
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