50 FOR 15
Z OL A J E SUS
Down and dirty dead-of-night stuff
WHO THEY?
Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, Zola Jesus is one Nika Roza
Danilova. She may only be 25, but by crikey she has already
packed a lot in. Her fifth studio long-player, ‘Taiga’, landed last
October on Mute Records.
WHY ZOL A JESUS?
It’s not hard to see why the world and all its furry friends are
suggesting big things for ZJ in the one-five. Call it classical
industrial, call it goth-grime, call it dead-of-night electronica,
call it what you like, Zola Jesus has been a best-kept secret for
far too long. Heck, even Jools Holland is getting in on the act,
inviting her onto his show last year.
TELL US MORE
The list of comparisons is dizzying. Kate Bush is on there, as
are Siouxsie And The Banshees, Dead Can Dance and, naturally,
the Cocteau Twins. It’s all this and yet so much more. Growing
up, Danilova’s diet was strictly Dead Kennedys, The Residents,
Throbbing Gristle – in fact, anything down and dirty – and it
certainly shows.
SH AB A Z Z PA L AC E S
K RI STA PAPI STA
Experimental hip hop, anyone?
Riot grrrl machine music
The Seattle duo of Palaceer Lazaro and Tendai Maraire have a
rich musical heritage. The former was once of jazz-hop outfit
Digable Planets, the latter’s late father was mbira don Dumisani
Maraire. Which might explain Tendai’s exquisite multi-musical
skills. While the flow here is smooth, it’s what’s underneath
that wows. Musically, the Shabazz shake it up with a box of
electronic tinkles, rolling b-lines, synth runs and all manner
of sonic loveliness. They do like to do things a little different,
which would explain a hip hop act signing to legendary grunge
label Sub Pop. On the face of it, not the most sensible of moves,
but it does seem to have reaped rewards for these guys. Last
summer’s ‘Lese Majesty’ ended up on a number of the more
discerning albums of 2014 lists, while the pair continue to wow
audiences with their hectic live shows.
This. Is. Bonkers. Krista Papista, in her very own words, is
a “Cypriot/Australian multidisciplinary sordid pop artist”,
which is nail on the head, fair and square. Ms Papista also
says that her signature sound “unravels elements of riot
grrrl chicness, euphoric-meltdown synth melodies, requiem
ballads, homo-euro electro beats, film noir trumpets and rabbit
hole transitions”. Quite so. Tracks like ‘Pomoiselle’ have a
wonderfully simple, DIY ethos, the tinny sequences reminiscent
of early over-the-counter kit like, say, a Casio VL-Tone. It’s
hard to beat and her deadpan vocal only adds to the automated
machine music feel. While ‘Pomoiselle’ appeared in 2013, the
much more recent ‘Bad F’ is a proper belter. Marching along
clapping hands, its warmer 80s-ish vibe i