Drone Records

Z'EV - An Uns Memento

Format: CD

Label & Cat.Number: Crippled Intellect Productions c.i.p. cd01

Release Year: 1999

Note: Re-Release einer Cassette, die 1996 in einer 100er Auflage auf Subterranean erschien. - with booklet, lim. 1000

Price (incl. 19% VAT): €13.00

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Re-Release einer Cassette, die 1996 in einer 100er Auflage auf Subterranean erschien.

“Best known for his innovative percussive work, Z'EV's short-lived (1980-82) uns project combined his interest in sound poetics and voice treatments with dense sonic landscapes; the result was-and still is-challenging, unique, and rewarding. This 70 minute CD features two long-unavailable recordings: Life Sentense, originally released in 1986 in a cassette-only edition of 100, and "Save What?", a document of the final uns performance, originally released in 1982 in a cassette-only edition of 50. 100 copies (sold out) were specially packaged, signed and numbered. Both editions come with a complete Life Sentense "texts" and the first-ever extensive writing by Z'EV on the uns project.”[label info]
“In the early '80s, Z'ev had developed the Uns persona to stand outside of the percussive heavy physicality of Z'ev. Uns built a portable unit of 4 Lenco turntables (which have the unique ability to pitch speeds from 0 - 78 rpm), a few tape decks, echo-plex, and a fire-damaged organ to generate a scraping mid-range rumble over which he barked out a cyclical stream of fragmented vocal elements. While the noise elements definitely predate / parallel some of the early noise constructions from Merzbow, the vocals are what keep this record interesting-as Z'ev would rant and mumble as if caught in a manic fit of Tourette's Syndrome, before catching one interesting phrase in a lock groove for a four or five repetitions ("and you don't know my problem - and it's like crash grass - it's like crash glass - it's like crash glass - and it's uh a clean cut") before continuing on the strange vocalizations. While the noise elements from all of the tracks retain a very similar timbre, the vocals offer the major differentiation for Uns. Fortunately, this piece has ample room between the numerous (99?) tracks for the audience to catch its breath before Z'ev picks up with another semi-comprehensible ramble. This holds up quite well under the test of time, in spite of / because of the fact that Uns sounds like any of the totally flyin' speed freaks that buzz around the 16th & Mission Bart station.”[Aquarius Records]