"Guitarist/singer Michael Barrow is a magnetic
frontman, commanding the room’s attention as he slays through solos, vaults off
drum risers and amplifiers, and literally leaps, thrashes and careens around
the stage. Bassist Bryan Schanck matches him in energy and force, the two
pushing against each other in instrumental duels or writhing on the stage floor
as they solo while keysman Ariel Cortes builds the wall-of-sound atmospherics
and Danny Piechocki batters his kit."- Creative Loafing
Zulu Wave's African-inspired experimental sound defies
strict genre categorization, instead a thrilling and energetic mish-mash of
influences. Their debut albumJAGORILLAis available today. According to the
band, a jagorilla is a fantasy mix between a jaguar and a gorilla. That
fantastical mix defines the feeling behind the album: aggressive, mysterious,
hard to describe.
Frontman Michael Barrow came to the US from South Africa
after spending much of his youth in Zimbabwe. After having some success with
his previous band, he wanted to continue to build on that in America with all
of the new opportunities that were available. Using Craigslist, along with a
little bit of trial and error, the first few variations of Zulu Wave were born.
Even back then, it was hard for people to describe what the band was doing, and
the band continued to experiment with their sound. The music is a mix of
Michael’s African backgrounds and love of noise and experimental music, along
with the rest of the group's more traditional musical experiences.
After some time, the band settled into their current lineup
(Michael Barrow on vocals/guitar, Danny Piechocki on drums, Brian Schanck bass,
and Ariel Cortes on keys) late in 2013 and immediately started work
onJAGORILLA. For the band, JAGORILLA is a personal experience, being the
culmination of years of work. Zulu Wave's story is one of constant evolution,
developing an aggressive new sound that doesn’t easily fit into the usual
genres, and that will continue to change in the future.
Zulu Wave'sJAGORILLAis available today. Check it out now.
Straight-up rockin with great melody changes.
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