Album Review: The Electricka Zoo

If you are on the hunt for a totally original, mind warping album that smacks you across the face with big sound, than this is it. No calming tranquil naval gazing going on here, this self-titled 8 track album may leave you wondering what the heck you are listening to.

Two dudes from New Plymouth now living in our nation’s capital and flying way under the corporate, conventional music radar.  Warning… not for the faint hearted.

To give you a hint of what is in store for your senses, here is a wee definition of the auditory delights waiting. “A duo of Dave Edwards & The Digitator, The Electricka Zoo combine influences from EDM and post-punk avant-garde to jazz, reggae, Balkan and Portuguese music”. Imagine if you will all these genres thrown into a blender and out comes a unique loud tornado of electronic sounding rock / punk infused with the afore mentioned genres.  All this is wrapped up in colourful Mandala artwork by Lucie Hannon so if you are intrigued then read on.

This is original indie – fringe music, emanating a unique sound that somehow only bands from Wellington can produce, but it left me wondering how you dance to it. And if you are brave enough how do you dance to it without hurting yourself? These are questions that needed answering so I took to YouTube to see exactly what one does at an Electricka Zoo gig.  I found a wee clip that indicated people were in such awe that moving was not an option, but I am sure things heated up later, and I am almost certain Show Me Your House Moves will grow on me.

The more you listen to The Electricka Zoo the more the Ethno vibe shines through thanks to Dave Edwards(alter ego Black) and his travels.  Dave’s audio-visual projects come under the umbrella label of Fiffdimenson, which if you take a closer look  is very world music focused.

These guys will be playing at the NZ Fringe Fest in Wellington, March 9, 10 and 16, 2018, and I am very tempted to do a road trip to my favourite place in the whole wide world, just so I can seek them out and see if this is danceable music. I salute anyone that makes a whole album out of EDM post-punk avant-garde rock / jazz, raggae, Balkan, Portuguese music.

They will be annihilating our airwaves before you know it, or at least emanating out into the darkness from the Valhalla.

_{Review written by Corinne Rutherford}