The Adelaide, (Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of South Australia), based 6-piece spans
all manner of genres including psych rock and world music, with the band fantastically adept at whichever sounds they choose to develop into the next works in their mega-diverse yet early catalogue.
Sons Of Zöku are an Adelaide-based hybrid tribe of Portuguese-born Ricardo Da Silva and Ica
Quintela, and Australian-born Jordan Buck, Oscar Ellery, Eddie Hannemann, and Hannah Yates.
"Together we are the trip: celebrate the ride."
Prior to SÜN, they'd released a steady stream of stellar singles which catapulted them to the forefront of
the Adelaide psych scene where they now join Copper Feast to release SÜN on vinyl! Lyrically themed around an endless search for enlightenment, the band exhibit their virtuosic creation of soundscapes to draw you into a psychedelic journey reaching for purpose and spirituality while maintaining a grounding through nature.
There is an ethereal mist surrounding Sons Of Zöku that completely sets them apart from their peer in
psych pop/rock today. Could it be their Australian roots? The remoteness and the otherworldliness also found in bands like King Gizzard and Tame Impala? Who knows, and also who cares really; the important thing is that they are here, and that we can dive into their wonderful tranquil pool of soothing multi vocals, reverb, and fuzz….
Like other contemporary psychedelic indie colleagues, Sons Of Zöku have found a natural way to
merge ancient folk vibes from allover the world into their mellow psych songs. From the pastoral flutes of the Irish fields to the Touareg blues of the African desert, or the sitar song of India, Sons Of Zöku respectfully borrows, forges new connections, and morphs it into their own sound.
Another strong vibe that radiates from their sound is that it is more than just a piece of music, it
presents itself as a portal or a shrine through which we might find more than just music. When they chant “meet me on the other side if you will” you feel the willingness to take their hands and transcend to a lighter state of being. Leaving troubles behind, clearing the mind of clutter. Mindfulness in indie rock form, just the thing we needed in this hurried bustling world.
Selected as “Most Popular Experimental Artist” at the South Australian Music Awards for five years
running, word spread of their live sonic offerings, leading to a spot performing at WOMADelaide 2023 (featuring Florence & The Machine, Bon Iver, Angel Olson, and Mdou Moctar), and appearances at a slew of other festivals across Australia. Now set to release sophomore album ËNDLËSS in early 2024, SONS OF ZÖKU explore dynamics and repetition, drawing listeners deeper into their cohesive yet kaleidoscopic sound. The result is a modern, manifolded album that teems with the energy of change.
REVIEW + Q&A: Sons Of Zöku – Ëndlëss (2024, Copperfeast Records)
Sons of Zöku - Sün
Label: Not On Label – none
Format: CD, Album
Country: Australia
Released: Dec 12, 2021
Genre: Rock
Style: Psychedelic Rock
Neu-mann Sitars, bongos, flutes and flangers... it's another neo-psych time capsule from the Summer of Love, but with a transcendental strength and near symphonic grandeur that no 60's hippie could ever
hope to have achieved. They concoct an upbeat, heady blend of psychedelic rock that blends in sing-along chants and a limb-stretching mass of influences from Eastern music, folk, jazz and soul. Their hypnotic chants and Eastern percussion bring diverse colours to their sound; it’s easy to see how their popularity as a live band has grown, especially with festival audiences; this is made for carefree, long summer days.
"Australian psych Sons Of Zoku launches a mind-bending single from the debut album, Sun. "Sacred”
is modern raga rock music with a colorful transcendental sound, filled with Indian esotericism and the cosmic flux of light. The sitar passages massage the acupuncture points of your consciousness, pacifying it, while a pretty nimble rhythm section helps the body to tune in.
The lyrics of “Sacred” also seem to describe the leap-learning into the depth of yourself. The vocals
complement the composition with gentle mantra-like lines, and all together it embodies an excellent sedative summer sound. “Sacred” is a noteworthy and diverting work for sitar-driven journey-psychedelia." - Indie Rock Cafe
TRACKS
01. Sacred 4:32
02. Sun Shines On Everyone 5:59
03. Lovers Trance 7:23
04. Believe And Transcend 6:30
05. Ö I 8:39
06. Ö II 6:25
07. Be Nowhere Be Somewhere Here 3:09
08. Yang Yin 11:19
09. Sun Son 3:56
10. Beyond Beyond 4:38
11. In All That Has Life And Breathes 6:05
LINE - UP
Ricardo Da Silva - VOCALS, GUITARS
Ica Quintela - VOCALS, FLUTE, KEYS, PERCUSSION
Jordan Buck - BASS
Oscar Ellery - SITAR, GUITARS
Eddie Hannemann - DRUMS
Hannah Yates - VOCALS
SPECIAL GUESTS:
Lovepreet Singh - TABLA
Paul Ellery - SAX
Thanks for the unknown Aussie band. I don't usually know newer Australian bands because i don't follow them as much as i used to.
ReplyDeleteIt's just annoying that you can't buy them anywhere.
Tell me something Josef, your tablet is an iPod or an android?
DeleteYou can buy the cd on bandcamp.
ReplyDeleteI don't have anything like that, just a smartphone. But it's not a problem, thanks.
ReplyDeleteI have friends, but one of them has no time to download, another is anxious, a third is unrelieable and the other is Erwin for example and he is just like me haha...
ReplyDeleteFor my opinion this album is a masterpiece of Raga - Psychedelic Rock. Don't miss it.
DeleteDon't worry, i'll get it.
ReplyDeleteYesterday i listened to the 3 box set Tim Hollier, exc. and the quality of the sound even better than the sampler. Pure pleasure.
In this context i must also mention AMORY KANE just to be there ( 1970) with whom he often performed together.
On sunday we're going to Erwin.
Give my greetings to Erwin please.
DeleteI do
DeleteWhat i love about the blogosphere - apart from the unparalleled generosity - is the constant discovery of new and old bands, oddities and obscurities. Because i have very catholic tastes in music, and because i'm not a fetishist for the physical product itself, this means my collection has grown, and continues to do so, exponentially over the past few years. Thank you for introducing me to Sons Of Zöku.
ReplyDeleteIt's my pleasure. Many thanks for your comment dear Richie ☺️.
DeleteR. M. @before you call someone a fetishist ( Catholics in particulat have to say that) you should think about who you got your recordings, from the people you call fetishist.
ReplyDeleteFor you, i can only hope that your Catholics taste is limited to music.
You've obviously misconstrued my comment. You've also not understood the difference between catholic and Catholic. That's too bad.
DeleteI'm not going to have a debate here about Catholics and the supposed difference as you see it. The Pope would probably say there is only one church, one relgion which means one catholicism....but maybe you're making your own private relgion ?
DeleteDo you know the meaning of the word fetishist ? Someone who believes in the object, worships it and make it a cult.
Yes, i know the meaning of 'fetishist', a word that can be used to describe some (not all) people who prize the format - cd, vinyl - over the music itself, which is the point i was making and which you misconstrued. As for catholic, you're obviously unaware that it has no religious meaning in this context: it means 'varied', 'wide-ranging', 'broad'. I suggest you read an English dictionary before you debate the use of English words with an Englishman.
DeleteYes it is true that i often use an English dictionary, especially when the topic is " sensitive". Is this criticism meant to an accusation ? Conversely, most English people do not know a word outside their language. But whatever.
DeleteCatholicism can only interpreted in the way i do. What do i care about the terms of offshoots, sects and who knows what else ? But maybe you should get a different word than catholicism ?! That is exactly, what you mean when you describe fetishism like you have done here. Putting, the object aboce the content. I object to that.
Speaking with an Englishman...haha...
the English tend to vacillate between megalomania and an inferissily complex.
Many thanks. Not only is the band wonderful, but the art is glorious. This is one of my favorite blogs! Kudos.
ReplyDelete