LABEL FANDANGO Singles Deluxe
Zulu Pearls EP
12 January 2015
[ Galagos 056 ]

MP3: £7.90


Zulu Pearls: Singles Deluxe

Zulu Pearls' Singles Deluxe is here. Five more cuts of modern classic sounds to remind you that craft and songwriting are still relevant, Rock & Roll bands still exist, and that good ones will always cut through the white noise.

In 2009, Zulu Pearls began the seemingly insurmountable task of being a guitar based band in the middle of Berlin, a city dominated by minimal beats and house piano. Five years on, with 2012's No Heroes No Honeymoons LP under their belt, their resolve to stay the course has yielded some fine results in this fresh collection of singles.

Instantly familiar, but hard to pin down, Singles Deluxe is a clear continuation of trajectory from Zulu Pearls' first LP No Heroes No Honeymoons towards the bands' unique brand of cosmopolitain pop, rock and soul. Singles Deluxe gives a glimpse into primary songwriter and Washington, D.C. native Zach Van Hoozer's broadening scope of songwriting and sincere wit; deftly tipping it's hat to retro sensibilities without succumbing to fetishism.

Comprised of recording session B­sides too good to be discarded, the songs range from power pop anthems, soul­inflected reflections on lost love, full on R&B come­ons and faux philosophical grooves. Tracks on Singles Deluxe were completed loosely over time on both sides of the Atlantic while compiling songs for Zulu Pearls' second full length with sessions in the US overseen by producer Nick Anderson in Arlington, VA's venerable Inner Ear/Bastille Studios and the rest by Van Hoozer himself, in various living rooms and practice spaces throughout Berlin. Mixed down to tape at Berlin's boutique, 100% analog Vox Ton Studios by Francesco Donadello (Efterklang­Piramida) and mastered by Grammy nominated engineer Joe Laporta, the extra level of craft is immediately apparent in both the sound and the songwriting.

On top of the five original tracks on display, Singles Deluxe boasts exclusive remixes from a wide range of co­conspirators, artists and producers, including the likes of drifters Dirty Beaches (Montreal, CA) and Sapphire Slows (Tokyo, JP), weirdo­pop producer Young Marco (Amsterdam, NL) and Gothenburg, Sweden's native son, Svart Express. Alongside Van Hoozer, Zulu Pearls' live line­up remains an ever changing constellation of international vagabonds, currently representing the Netherlands, Spain and England and of course the United States. Since the release of their debut LP, Zulu Pearls have visited NYC's CMJ festival, been to London for their first run of UK shows, played the main stage of Copenhagen's Trailerpark Festival, toured Germany with Jacco Gardner and the Delta Riggs and as support, impressed the audiences of Mac Demarco, The Smith Westerns, Ducktails, Cults, The Veils, Reptile Youth, The Big Pink and The Twilight Singers to name a few.

Singles Deluxe sees release this summer via Cantora Records (NYC), Serve & Volley (Berlin) and Label Fandango (London).

"A melody that is sure to make you bob your head, and lyrics that will leave you questioning everything you do." ­ Filter

"A base of frills­less garage rock is embellished by punk­meets­southern­rock vocals, some arena rock­quality guitar licks, and the hum and echo of

random electronics." ­ Consequence of Sound

"Reserve your seat on the Zulu Pearls bandwagon now, and you can be that among the first to decry them when they blow up." ­ My Old Kentucky Blog

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