Die Zorros, “Future” LP

cover-die-zorrosWhile Voodoo Rhythm might drop the occasional bomb, it seems that anything released featuring label head Beat-Man is a gem. In some cases, that gem is a diamond in the rough – emphaiss on the rough. Such is Die ZorrosFuture, a strange journey through originals and covers in what the label accurately terms a “Farfisa Organ Fiasko.”

Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” is stripped down to its instrumental components, with the only lyrics being “No, no, no.” It’s a deconstruction that continues on through the rest of the album – the only words in their strange surf version of “Paint It Black” is the rhythmic chanting of “black.” The whole thing plays like a warped version of lounge music, from a world where LSD is passed out like after-dinner mints and absinthe gets tossed back like PBR. The covers are familiar enough once your ears catch onto what’s being done to them, but the twists come fast and furious.

The album was recorded in no time flat, with roughly ten minutes being given to each track before they laid it down in the studio. If a song’s 2 minutes long, Die Zorros spent 12 minutes total on it. It’s a little scattershot in terms of results, yeah – “Hey Rockabilly” doesn’t exactly light the fires to boogie, and you’re pretty happy when it’s over, but the sleazy electronics of “Banküberfall” are mind-bendingly ear-pleasing in their muddy distortion.

The only downside to Future is that the second-longest track might be the most irritating. “Zorros In Afrika” is three and a half minutes of jungle drums and pseudo-tribal chanting that grates like nails on a chalkboard before you’re half through. I’ve listened to this album every day since I got it last week, and I’ve only made it all the way through “Afrika” once.

The actual longest track, a take on “Sailing,” is such a weird instrumental workout jam that you keep listening on, wondering where the hell the band’s ideas will take them. That’s an accurate summation of the entire album, really: you’re never quite sure as to what they’ll work up next, and even if what they’re doing is irritating as hell, it’s interesting enough that you want to know what’s happening next.

You can snag Die Zorros’ Future direct from Voodoo Rhythm, but get a big order ready to offset those international shipping rates.

MP3: Die Zorros, “No No No”