Taking on the task of reviewing the latest release by one of the pioneers of Industrial music is, nonetheless, extremely daunting and nerve wracking. However, I am quite honored and feel extremely privileged to review Z'EV's newest long player entitled 'A Handful of Elements.'
Z'EV is one of a handful of visual performance and music artists from the 1970's who experimented with noise and sound, using found objects such as metal and PVC, or traditional instruments played in nontraditional or extremely modified ways. These performance artists, who drew their inspiration from poets, authors, painters and musical artists, desired for their music to become an awakening for listeners, encouraging them to begin to think for themselves and question the world around them. This music was entirely different than anything anyone had heard before. Many of these artists, including Z'EV, didn't consider their performances to be solos, but rather a unique visual performance or interaction between themselves, the audience, the instruments, the location of the performance, the time of the performance and the physical space that encompassed the performance area.
After publishing five books and releasing over 60 albums (not to mention the countless EPs and compilations he has appeared on), Z'EV stands proudly alongside bands such as Throbbing Gristle, SPK, Boyd Rice, and Cabaret Voltaire; bands who helped create the Industrial Movement and spawned a swarm of music artists who expanded the genre by pushing it into noisier and more electronic directions. Jason Pettigrew (the current Editor-in-Chief of Alternative Press Magazine) wrote: "Consider your music collection. Neubauten? Test Department? Z'EV's been there first.'
In the late 1970's, Stefan Joel Weisser (born in Los Angeles) began developing an unusual performance technique using self-made instruments constructed of industrial materials such as stainless steel, titanium and PVC plastics. These instruments were tied together with rope and manipulated by himself, sometimes by other performers. After the early 1980's, he began performing in a more traditional mallet-percussion style, still using his self-made or modified instruments. At the age of 63, Z'EV continues to execute his experimental performances using the term he coined as "wild-style." He is one of the last experimental artists of the 1970's who never deviated from the original intention of the Industrial Movement. However, in 1990 he worked with House musician DJ Dano and helped with the emergence of the genres known as Gabber and Hardcore.
As a treat to old school fans of Z'EV, 'A Handful of Elements' (released back in November of 2013 on Cold Spring) takes us back to the early days of Z'EV's material and focuses more on the noise and ambient aspects of experimental music, rather than the percussive pieces of the present. While the album only contains five tracks, each track is twelve minutes long, providing us with an hour's worth of Industrial, Drone and Noise. World Music is a big influence on Z'EV's compositions, therefore you can hear traces of these instruments from around the world on this long player. As indicated by the track titles, Earth's elements are also a factor in Z'EV's compositions and each song is inspired by those elements, such as Rock, Water, Air, Spirit, etc.
The complexity of this album is astonishing. It is not what it appears to be upon the first listen. The multi-layered tracks create very dense and unforgiving soundscapes. It's amazing to think that this album was created using found objects strung and/or tied together, with minimal use of synthesizers. I will admit this album can be difficult to get through, as it ranges from walls of noise to undulating drones and is very experimental in nature. However, the quality of the recording is great and I encourage you to lay back, close your eyes and let the music surround you. Then you will understand the genius that is Z'EV.
It will be a sad day when this man is no longer with us. If it was not for him and a handful of other artists, we may not have ever been introduced to the genres of Post-Industrial and Electro-Industrial. We may never get another true Industrial album in the coming years, so please take a chance on this album, whether you're into Experimental music or not. This is where Industrial music started. And this is where it will end.
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