Yuuup! +++ ICYMI: #ZULUZULUU is playing this Sunday's @SociableCider show!! Limited passes available at 3pm door.
ZULUZULUU PUSHES THE FUTURE OF FUTURE FUNK ON 'WHAT'S THE PRICE'
With squiggling synths, irresistible rhythms, and a team of vocalists (including fav Greg Grease), ZULUZULUU look to give Afrofuturist funk from the 70s a modern update. The nods and odes to both P-Funk and Prince abound throughout their debut, but the fresh energy and defiant bursts of both joy and frustration make What's The Price stand on its own.
The record kicks off with ZULUZULUU's cover of “Black Maybe” (originally penned by Mr. Stevie Wonder), coaxing the listener out from the elegiatic opening to the explosive future-funk conclusion. The stunning statement of pain and optimism is expanded on in the title track, which flat out asks the question of what's the price of trying to survive in an oppressive and racist society. It's the band's mission statement; not a complaint, it's merely a list of bullshit they refuse to give up in the face of. It's a question at the heart of every song, particularly the standout “Fall Behind.” With synths that would make George Clinton jealous, the band honors his legacy by doing not just taking inspiration from his aesthetic, but also his 50 year legacy of using it to ask tough questions. What's The Price is available now though ZULUZULUU's Bandcamp, Itunes, Spotify.By Nathan Leigh, AFROPUNK contributor
ZULUZULUU & Sarah White on Star Tribune's Minnesota's best albums of 2016 (so far)
Minnesota's best albums of 2016 (so far)
Sarah White, “Laughing at Ghosts”
“I don’t care if they hear us,” Sarah White sings with a steaming urgency in “Siren,” one of the songs on her perfectly cohesive, filler-less five-song EP where the lines between love and war are blurred. The former Black Blondie and Traditional Methods vocalist came out of the dissolution of a longtime relationship and her short-lived space-funk band Shiro Dame sounding stronger and more determined than ever. “Huesos” kicks it off with a jubilant R&B/pop vibe, but by the slow-burning “Ghost” (with guest singer Lady Midnight) both the lyrics and music take on a new edge that will cut through any box she might be put in.
Zuluzuluu, “What’s the Price”
Much like White, this six-man collective of local hip-hop and R&B musicians — which includes velvety falsetto master Proper T, DJ Just Nine and rapper/beatmaker Greg Grease — at once sounds futuristic and retro, as its edgy electronic dabblings and psychedelic grooves bump up against hints of hazy ’70s R&B and dirty-minded Prince. There’s a proud and adamant Afrocentrism to their seven-song debut collection, especially the P-Funky title track. But hooks like, “She rides me like a bicycle seat,” prove these guys are out to have a little fun, too. The whole album is a smooth ride. (Zuluzuluu opens for Femi Kuti at the Cedar Cultural Center on July 15.)
full list at Star Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-s-best-albums-of-2016-so-far/385043271/
ZULUZULUU - What's The Price - album stream
Minneapolis has a long history of distinctive R&B styles and flavors. ZULUZULUU arrived in 2014 and began to expand on that with an eye on the future but with respect to the past: “I see it as the next chapter of the Minneapolis sound” says guitarist ∆RT P∆RTÉ. One of their first shows was playing a Clash tribute; months later landing on First Avenue's Best New Bands 2014. After bursting onto the scene the band took a hiatus and gathered to build collectively and contribute to the new vanguard of black music.
ZULUZULUU is made up of six musicians/producers: MMYYKK, Proper T, Greg Grease, DJ Just Nine, ∆RT P∆RTÉ
& Trelly Mo; armed with various synths, drum machines, and instruments set out to bring a new, exploratory modern sound influenced by the greats of funk, soul, and jazz with electronic excursions, hard grooves, Afro-futurism and soulful melodies. ZULUZULUU explores the psyche and searching for Black Excellence: “ZULUZULUU is church, it's therapy, it's family, It's a space where we can express ourselves freely as black men with no limitations”, states multi-instrumentalist/vocalist MMYYKK. The band works in communal fashion and continually seeks a greater a truth. The band see the groups mission as part of a bigger movement “we see ZULUZULU as a vessel, a spiritual, sonic culmination of our experiences and influences from our ancestors”.
Available exclusively at https://zuluzuluu.bandcamp.com/album/whats-the-price
Greg ‘The Mellow Motivator’ Grease signs off as May DJ in Residence
Nate Ryan/MPR
First and foremost, I’d like to thank The Current for the opportunity to be part of the Local Current DJ in Residence project. Thanks Kelsey for guiding me through the process smoothly. Throughout the four weeks I transformed from Greg Grease to the Mellow Motivator, playing only the best local jams!
When asked to do the project, I thought to myself that this would be a great opportunity to play some of my friends’ new music. I must admit that outside of my knowledge of the local rap scene I didn’t really know too much about other genres of local music. With an exception of a few bands I may have shared show bills with, I didn’t truly grasp the incredible amount of quality music that comes from Minnesota — so I decided to challenge myself and listen to unfamiliar sounds and names when deciding what to play, curating a diverse and quality show. Although I consider myself a “sound selector” rather than a DJ, in the past I’ve fancied myself someone who can make a pretty decent playlist. I had to live up to my middle-school-girlfriend mixtape rep, right?
Starting, one thing I didn’t expect was the challenge of listening back to my speaking voice. I kept thinking, “why do you keep repeating yourself!?” Kelsey gave me some great tips to try and introduce things differently; this opened my eyes to the fact that a radio DJ doesn’t just spin records but pilots you through a sonic journey. By the third week I embraced my radio voice and decided to just enjoy my access to the vast Current library to extend my knowledge of local music and have some fun with it.
Coming into my last week, I’m thinking my feet are really just getting wet and this last week will be a blast. At first six hours seemed like forever, but I still was only able to play a portion of the local artists I wanted to bless the airwaves with! This whole process has definitely given me an even greater appreciation for what radio show hosts and programmers do every day to make our radio listening experience a pleasurable one.
My most exciting moments:
• playing my manager Jon Jon’s band from the ’90s, Cold Front — specifically, their song “Beyond the Beat”
• bragging about my Uncle Troy and playing his band Mind and Matters’ music
• playing tons of Prince!
Also, I never realized how often I say “so yeah man” or “that’s a beautiful thing” until I listened to the show. Ha!
So, yeah man, that’s a beautiful thing that I was able to be a part of this project.
Thanks, Peace and Love
Greg “The Mellow Motivator” Grease
Listen to Greg Grease’s last shift as our May (and one week of June) DJ in Residence on Local Current from noon to 6 p.m. today. Local Current’s DJ in Residence project is supported by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.