I wonder what makes the man behind Zongamin tick? He is Susumu Makai, and has obviously heard a lot of music in his time, which began when he found a bass guitar lying in a skip and rebuilt it in a woodwork class at school. Actually this provides a useful parallel for his music, which demonstrates an extraordinary variety in the first two tracks alone - the psychedelic 'Make Love Not War' and the funky, minimal 'Serious Trouble'.
Funk is something Zongamin has in abundance, and 'Tunnel Music' (which featured on last year's Playgroup 'DJ Kicks' album) is a great example of cheeky brashness, with that bass guitar performing some unlikely moves.
Vocal tracks are scarce - the hollering 'Whiplash' an exception - but Zongamin more than compensates with a large range of colour and texture, with influences from Morricone, The Doors and Kraftwerk amongst many others. I suspect Fat Boy Slim would have given his eye-teeth to write 'Whiplash', something of a breakbeat triumph.
A lot of fun this, from something of a madman who clearly loves to experiment. Not for purists!
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