Oh, man. You know what I just love?? When music news isn’t really hard news, but instead consists of a few scraps of vague stuff about something that an artist might maybe do somewhere down the line in the hazy, potentiality-filled quantum-mechanical future! So you better believe that I was beyond-psyched when good ol’ FACT Magazine told me almost nothing-at-all about how Zomby seems to be working on a little something or other in New York right now.
Fans may remember last year’s Dedication LP (TMT Review) and follow-up Nothing EP (TMT Review) and all the annoying details like “track titles” and “cover art” and what not that came with those releases. Well, I’m happy to say that none of that hideous and inelegant ephemera will be cluttering up this news bulletin! See, according to 4AD label boss Simon Halliday, Zomby is currently… out there… doing something with music… kinda. “Zomby’s in New York, and he’s chill. He’s happy,” Halliday said. “He’s getting some music together and it’s sounding great – really summery and smooth, kinda like that feeling Aphex would get to sometimes, that sort of Richard D. James album where it was really melodic.” What else? Well, that’s the beauty part. Kinda nothing. “He sends stuff over, and there’s some great tracks in there, it makes me happy too.” See, isn’t that just delightful? Zomby out there being all happy? Making 4AD happy? What else do you want?
And don’t you dare sully this beautiful moment by asking when this new music might be coming out, reader, because damn it, Zomby “doesn’t speed records out for the sake of it,” Halliday continues. “He takes his own time, he’s very thoughtful – but I think if he can do a couple more good albums, he’ll prove to be one of the great producers.” It’ll trickle out when it’s good and ready, and some other news reporter can format all those hideous details. So, then, TO RECAP: Halliday thinks Zomby 1) is not as good as Richard D. James, 2) is probably not depressed, and 3) probably has one or two more records in him before he fucking craps out. And that’s it. Take it or leave it.
• Zomby: http://www.myspace.com/zombyproductions
• 4AD: http://www.4ad.com