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Biography
Infobox musical artist| name = Zu| image = Zu - Trento.jpg| background = group_or_band| years_active = 1999& ndash;present| origin = Rome | genre = Math rock Noise rock Punk jazz Grindcore Jazzcore | website =| current_members = Luca T. Mai Massimo Pupillo Gabe Serbian Zu is an Italy|Italian instrumental Trio (music)|trio from Rome .
Biography
Hailing from Ostia (Rome)|Ostia , a town near Rome, Zu are an atypical trio made of drums, electric bass, baritone saxophone and electronics. Formed in Rome in 1997, they began as composers and players for theatre performances. The band is composed of three members: Luca Mai on baritone saxophone , Massimo Pupillo on bass guitar|bass and Jacopo Battaglia on drum kit|drums . Zu have released fourteen album s, including two live album and two splits, and played in festivals in Europe, America, Asia and Africa. In 2006 the band toured with the FantômasMelvins Big Band, a superband which is a fusion of Fantômas (band)|Fantômas and the Melvins . As of 2011, Gabe Serbian (Ex-Cattle Decapitation, Ex-Locust) performs on drums with the band.
The band are members (except for Serbian) of the Italian folk-jazz group Ardecore .
Style
Although difficult to define, Zu's style could be characterised as a fusion of math rock , Heavy metal music|heavy metal and noise rock , but with the caveat that it does not respect boundaries or genres. The music is instrumental, and features virtuosic drumming, powerful bass and distorted saxophone.
One constant element in Zu's music is collaboration, and many of the band's albums are billed as collaborations with a guest musician (such as Mike Patton , Buzz Osbourne , Mats Gustafsson and Nobukazu Takemura ). Often, a collaborator will join them at live performances as well. Members of the band also collaborate with other musical projects, most of which exist only as live performances.
Reception
The band's album Radiale , recorded with Bob Weston , was placed in The Village Voice s jazz poll for 2004.
John Zorn described the band as creating "a powerful and expressive music that totally blows away what most bands do these days".
In 2009, Carboniferous was voted Album Of The Year in Rock-A-Rolla magazine's Best Of 2009 poll.
Personnel
Luca T. Mai – baritone saxophone
Massimo Pupillo – bass guitar|bass
Gabe Serbian - drums
Ex-members
Jacopo Battaglia – drum kit|drums
Major collaborators
Eugene Chadbourne – guitar on The Zu Side of the Chadbourne and Motorhellington
Jeb Bishop – trombone on Igneo
Mats Gustafsson – saxophone s on How to Raise an Ox
Xabier Iriondo – on Zu/Iceburn
Fred Lonberg-Holm – cello on The Way of the Animal Powers
Nobukazu Takemura – on Identification with the Enemy - A Key to the Underworld
Spaceways inc. (band) – on Radiale
Roy Paci – trumpet on Bromio
Mike Patton – human voice|vocals on some live dates and Carboniferous
Ken Vandermark – saxophones on Igneo and Radiale
Buzz Osborne - on Carboniferous
Balazs Pandi - drums on 2011 tour
Discography
col-begincol-break
Bromio (Wide/ Southern Records|Southern , 1999)
Zu Side of Eugene Chadbourne (Felmay, 2000)
Motorhellington (2001)
Igneo (Red Note/Amanita/Wide/Wallace, 2002)
Live in Hellsinki (2003)
Radiale ( Atavistic Records|Atavistic , 2004)
The Way of the Animal Powers (Xeng, 2005)
How to Raise an Ox featuring Mats Gustafsson (Atavistic/ Touch and Go Records|Touch and Go , 2005)
col-break
"Spiritual Healing" (Zu vs. Dälek ) (Wallace, 2005)
Rai Sanawachi Koe Wo Hassu (Macaroni, 2006)
Zu/ Iceburn (split) (2006)
Identification with the Enemy: A Key to the Underworld (Atavistic, 2007)
Zu/Teatro Degli Orrori (split gramophone record|10" ) (2007)
Zu/Xabier Iriondo/ Damo Suzuki (10", 2008)
Carboniferous (album)|Carboniferous featuring Mike Patton on Soulympics and Orc and King Buzzo on Chtonian ( Ipecac Recordings , 2009)According to Carboniferous' album cover
col-end
References
Reflist
External links
commons category
Allmusic|class=artist|id=p392703
DEFAULTSORT:Zu Category:Italian progressive rock groups Category:Free improvisation ensembles Category:Avant-garde metal musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1999
