#damaged bug

[officialcaltext]

Just got a functional record player again, I hope my neighbours like weird noisy rock, folk and my 3 weird synth records that get played more than any other I own.

[b4rk1ng-l0t]

PLEASE LISTEN PLEASE LISTEN PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

[dustedmagazine]

Damaged Bug — ZUZAX (DEATHGOD CORP)

ZUZAX, by Damaged Bug

11 track album

It’s no surprise that John Dwyer had over 40 songs to choose from when he put ZUZAX together. This dude’s incredibly prolific. The eleven tracks he did select for the record are eclectic and erratic, just like their creator. Dwyer’s an evil genius, who dons and doffs disguises as needed, and with ZUZAX he brings this mutant spirit to the forefront. Alien icons Bowie and Bolan; underground freaks like Ian Svenonius and Brainiac’s Tim Taylor; funky and macabre virtuosos like Nick Cave and Prince: the psychic imprints from all these iconoclasts seep deep into the grooves of this record. Dwyer harnesses these vibes and thrusts his own restless imagination into the mix to create the most effervescent Damaged Bug record to date.

Damaged Bug started out as a Dwyer solo project, allowing him to toy with synths and electronics outside of his main Osees reality. Over time, current and past bandmates and collaborators dropped in to aid and abet Dwyer, adding flesh to the corroded synth carcasses he was growing. ZUZAX continues this trend, including contributions from Brigid Dawson, saxophonist Brad Caulkins, Tom Dolas, and drummers Nick Murray and Paul Quattrone. Dwyer’s slimy techno-organic vision is still intact, skulking along fried circuit board traces in search of blown transistors and melted tissue, but with faint echoes of pop, garage rock, and dark crooner vibes.

Vocals, synths, and drums form the core of ZUZAX, as Dwyer and his pals pit vintage tech against beefy rhythms. Melodies, when they’re apparent, warp and slide around, often fracturing into gristly stabs and throaty gurgles. Deceptively complex grooves appear straightforward on the surface; probing reveals the hidden layers of subtle syncopation hiding just off the main path. Early tracks “End of the War” and “Double Yolks” highlight Dwyer’s musical subterfuge, which is punctuated by duelling vocals from he and Dawson. These electro-garage bangers are just the setup for the cybernetic tornado “Mozzy Rooves & More.” This is simultaneously the zaniest, the most psychedelic, and the grooviest track that Dwyer offers up, with swarms of boiling synth squall, a jazzy drum pattern, and Caulkins’ slithery sax all swirling together into a glorious cacophony.

Dwyer unloads heaps of the uncanny over these tunes. The multi-organ and guitar swirl of “Sike Witch” comes off like the soundtrack to an Italian giallo film from the 1970s. He channels Prince’s intense falsetto on “Junk Food,” bouncing across a minimal drum and synth soundscape. The mystery reaches its peak with “Over-Exposed” and “Man Without a Planet.” Here, Dwyer becomes a sinister crooner in the vein of Nick Cave or Scott Walker, his voice deepening and dropping into a nest of frayed electronics. The elegance is palpable, and a new but welcome direction for the chameleonic musician.

Bryon Hayes

[idawg]

"It’s about keeping your chin up in the storm. Life is funny, where every time you feel like you can’t take another hit, sometimes you get a breath of air." -JPD interview on Damaged Bug

[sonicziggy]

"END OF THE WAR" by Damaged Bug https://ift.tt/8egcPZi

[gimpfriedrice]

NEW BUG!!!!!!!!!

[zoocoup]

On repeat

[b4rk1ng-l0t]

Song rec for Frankie fans

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