The past year has been fucked different. Our generation has never experienced such a life-changing event. What seemed like fiction became reality and what some expected to be a brief moment has continued to press on. Hope is on the horizon but the impact is undeniable. We’ve completely shifted the way we live, work, interact and even listen to music. With clubs, parties, and festivals a distant memory, bangers just aren’t hitting quite the way they used to. It seems I’m not the only one feeling this way as Zeds Dead just launched a new label in Altered States that’s centered around deeper downtempo sounds. They teased what was to come with ‘late night drive’ and now they’re giving us a deeper dive with Catching Z’s. The thirteen-track mixtape is primed for at-home listening sessions and long drives through the night.
Complex, multi-layered, and expanding an array of genres, it’s a showcase of how far the duo can push their diversity while keeping true to their sound. From dubstep to DnB, trip-hop, downtempo, bass and more all realms are expertly explored. Vocal tracks like ‘lost birds’ with Elliot Moss and ‘i think you’re cool’ featuring Jenna Pemkowski provide and icy, nearly haunting beauty, even with the underlying hopeful flutters. The instrumental works on the project are equally powerful. ‘phucket sunrise’ presents a mean yet psychedelic trip-hop feel driven by strong percussion. Just as you think it’s about to drift away it comes back with a deep dubstep drop that pushes it to the darkest and dirtiest depths.
Catching Z’s is best streamed from front to back in a calm state. Take a few deep breaths, put on your best headphones and immerse yourself in Zeds Dead’s world. The project also comes with a dope visual companion if you really want to immerse yourself. Check it out below.
Zeds Dead – Catching Z’s Visual Experience
