El Nuevo CD de Zoe promete romper todos los Records. Zoe’s Reptilectric (EMI) saw the light of day- in Mexico at least. After an extensive year of production, the long anticipated album was released in ’08 for distribution only in Mexican terrain.
Due to an off count in distribution, rocanlovers at the international level were left out of the count and are still waiting for the album’s international release which is set for ’09. Produced by Phil Vinall who also produced their Rocanlover and Memo Rex Commander y el Corazón Atómico de la Via Lactea albums, the band sought refuge and counsel from Vinall in an isolated recording studio in Texas where, according to the band, the isolation from non-organic influences allowed them to let their hair loose and experiment with different sounds. Very much a concept album, lyrically speaking Reptilectric plays in the infinite spaces of galaxies and cosmos- a concept which has trademarked Zoé since their debut album in 2002. Although not necessarily the best work out of their 10 year trajectory, Reptilectric is however, and album that marks the tough-fisted natural evolution which the band has undergone amongst the collection of electronica and brit-rock influenced bands. A more experimental Zoé lays before us 11tracks of unique musical variation, all while remaining lyrically coherent to the album’s overall galactic concept and notably, remaining lyrically coherent with the Zoé of their first self-titled release and all the others that followed.
Proof of such musical evolution lies clearly in Babilonia where a heavily synthesized loop with an overlay of waiflike vocal effects serves as introduction to perhaps the most electronically heavy track of the album. Much like other Spanish rock legends such as Enrique Bunbury and Gustavo Cerati, Zoé once again creates a world of allegory wonder which in Babilonia’s case, presents ideas of lust and desire:
Simulacro de tu perversión…
Pantomima de una noche obscura…”.
Listen to Reptilectric for yourself at the Zoe MySpace or on their Web site and stay tuned for its US release later this year.
My favorite tracks: “Nada”, “Poli” and “Resiste”.
1. Reptilectric
2. Nada
3. Sombras
4. No hay dolor
5. Poli
6. Resiste
7. Neandertal
8. Fantasma
9. Luna
10. Ultimos dias
11. Babilonia
Zoé is:
León Larregui
Sergio Acosta
Angel Mosqueda
Jesús Baez
Rodrigo Guardiola
