pure vibes, love the trippy artwork, bless

So happy this finally released! Waiting like a child at christmas for it to arrive. Big ups to you and ZamZam!

ZamZam 95 is a link with the enigmatic French producer Hiss Is Bliss. We’ve been fans since the very first drop on their 777Hz label and these two sides drive straight to the heart of the dub techno galaxy.

Little is known about Hiss Is Bliss beyond the fact that they hail from France, are steeped in esotericism, and create tunes as masterfully grounded in roots reggae as they are in techno and related strands of electronic music. Their releases are utterly free of hype, beautifully crafted 10” vinyl plates that let the singers and tracks speak for themselves. 

At the risk of being cheeky, “Nope” is absolute dub techno bliss. The 808 kick propels the track relentlessly forward, saturated washes of color streak the night sky, while syncopated hi hats and warm, soulful chords bring life- dare we say funk- to a style too often stiff and clinical, too in thrall to the past to truly step forward. Matching Hiss is Bliss in mystery, Ras Lys’ vocal brings a Dread perspective on music and the sometimes shady business of music, a grounded contrast to the deep inner space explored by the tune itself. The B-side version “Abbadia” splits musical atoms through the desk, focusing squarely on the stripped 4/4 elements and gloriously distorted pads that echo and cycle like tides in a darkly shimmering sea. 

Strictly limited to 800 copies for the world. No digital, no repress. Art, design & screen print by Polygon Press. Mastered by Sam at Precise, pressed at Cascade Record Pressing. Shipping late May, 2024.

Our Soundcloud clips are recorded straight from the vinyl with no additional mastering so you know exactly what you're getting. 

Email zamzamsounds@gmail.com for any info or inquiries.

Hiss Is Bliss "Nope" b/w "Abbadia" 7" ZamZam 95 vinyl blend

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Flacon of two dub-styles

2 дабовых стиля в одном флаконе

with Simon C, B2B vinyl mix

ZamZam is proud to present a long-awaited 7” from Portland pillar Gulls AKA Jesse Munro Johnson.  Johnson is known the world over as label boss of Boomarm Nation, one of the jewels of underground Cascadian sound.  The Boomarm aesthetic is one of experimental brilliance, sound system music from outer worlds and inner dimensions, responsible for many heads’ first exposure to artists such as El Mahdy Jr and Iskeletor.  

A&R moves aside, some of the most unique and memorable moments in the Boomarm catalog are Gulls’ own.  In a scene full of copycats strong on presets but weak on voice, Johnson is a producer that has fully digested many influences to create a truly unique sound.  Deploying hardware, software, live instrumentation and desk-as-instrument, Gulls knows his history and the present moment but stays focused on manifesting his saturated, distorted out sound from way in.  

Water Creature is a 110 bpm beast of fuzzed bassline, panned toms, 80s claps, syncopated snares, shimmering, distorted synth melody and insistent rave-ish stabs. Dubbed & delayed guitar figures recall West Africa without resorting to ethnographic forgery or facile sampling.  An enveloping, mesmerizing, neck-snapping journey through shades of dancehall and dub techno that will demand replays, lingering in the psyche long after the runout groove.

On the flip Gulls delights as band leader of the Gulls Rhythm Force, a real-time ensemble of horns, percussion and electronics deployed in the service of the same simmering, shimmering Gulls aesthetic.  A steady 140 bpm 4/4 kick pulse anchors a hallucinogenic world of ghosting skanks, a static, hazy motif that feels like double and triple exposed silver-gelatin prints, clear images giving way to abstract grain. Mirage-like guitar, smearing trumpet and bubbling keys float in and out of focus, emerging from a haze of pink distortion and purple reverb, only to be subsumed in the thick atmospheres and overlapping echo trails once more.

Released mid-April, 2016. Limited to 600 copies for the world. No digital, no repress. Design & screen print by Polygon Press.

Contact zamzamsounds@gmail.com for any information, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to be kept in the loop!

Gulls "Water Creature" b/w Gulls Rhythm Force "Message to Rogg" ZamZam 37 7" vinyl rip

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Featuring remixes from @frenk-dublin, @stillhead, @tubbyisiah & @mskruff.

Frenk Dublin - Azalea [Skruff Remix]

Frenk Dublin - Azalea [Skruff Remix] [DUBCOM034D]

ZamZam: strictly limited 7" dub vinyl, lovingly designed and screen printed by hand.  No digital, no repress.  Khaliphonic: 10", 12", and LPs. 

Email zamzamsounds@gmail.com to subscribe to the next five releases and have them shipped to your door: $60 (USA only). 

Distribution:
UK: Unearthed, Juno, Dubwise
France: Toolbox
Germany: Hard Wax, Buyreggae.com, HHV
Japan: Dub Store
USA: retailers including Zions Gate (Seattle), Ear Candy Music (Missoula), Musique Plastique & Clinton Street Record & Stereo (Portland)

Gulls "Water Creature" b/w Gulls Rhythm Force "Message to Rogg" ZamZam 37 7" vinyl rip

ZamZam Sounds

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Gulls "Water Creature" b/w Gulls Rhythm Force "Message to Rogg" ZamZam 37 7" vinyl rip

ZamZam Sounds

Recent comments

~~ AntizénitH ~~

Root iwa

JazzDee

Saanen

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AntizénitH