ZZP-010 /// HENDIADYS - VIIV

Second tape release for my drone/ambient project Hendiadys, a collaborative output with my friend Benjamin Moreau (Chose Morte/Huata/Fange). On this record we focused on using a variety of sound sources beyond the usual pedal feedback loop (guitar, synths, drum-machine, tape manipulation etc) while still maintaining our personal approach at constructing, layering and tweaking sounds.

C-20 white shell tape, comes in handmade sleeve packaging. Limited to 20 copies, 5€/France, 6€/Europe, 7€/$9/World, all ppd. You can buy through the shop section, our directly via our bandcamp page. The artwork comes from a series of xerox collages made in march 2014. You can see more at http://jeanbaptisteleveque.fr

ZZP-009 /// FANGE - Poisse

Beware of the Sun ! Fange's first ep "Poisse" is now available on tape. Get ready for +30mn of crushing sludge/noise plus an exclusive 10mn noise track on side B ! Heavy down-tuned riffs blaring from big amps, vicious drum-shagging, good old screams, yells & shouts (in french s'il vous plaît) and abrasives noise/drone sprinkled atop for good measure.

The tape version comes in an over-sized VHS-like case, with laser-printed lyrics insert. 6€, shipping out, limited to 50 copies. Get in touch at contact.zugzwang at gmail.com. Fange features Ben from Huata at the guitar, Baptiste from Brain Pyramid on drums, and myself on vocals and noise. Mixing by Kristian Keyboard Productions and Mastered by Sylvain Biguet.

ZZP-007 /// EMOTION OF LOSS / ZMAJEVDAH - Split

Embrace the lo-fi tornado ! The Emotion Of Loss / Zmajevdah split tape is finally available. Fans of grind, drone, noise and doom from around this wretched globe will all be satisfied. This is the work of two great artists that push the boundaries of their sound and their respective genre, their tunes sweating with heart, lo-fi and DIY ethics.

It's really hard to label Zmajevdah's blackened shoegazy grind mixture, but If you're into heartwarming blastbeatitude somewhat similar to Wheels Within Wheels, Liturgy or Panopticon, you will absolutely love the two everlasting tracks encased in this split.

If you followed ZZP from the beginning, you are no stranger to Emotion Of Loss bleak, desperate and crushing sound. His "Demo 2007" was ZZP first release. With his new track Emotion Of Loss dwelves into more ethereal and experimental sounds, lurking toward ambiant and darker atmospheres. This is constricting rings in audio form, slowly suffocating you before the final blow !

We kept the packaging of this tape both simple and classy, with a long strip of thick paper, printed both sides and wrapped around the tape. You can get a glimpse at the artwork with the pictures above.

Limited to 24 copies, 4€ shipping out !

You can stream and download the full split just below.

ZZP-C01 /// ZALHIETZLI - Sainte Rita + Two Songs

Zalhietzli is my solo musical outlet. Experiments in noise, ambient, indus and various sound manipulations, using mainly effect pedals, samples and tape collages. This CDr compiles the two first Zalhietzli releases, "Sainte Rita" from 2011 and "Two Songs, 2012".
I decided to make this compilation as these were only available on tape so far. "Two Songs, 2012" isn't available yet, but should be somewhere in september.

What they said about Sainte Rita :
"Wonderfully claustrophobic dark ambient EP that delves into the genres of noise, drone and industrial." Polar Sunspots.
"Listening to this EP is really like watching a movie, having a nightmare etc., it’s an insanely immersive and dense, like a soundtrack to your subconscious’ inner workings." InB4track.

This release will be available at a "name your price" option. See the SHOP for more details. Listen to the tracks below.

ZZP-008 /// HAUTE-CIMES - Khmaer Krahom

Burning, unrelenting and unforgiving like a caged beast. With Khmaer Krahom, Haute-Cimes delivers three tracks of cinematographic harsh noise, with disturbing films samples entwining layers of radiating drones and pulsating noise shrills. Haute-Cimes sound is both repulsive and fascinating at the same time, the noise moving and breathing with its own pulse. In 23 minutes, this tape sucks you in and drags you through one hell of journey among desolated landscapes of paranoia and self-loathing.

Haute-Cimes' Khmaer Krahom is like staring at the everlasting collapse of the Sun, laying on your back on a building rooftop, above the smog and stench of the world consuming itself in a last mass orgy of blood, oil and wine.

This tape comes in a crystal case, with a huge 100% DIY insert, and a new artwork ! No computer used in the making of the artworks for this insert, only found pictures, hand-lettered stamp, boxcutter and a photocopier !

Each tape is numbered, and comes with a bandcamp download code, usable on the artist site.

Limited to 30 copies, 4€ shipping out !

You can listen and download the full record just below.

ZZP-005 /// Proud Father - Hearu Shi No Proud Father

After months of wait, Proud Father's longest effort to date is finally available ! Hearu Shi No Proud Father (aka The Glorious Death Of Proud Father) is as a 90mn journey through lo-fi ambiant, cascading analog drones and electric shoegaze riddled with kaiju samples.

Carefully orchestrated chaos drips from your speakers. It floods your room softly, like a tide. Glimmering clouds and fuzzy swarms of drone angler fishes lure you in the depths of an audio maëlstrom.

If the design conception of the packaging has been a collaboration between me and the artist, the production process was handled solely by Proud Father. These tapes are handpainted, and come in painted-depainted resealable bags. Each copy comes with stickers, tracklist insert and a full size screenprinted poster, with an artwork by Zugzwang Productions.

From now on, the album is available through streaming and free download via the bandcamp page of Proud Father (where you can also download much more gorgeous PF noise/ambiant extravaganza), and through Flaccid Plastic Records, where there's even MORE experimental audio delights. You can even already listen to it through the handy embedded player below.

   


Few copies are available, so get yours fast at the shop ! 6€, shipping out.

ZZP-006 /// Huata - Atavist Of Mann

This tape is sold out ! Thanks to everyone !

Quiver, mortals ! Quiver, impious ! The End is coming, and Huata is its herald. Accept its Light, or be crushed under the weight of its Doom !

Yes, I know, this is the cheesiest intro ever, but I was tired of starting all my release announcements with "finally".

But yes, FINALLY (dammit), the tapes of Huata long awaited debut Atavist Of Mann are available through Zugzwang Productions. This has been one all of ride with the fifth horseman of the Apocalypse, the one devoted to fuck up your deadlines. But, at last, here they are in my feeble hands, and hopefully soon in yours.

I am also tired of writing endless tirades about Huata music, so I will sum it up for you. Compared to their first EP : more Doom, more Satan, and the addition of a real church organ that brings a whole new dimension to their sound and songwriting. Or you could listen to the whole deal here.

The tape comes in a paper-made "book", with a witchboard. This handmade packaging is the most ambitious to date on ZZP, and the drawing on the witchboard is the work of our friend Zero Pixel Grind, who worked on the previous EP.

Along with the tape version, the album is also released on LP abd CD through De Arte Magica, a consortium of labels.

Here's a video showcasing the packaging, because "a blurry video is better than a thousand blurry pictures"* !

*Yes I know I am quoting myself. Now go away.

Cheap chouchenn all around !

ZZP is (slowly) gaining momentum ! 968 views on the blogspot this month, thanks mainly to the release of Huata's Atavist Of Mann ! From what I could gather, their january tour went smoothly (mainly thanks to some unholy honey-based beverage), and you have probably heard about their recent addition to the line up of Roadburn 2012 ! Hurray for them !

For all those who preordered some Atavist Of Mann tapes, please be patient. I know this release suffered some delay, but hopefully the wait won't be much longer now.

Same goes for Proud Father full length tape. The process of making these tapes has been pretty long and convoluted in both cases.

February should hopefully see the official release of those two albums, and maybe even some additional surprises... Stay tuned !

ZZP-004 /// Zalhietzli - Sainte Rita

My first release as Zalhietzli, Sainte Rita, has been available as a free download on Bandcamp for a few months now. Today, the tape edition is finally available.

These are C-24, limited to 20 copies. As usual, everything is homemade.

Tracklist :
A1 - Juvenile
A2 - Les Incurables
B1 - Sainte Rita




Sainte Rita, or Rita de Cascia, is the patron of the sick, the barren and the widow. Of the lost, desperate and forgotten causes.

This tape should ring a bell for the fans of Swans, Tribes of Neurot, Sunn O))), Monno, Fuck Buttons, and the like.

A big thanks to anyone who already preordered one ! Those are now avalaible for 4€ at the SHOP section.

 

ZZP-003 /// Resonance Of Spiral - DEVBLU EP

Resonance Of Spiral's first EP "DEVBLU" is finally available !

This little gem come in 3" CD, in a tiny packaging, but trust me, it is as heavy, crushing and mean as it gets !


Hailing from Japan, RxOxS deliver a sick mix of indus, hardcore, noise and dope beats. It's like a big melting pots of screams, screeches, samples, thunderous basslines, all tied together by a crushing drummachine.

This EP is "only" 24mn long, with 3 tracks, but the first minutes of Shinagire will be enough to set your brain to kill mode. For fans of early ISIS, Godflesh, Tetsuo, Atari Teenage Riot etc.

You can listen to two tracks from the EP here.

The packaging is 100% handmade. Quite enigmatic when folded, it reveals a bigger composition when opened. The sleeve of tracing paper keeps everything together.

Here's some more eye-candy :




Glimpses from the back of the packaging :



The sleeve :



I noticed with Huata's tape that a video presentation of the packaging is good for business, so here you go ! What your hear in the vid is an excerpt of track 2, "The Value Of Knights".

SOON! /// Zalhietzli - Sainte Rita demo (Tape)

Zalhietzli is a personal project I had in mind for several years now, and I am happy to announce its first demo release, Sainte Rita.

Zalhietzli (or ZLTZ, for short) mixes noise, ambient, loops, feedback, soundscape & various sounds manipulations. This first release contains three tracks, for 24mn. You can hear the demo in its entirety on the Bandcamp page.

The demo will be released on tape in september. Limited editions on 20 copies, with handmade packaging, yadda yadda, you know the drill by now. You can already preorder yours for 3€.

Thank you for your attention.

ZZP-002 /// Huata - Open The Gates Of Shambhala

For its second release, Zugzwang Productions is proud to announce the re-edition of Huata's first EP, "Open the the Gates of Shambhala", on tape !

For the few lost souls who have not heard of the Mighty Huata yet, three words : Doom. Stoner. Satan.

The fantastic inner drawing is the work of the very pious ZeroPixelGrind. May Satan bless his soul.

This release is limited to 66 copies, with a special handmade packaging. Here you can catch a glimpse :

Now I know what you're thinking : "wow, those blurry, low-res close-ups sure aren't that informative about something that is probably fucking awesome, as Zugzwang ALWAYS does awesome stuff (even when he does nothing but slacking off)."

So that's why I decided to do a little demo vid of how that rocket science of a packaging works, as a blurry video is always better than a thousand blurry pictures.



You can get yours at the shop section, but be quick ! There's only a few copies left at my store. You can find more on Huata's blog, and soon at Quagmire, Psychedoomelic, Throatruiner and Boue Records.

ZZP-001 /// Emotion Of Loss - Demo 2007

Eventually, after days of researching, prototyping, printing, cutting, sewing* and assembling, Zugzwang's very first release is available ! Limited edition of 13 CDr in handmade packaging, with special faux-leather slipcase.




I am really proud and excited to start my roster with a band like Emotion of Loss, who delivers here 20mn of sick, brutal and depressive Industrial Doom Metal.

No hope here, no life, no light at the end of the tunnel. Just desolation and loneliness. Fields of concrete and charcoal, as far as the eye can see. The intense pulse of all the desperate souls trapped under this ground.

You don't believe me ? Here, have a listen.



Emotion Of Loss - Demo 2007
1. Dead Empty Sky And Its Inscrutable Cold Infinty - 10:26
2. Disturbing Presentiment OF Coming Self-Apocalypse - 13:40

Total - 24:06.

Buy here. Download link coming soon.




*thank you grandma on this one