Zukanican - Horse Republic

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 11 / 11 / 2006

Label: Pickled Egg
Format: CD

intro

Offbeat, ideas-friendly second album on Pickled Egg Records from Liverpool orchestra Zukanican

'Horse Republic' is the second album from Zukanican, the Liverpool monster orchestra which resides at the Living Brain (co.uk) club. At times their second offering on Pickled Egg Records brings back happy memories of the Magic Band, but, rather than lacking a beefhearted frontman, the collective took the stage and just didn't leave sufficient room for anything else but their pretty, overwhelming sound. Zany yet streamlined blasts of fanfare and a saxophone and a trumpet screaming over rumbling rhythms take you to greater, and sweaty, heights. On quite a few tracks you can hear the tread, the galloping, that Zukanican will be famous for. But there's more. Freeform jazz meets avant-garde multi-instrumentalism and things indeed go 'plink-plonk' as opponents of adventurism would argue. In Zukanican's music you will find little that's forced upon as a style or method though. There's a tribal urge going back to music's core function, as a mating ritual or as plain entertainment. Do not file under esotericism. Rather superior to Bonobo, 'Horse Republic' offers a wealth of ideas. Weirdly enough Zukanican are on MySpace as they seem like a true antidote of that.

Track Listing:-

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