Miscellaneous - Zum

  by Admin

published: 28 / 9 / 2007

intro

Ou Website of the Month this month is Zum, a San Francisco-based webzine, record label and on-line music shop

Formed in 1990 by San Francisco-based siblings George and Yvonne Chen, and the subject of one of Pennyblackmusic’s earliest interviews in 1999, Zum www.zumonline.com is both an alternative music on-line webzine and a record label. Zum began life as a small print fanzine of a few pages and expanded over the next decade into being an internationally well known and respected magazine with editions which regularly topped 100 pages. In the tenth edition of the print magazine which came out in 1997, George and Yvonne gave away with it a compilation CD featuring some of their favourite bands, and started off their record label. In the time since then the Chens have through Zum released three compilations and twenty other album and single releases. Past highlights in Zum’s catalogue have included records by hardcore experimentalists Nuzzle and the Sea Scouts ; instrumental space rockers Giardini di Miro and dance act Outhud Their most recent releases have been the eponymous debut album of roots folk rock act Scary Mansion, and a split 7” EP from tropical punk act Abe Vigoda and art rockers Mikaela’s Fiend. Both Chens have played in local San Francisco bands, and Yvonne Chen was a founding member of experimental cult act Xiu Xiu, playing with them from 2000 ton 2002. They also run their on-line store at http://zum.bigstep.com from which they sell not only Zum products but other labels which they feel an affinity with such as Post Present Medium (No Age), Animal Disguise (Mammal, Growing), Collective Jyrk (Yellow Swans), and Upset the Rhythm (KIT, Barr). George and Yvonne published the twelfth and final print edition of the magazine in 1999, before then transferring Zum on-line. They currently have a writing team of approximately 20 writers, most of whom are San Francisco locals, and several of whom also wrote for the print magazine. The Zum webzine is up-dated approximately twice a year with a full selection of reviews. An archives area forms a back catalogue of all past Zum reviews. There is also an interviews section, which has in recent years found the Zum team talking to Jonathan Richman, Of Montreal, Death Cab for Cutie and Jeff Winterberg. Now nearly 20 years old, Zum continues to highlight music that is both provocative and challenging in the alternative and experimental fields.