ZD Grafters — Chop Club On Road

Chop Club On Road starts off very brightly with "Five Different Types." Its synthy pulses repeat like hypnotic bird calls in a dreamlike forest. Behind these, a layer of modulation rises to fill in the gaps, adding depth and dimension, but also enveloping the listener in the sound and helping guide them along. Zac's drums enter in, adding well structured unpredictability and grounded juxtaposition to the higher flying synths. About midway through the roughly sixteen minute piece, the tone shifts in a darker, more somber direction, adding gravity to what was once light and playful. This shift is done with much skill and grace, happening smoothly so that the transition feels very natural. There are some echoes of the playful past before the conclusion, but the throbbing synths at the finish leave the listener holding the bag, forcing them to come up with their own conclusion. With the hypnotic synths pulsing their repetition, the drums are the forward voice on "Cosmic Radiator." Shorter than the previous track, the drums are needed to pull the listener through the abbreviated runtime. The thicker synths hold up well against the drums as they move across the kit and provide a nice challenge to the voice of the synths. Outside of the travelling toms, the cymbals really cut through the hypnotic haze and serve as Ariadne's thread to help through the lush labyrinth. "Dark Trio" continues on with heavily moving drums being the highlight, giving this one more of a free jazz feeling. At this point in the album, though, the repetitiveness of the synthesizers starts to tread a little thin, so thankfully the drums get a tad more of the mix than the previous tracks. Closing out Chop Club On Road, ZD Grafters give us a very recent live performance of "Dark Trio." The live version is far more brash, with the reverb bathing in the audience and the crash of the drums helping to add to this noisier and far more active version. One can feel the thickness of the performance and can imagine the joy the crowd must have felt being immersed in this atmosphere.

 

ZD Grafters work very well together and put out a great amount of sound for a two piece. Synths take the lead and their repetition challenges traditional lines and makeup, but serve a different purpose than just to be heard. Expanding upon single chords, they are an expression and beg the listener to think about their structure and purpose, taking an arpeggio in an almost Dadaist direction. The drums speak jazz and are the carrier of the work, punctuating the synths with cymbals that crash and bringing the listener from beginning to end while moving with frenetic aplomb. Not awash in noise, Chop Club On Road is a bit more delicate of a "free jazz" type work that improves greatly with successive listens