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 Liverpool 6 piece Zukanican have been likened to an
unholy hardcore collision between Can, The Soft Machine and Art Ensemble of Chicago. Theremin
battery, skippy keys, s-bending bass, drill pattern drums, siren organ in continuum, other
pulses muscling in on the action, a diversion into free-funk with sci-fi white noise cutting
across. Their free-flowing improvisations, tasty Krautrock grooves and jazz flourishes, paint a
huge aural canvas with thick layers of colours borrowed from such luminaries as John Coltrane,
Sun Ra and Bablicon. Zukanican’s 10" mini album, E5number was released on Pickled Egg in 2003,
and the group’s debut full-length album, Horse Republic, will be released later this year, also
on Pickled Egg.
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 Dragon
or Emperor are the awesome two-piece lightning-bolt
drums & bass assault of Aaron Moore (Volcano the Bear, Songs of Norway) and Stewart Brackley
(Black Carrot, Songs of Norway) on bass guitar/vocals. Somewhat akin to a geeky Lightning Bolt
in charity shop suits loosening up and playing jazz, with additional manic Pere Ubu-style
vocalisations. Aaron Moore beats absolute hell out of his drumkit, whilst the Brackley embarks
on daring fretless excursions to the absolute edges of what constitutes a rhythm. An enormous
sound that marries their intense mixture of fun and chaos.
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 Now
are an East London based collective, whose style ranges
from improvised sounds to rhythmic, dance-y, driving pop music (with a nod to Can and The Fall),
and whose live sets often transform into extended percussive jams, in which the audience
frequently participates. Their debut album, 'Frisbee Hot Pot', will be released on Pickled Egg
in the late spring/early summer..
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