ZÖJ - May The Devil's Ear Be Deaf [Parentheses Records 022]

Another fresh release in the roster of the Belgian Parentheses Records label is "May The Devil's Ear Be Deaf", the latest album outing by the Australian duo ZÖJ which fuses Persian influences, instruments and Spoken Word poetry with Western experimentalism and contemporary composition. Put out on May 1st, 2k26 the four pieces and 37 minutes spanning album sees the duo comprised of Gelareh Pour and Brian O'Dwyer explore a hovering, ethereal vocal performance floating atop minimalist and spatial backing structures based on sparse rhythmic elements and subdued atmospherics with the opening piece that is "Termites" followed by the, seemingly multiple, meandering and tentative paths of what seem to be live processed flute-like tonalities, emerging string pluckings and skeletal percussion sequences of "Desert Motreb" which build up towards an unexpectedly tense and thundering climax over time. Furthermore "Woe To The Ear" brings on more captivating vocal timelessness, this time backed by nervous, brooding and certainly danger-heralding movements and electronic processings whereas "She Sleeps With Genies" provides closure and inward-looking desert melancholia paired with quasi-mediterranean echoes of Classical x Contemporary Music for mystical and x or spiritual storytelling under a scorching summer sun only to once again end up with an almost ritualistic, fever'ish percussive outburst - and a well surprising bonus bit. File under: Global Avantgarde Fusion.

Album artwork on Instagram!