PressRelease
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: HARD POWER is the debut single from Brooklyn based songwriter/synthesist/producer Zachery Allan Starkey and his new project, ZGRT. HARD POWER is Co-Produced with Gavin Russom (The Crystal Ark/LCD Soundsystem/DFA Records). Vocals are recorded and engineered by William Andrew Raposo of Midnight Magic. In the Fall of 2014, Russom offered ZGRT the use of his personal recording studio and arsenal of synthesizers for the better part of two months. Out of these sessions came HARD POWER. Starkey’s lyrics for HARD POWER are a bold reflection of America's role in never ending wars abroad and surveillance state at home. A twelve minute long dance odyssey transports the listener into a sensual auditory experience replete with driving arpeggiated synth bass lines, analogue synth leads, and hard, danceable beats. Vocals ranging from dreamy and sensual to hard and powerful directly reinforce a political dichotomy between hard and soft power—lulling the listener into auditory, paternalistic comfort before launching solid bass lines and a figurative auditory assault. Maternal and paternal references in the song further invoke a dreamy state of political complacency required to launch an attack and reinforce hard power. The latter half of the song is a soaring auditory experience transporting a listener through the night sky on a figurative attack mission which doubles as an aural one. In addition to a wonderful dance track, the song is a powerful, participatory reflection on an individual’s role in current events. After existing as a concept in his head for three years, ZGRT was founded in late 2014 by Starkey. A staple of Brooklyn’s underground electronic music and art scene for half a decade, Starkey has independently released three critically acclaimed solo albums of lyrically inspired synthpop as ZAS, in addition to co-founding one of Bushwick’s most popular Techno parties, C//TY CLUB, with Russom and Lauren Flax (CREEP). With ZGRT, Starkey now presents a collaborative dance endeavor, working with Brooklyn based programmer/synthesist Rob Interface and Jo-Anne Hyun, who joins on synthesizers and provides melodic backing vocals. The resulting work combines electronic synthesis and aspects of techno, house, and post-punk with thought provoking and subversive lyrics and nods to influences like New Order, Jamie Principle, Public Image Ltd, Sisters of Mercy, and Patti Smith. It is a sonic testament to Starkey's long term participation in a broader world of club music on New York City's dance floors with colleagues such as the DFA Records family and the emerging Techno scene at Bossa Nova Civic Club in Bushwick, Brooklyn. More information on ZGRT can be found at the following: https://www.facebook.com/ZGRTnyc http://ZGRTnyc.tumblr.com/ https://soundcloud.com/ZGRTnyc Contact: [email protected]
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Transcript of PressRelease
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: HARD POWER is the debut single from Brooklyn based songwriter/synthesist/producer
Zachery Allan Starkey and his new project, ZGRT. HARD POWER is Co-Produced
with Gavin Russom (The Crystal Ark/LCD Soundsystem/DFA Records). Vocals are
recorded and engineered by William Andrew Raposo of Midnight Magic. In the Fall of
2014, Russom offered ZGRT the use of his personal recording studio and arsenal of
synthesizers for the better part of two months. Out of these sessions came HARD
POWER. Starkey’s lyrics for HARD POWER are a bold reflection of America's role in never
ending wars abroad and surveillance state at home. A twelve minute long dance odyssey
transports the listener into a sensual auditory experience replete with driving arpeggiated
synth bass lines, analogue synth leads, and hard, danceable beats. Vocals ranging from
dreamy and sensual to hard and powerful directly reinforce a political dichotomy between
hard and soft power—lulling the listener into auditory, paternalistic comfort before
launching solid bass lines and a figurative auditory assault. Maternal and paternal
references in the song further invoke a dreamy state of political complacency required to
launch an attack and reinforce hard power. The latter half of the song is a soaring auditory experience transporting a listener through
the night sky on a figurative attack mission which doubles as an aural one. In addition to
a wonderful dance track, the song is a powerful, participatory reflection on an
individual’s role in current events. After existing as a concept in his head for three years, ZGRT was founded in late 2014 by
Starkey. A staple of Brooklyn’s underground electronic music and art scene for half a
decade, Starkey has independently released three critically acclaimed solo albums of
lyrically inspired synthpop as ZAS, in addition to co-founding one of Bushwick’s most
popular Techno parties, C//TY CLUB, with Russom and Lauren Flax (CREEP).
With ZGRT, Starkey now presents a collaborative dance endeavor, working with
Brooklyn based programmer/synthesist Rob Interface and Jo-Anne Hyun, who joins on
synthesizers and provides melodic backing vocals. The resulting work combines
electronic synthesis and aspects of techno, house, and post-punk with thought provoking
and subversive lyrics and nods to influences like New Order, Jamie Principle, Public
Image Ltd, Sisters of Mercy, and Patti Smith. It is a sonic testament to Starkey's long
term participation in a broader world of club music on New York City's dance floors with
colleagues such as the DFA Records family and the emerging Techno scene at Bossa
Nova Civic Club in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
More information on ZGRT can be found at the following:
https://www.facebook.com/ZGRTnyc
http://ZGRTnyc.tumblr.com/
https://soundcloud.com/ZGRTnyc
Contact: [email protected]
