zakè - Veta (2024)

"The smoky half-tones that dominate the artwork for Veta, the latest opus from zakè (aka Zach Frizzell), evoke perfectly the muted mystery and somber environment of its compositions. Frizzell consistently blends modern ambient classical work with soft-edged, analog production that feels unstuck in time, and fittingly, Veta calls upon its ceremonial divinity – one of healing and protection – to convey a patient journey through grief, remembrance, and resolve.

Frizzell describes the realization of Veta – which was recorded alongside, and influenced by, a forthcoming collaboration with vocalist Angela Winter – as an “exercise in knowing when to draw back the mix.” There is a high degree of sonic manipulation and layering, and a variation on the “wall of sound” technique, but ultimately each element requires its own place and purpose in the final result. Always a traditionalist, he employs an arsenal of reel-to-reel and cassette decks for sound processing, and a combination of organic and synthesized sources, to attain an aural grace that becomes more distinctive with each release.

The centerpiece and title track, “Veta”, commences with a slow lament in soft-hued brass, as its looped motif shifts color from soot to cerulean, and it navigates the organic hiss of the tape reel, casting a shadow of oxidized, reverberant shimmer. In the narrative of the album, we get the sense of conscious thought ceasing, as we crest a hill, discover a long-abandoned home, and wander amid its debris and forgotten mementos. Midway through, bass swells take over with a looming growl, while gentle rays of lilting strings pierce the fallen roof with the warmth of pale daylight. “Veta” is one of Frizzell’s most complex creations, encapsulating both malady and remedy as it resolves with the tear-streaked, operatic power of Gorecki’s Symphony No. 3.

The following arrangement “Bewrayeth No. 2” takes the charred, bass-laden drones of a former track, “Bewrayeth” that appeared as a longform piece almost exactly two years ago. The thick layers are veiled in shadows, where ominous whispers intertwine with the howling winds of desolation. The music emerges like tendrils of smoke, suffused with a sense of foreboding. Each repetitive sound resonates like the tolling of a funeral bell, echoing through cavernous depths of despair. As the song unfolds, layers of sound build upon one another, creating a sense of mounting tension. Yet amid the ominous ebb and flow, there is a strange beauty to be found, a glimmer of light amidst the encroaching darkness. It's an arrangement that speaks to the darkest corners of the human soul, a testament to the resilience of the spirit in the face of overwhelming despair.

“Glory”, emerges in waves of overcast haze, a stark, but comforting intimation of a wandering mind, turning over a daydream as its facets appear. With accents provided by long-time collaborator Damien Duque (aka City of Dawn), there are echoes of the pair’s exemplary A Sorrow Unrequited (2021) in the subtle woodwinds and upper-register strings that build throughout the piece, creating a sense of caring guidance across an ashen landscape.

Closing chapter, “Memorial”, bears a sweeter, more reverent tonality as we move beyond the rubble into a verdant valley, and the day fades somewhere beyond. Behind us, all the blurred moments and clumsy words of past lives evaporate, and the suite closes with a sense of peace and gratitude, while maintaining the profound weight of its first two movements. Damien Duque guests here once again with a crucial dose of melancholy, creating perfect closure to a work that finds comfort in the unanswerable."