Zoogma

…with Guerilla Tactics…

The Jefferson Theater | Charlottesville, VA

Words and Photos by: Justin Ciccone

A four piece blend of rock and electronica, pumped full of hip-hop flow that busts through typical genre barriers. Consisting of a bassist, two guitarists and a drummer that push the post rock sound that seems to be a root from which the band has grown from.

With only 6 hours of practice prior to the show (according to co-founder DJ XSV) Guerilla Tactics took the stage, building a foundation for the headlining act, ZOOGMA. True turntablism combined with keys and guitar, the three piece act pulled concert goers closer and closer to the stage as they filed in. Guerilla Tactics, a young side project of DJ XSV (“excessive”), is following the new trend of combining electronic/house/dubstep DJ with more conventional instruments, in this case strings and keyboard. I like to call it “modern musical fusion”. Last year DJ XSV hosted Bonnaroo’s “Silent Disco”; landing himself on one of last year’s largest summer line-ups with names like Phish and Skrillex, I’m sure you’ll see him or Guerilla Tactics appearing on summer festival line-ups in the future. Catch some tunes over at ReverbNation.

So, what the f#$% is ZOOGMA? Whether you’ve seen them before or are still wondering who and what they are, that question has gone viral throughout the EDM scene. Coming out of Oxford, Missouri, ZOOGMA has been developing a sound as unique as their name. As a first timer to their show, the quartet put on a performance that really set the bar for EDM at the Jefferson Theater. Breaking through the image I had prior to the show.

A four piece blend of rock and electronica, pumped full of hip-hop flow that busts through typical genre barriers. Consisting of a bassist, two guitarists and a drummer that push the post rock sound that seems to be a root from which the band has grown from.  All the while each member is multi-tasking. Add synthesizers, keyboards and live midi sequencing to the bands arsenal and you get a modern mixture that keeps true to established musical concepts but is exciting and completely original in form. Carefully creating a sound full of heavy bass, danceable synth, and tandem guitar riffs the band captured the entire audience, every body moving and grooving to the music. As an array of lights scanned the crowd, you could see everyone had a full on “dance face”. You know, the one you wear when you’ve become completely entranced by the music that’s filled the air. We all have one- EMBRACE THE FACE!
Finishing the night with “M10”, a prime example of the sound they’re trying to deliver. The guys surpassed their allotted amount of time, leaving the crowd on a high note and me wondering when and where their next show will be. Their colorful, strobing light show that reacts to the dance-heavy beats, fluid movement and blend of genres led me to a realization. ZOOGMA is a matchless example of experimental rock/electronic fusion. The band keeps listeners intrigued with an interestingly original sound – a DJ throwing in midi and hip-hop samples all while maintaining true rock form.

Have I piqued your interest? Well, I recommend you go see these guys on their “All Access” spring tour which will be taking them all over the country, including many more cities up and down the east coast and a few stops in Colorado and California. If festivals are your thing, ZOOGMA has announced their appearances at Wakarusa Music Festival and Camp Barefoot 7. It’s early in the season, so I’m sure you can count on seeing them add more festival appearances to their schedule, check it here. If you can’t catch them live, all their music is FREE! Yes, you read that correctly, free music! Check out the website , www.zoogma.net , which has a player built-in shuffling live and studio recorded music, along with downloads of all their recorded material.

Watch here Zoogma playing at the Wakarusa Music Festival where they will be returning this summer to help celebrate the festivals 10th anniversary. Enjoy this professionally shot video of the band performing “Incredible Machine”…