Zenxen7 EP

There is great appeal in short tracks: They fit into the ever shorter attention span, that digital media inscribes into our brains. Not many experiment with a length of less than two minutes – and if so, not for each track of a whole release. Berlin based artist zenxen just put out an EP compiled of 6 tracks, short in duration, potent in sound. With little time to unfold their motive, each track sets it’s tone right away. Opener ‘Aqua Blonde’ faintly reminds us of pop music, echoed and compressed, far far into the realms of future sounds. With the second track ‘Tiny Hop RMX’ we enter bass-heavy territory, spooky and dubby in its quality.

Sometimes we want more: on ‘U2 Can Do’ we find ourselves in a beautifully looped adventure, rich in ambience and with a soft groove. With just 1:10 in duration, the question comes up: what if this track had more time to unfold? Why doesn’t it go further? But that’s part of the aesthetics of Zenxen7. Not more than a glimpse. In that sense, it resembles 90ies dub techno, with tracks fading out after 10, 15 or 20 minutes, leaving the listener yearning for more, confused about the end and the beginning. But unlike in the 90ies, the 21st century demands not length, but quick glimpses and appetizers.

‘Q-Lullaby’ evokes robot sounds and familiar samples of mail programs. This must be the sound the internet sings to itself when it wants to fall asleep. The EP ends on ‘Reprise’, light and melodic, somewhat heavy. All in all, Zenxen7 showcases the mindset of an adventurous artist, that seeks to infiltrate our listening habits with his precise and crafted sound. One of Berlin’s most exciting artists off the dancefloor.

(Kevin Junk)