Zu

An avant-garde jazz and rock trio out of Rome, Italy, Zu feature a punk-informed free jazz style that defies easy categorization. Formed in the late '90s, the trio consists of Luca T. Mai on alto and baritone sax, Massimo Pupillo on bass, and Jacopo Battaglia on drums. Ever touring and prolific, Zu have a lengthy album discography that includes Bromio (1999), The Zu Side of Eugene Chadbourne (2000), and Motorhellington (2001), both with Eugene Chadbourne, Igneo (vinyl LP in 2002 and CD in 2005), Radiale (2004), The Way of the Animal Powers (2005), How to Raise an Ox (2005), and Identification with the Enemy: A Key to the Underworld (2007), a collaboration with Japanese electronics wiz and DJ Nobukazu Takemura. As Zu edged toward the next decade, the band's output only increased. Their next release was a split album with fellow Italians Il Teatro degli Orrori, which was limited to 666 copies. Their next collaboration was with Xabier Iriondo and former Can frontman Damo Suzuki. What followed was their first release for Ipecac Records, 2009's Carboniferous, which received a warm critical reception. There was an unusually long wait for their next long-player, but Cortar Todo eventually appeared in 2015, and they swiftly followed that up with 2017's Jhator. ~ Steve Leggett