Zebrabook - Erstwhile Fraction of Time

Hear The Track Here

Zebrabook seemed to have lost half their name, heretofore known as Zebrabook music although that may be stretching one of those terms somewhat and it ain't to do with cute furry animals (nay, or the striped variety either!!). See, some people just don't get anything that Jon Bushaway (for it is he lurking behind the animal) puts out, and there are some people who see beyond that initial wtf reaction and dig deeper. Sometimes, of course, you may be digging up an even more complex can of worms but hey, that's the joy of the thing, you know? Even since I first met him on another site far away, Jon Bushaway and his propensity for HUGE musical spectacles has fascinated and baffled me in equal measure, soundscapes don't even begin to cover it. And the very, very last thing he is, is mellow. Miserable, morose and many other M words but never mellow.

Imagine then, while stuffing my palm with Erstwhile Fraction of Time, he whispered 'It is a bit mellow though, for me'. It took me a whole week before the shock wore off. It also, craftily, set me up to approach it in a much more relaxed mode (Ed: he means without the bomb disposal suit). After all, whether in Zebrabook or Dead Company guise, its best to approach this musician with stealth. There again, mellow is a good thing right? Much better than the dystopian, nightmarish visions he is usually so eager to ply us with. Well, I actually prefer him in his doom and gloom hat and God, could I stand him going mellow on us...?

Aaah, but we forget one essential fact, underneath the taciturn image beats the heart and soul of a musician, even one as warped as he usually is. Here's an interesting Gilmore fact: I normally hate the sounds of the Rhodes but in this case I will definitely put that to one side because Erstwhile Fraction of Time features a beauty. It also features another one of my pet hates (which are legion, mellow being another one of them) lots of plucky, plinky sounds; all of which spell out in yawning letters that this is indeed mellow, in a jazzy, blue kind of way. VERY different to his usual style, thats for sure but a fine track nonetheless - even though it is mellow to its fluffy pink slippers. Who knows, this may be the one his detractors will finally acknowledge that he is a very competent musician and producer.

Recommended Schmoozer.