Zu

Legendary Italian experimental trio Zu returns with Ferrum Sidereum, a double album that continues their tradition of blending genres. Following their exploratory trilogy (Zu93, Jhator, Terminalia Amazonia) on House of Mythology, Ferrum Sidereum-Latin for "cosmic iron"-draws inspiration from the historical significance of meteoritic iron, found in artifacts like ancient Egyptian ritual objects, Tibetan "Phurpa" blades, and the celestial sword of Archangel St. Michael. This elemental force shapes the album's otherworldly narrative.

The music combines the complexity of progressive rock, the grit of industrial music, the precision of metal, the energy of punk, and the freedom of jazz. The result is a sonic journey that is as cerebral as it is visceral, defying categorization while remaining unmistakably Zu.

The trio-Paolo Mongardi (drums, percussion), Luca T. Mai (baritone saxophone, synths, keyboards), and Massimo Pupillo (electric bass, 12-string acoustic guitar)-spent a year refining this sprawling 80-minute epic through relentless rehearsals and live studio recordings in Bologna. Produced and mixed by three-time Grammy-winning engineer Marc Urselli, known for his work with Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, and Mike Patton, the album balances raw intensity with refined production tweaks and textures.

Taupe are a Glasgow-based trio whose free(math)avant(skronk) concoctions fuse sour sonics, effervescent improvisation, and sludgy, doom-laden riffage into a sound both unruly and sharply honed. Often seeming to operate by a kind of spooky telekinesis, they pivot from turbulent, unwieldy chaos into taut, metronomic precision, cultivating an approach that feels both volatile and vividly alive. Steeped in a DIY ethos, Taupe balance wonky charm with exacting focus, bridging the no-wave disorder of DNA or James Chance with the squeaky-clean intricacy of groups like goat (jp) and Horse Lords, all while maintaining an anarchic spirit that takes any pretensions out to the woodshed.