Z-Axis ~ USA ~ Atlanta, Georgia

Concatenations (2006)

In a total coincidence, this album was randomly chosen immediately after Gigur. Though I initially received it a few months later after my self-imposed musical exile. Meaning I do have a review for this one! And here it is:

---10/30/06

Z-Axis are a space rock, post-rock group from the Atlanta area, who pull out a few surprising twists and turns on Concatenations, their long awaited follow up album to their 2000 debut. Influences range from Ozric Tentacles to Tortoise to classic Krautrock and everything in between (and, well, beyond too). Opening with 'Out of Hand', a straight ahead guitar based groove rocker, with mellotron and other electronics floating on top, and crazed narration in the "Dawn of Brainticket" mode. Though, in this case, we get some good old fashioned southern preaching on the evils of sexual flirtation, verse the LSD soaked paranoia schizophrenia of Switzerland’s finest. Yea, a cool opening is right! The lively Whitewater follows with a catchy guitar melody and laid back mid-section with spacious keys. Next up is the nine minute triptych 'Too Clever By Half', and like all good multi-part lengthy tracks, mixes quiet meditative sections with high energy guitar-centered rave ups. 'The Grey Neighbors' and the continuation on 'Dry Land' are a personal favorite, due to the trance inducing nature of the percussion, mellotron, and acoustic guitar combined with a synthesized harmonium sound. They're almost in The Spacious Mind territory with this block of tunes! 'She Had to Go Live With the Lizards' returns to the female narration idea with a great fuzz solo, and odd Fish like vocals, which somehow fits here. 'Put Out the Cat' has a 1980s retro-wave urgency to it (who remembers Mason + Fenn's Profiles?) and is probably the most pure post-rock track on the album. Majestic, piano driven 'Columbia Dam' closes in grand fashion with featured guest flute (she should be a full time member!) and recalls Tangerine Dream around the Force Majeure album. I’m not one to do track by track reviews (and I did skip writing about a couple), but Z-Axis have no one particular style and run across a lot of familiar territory. The aggregate, though, is entirely unique. You know, the sum and parts and like that… A good album.

---5/27/25

And that was my last listen. I didn't even realize I owned it until I found it buried in my cd-r books (i.e. long forgotten). The album never received a release in a more stable physical format. This was to be their last album as it turns out and I still haven't heard their 2000 debut. I suspect the mellotron is sampled as it sounds too smooth to be real. I checked the Planet Mellotron site but he didn't have it listed. In any case my review above is detailed, and I hear it similar today. Worth keeping.

Ownership: 2006 Gnosis (cd-r)

10/30/06 (acquired / review); 5/27/25 (update / new entry)