Bad Zu - BAD LUCK (2023)

Bad Zu, now an international multimedia band, is releasing their third album on Hyperboloid, their first in four years. Three years in the making, "Bad Luck" reflects the uncertain and vulnerable times we live in right now. "Bad Luck" represents the rollercoaster of emotions that was experienced by all of us in the last three years, not only the group led by Philipp Alexandrov. There's a place for hope in a track called "Safe Place" and a place for loss in "Death Around the Corner." The album was finishing on the run — in the buses, gas stations, and motels — and it shows in its constantly changing, always moving sound representing vitality and chaos.

Attention to detail in the sound of "Bad Luck" is astounding; as Alexandrov says about the approach to making the album, "It helped us rethink the importance of music to ourselves." For years, Bad Zu was known for its energetic and astonishing performances, and you can feel their live vibe completely in "Siren Vogue" thanks to the recordings of the crowd. There's also the tribute to the night club Mutabor on the eponymous track: the dark rhythms with a take on tribal music fit the name perfectly. As always with Bad Zu, many worldwide rhythms and melodies don't dwell on any particular ethnic sound: that sophisticated approach matches the universal themes of "Bad Luck." Many filtered and sliced vocal parts create a sense of dialogue with a listener and get the feeling of a deep dive into the Bad Zu world, more considered than ever.