ZVI is the far-reaching solo project of Ron Varod (Kayo Dot, Sabbath Assembly, Psalm Zero) and will release the album Deer Pink this spring via Nefarious Industries. But before that happens, ZVI brings forth an extremely limited 7″ single (out February 22) with the LP’s title track on the A-side and a cover of Portishead’s “Undenied” on the flip. One of the 100 copies may be ordered via Bandcamp or Nefarious Industries.
“Dear Pink” builds slowly, moving us from passages that threaten to fade into silence to others that are deeply emotional, cathartic. Guitars buzz and chime, electronic glitches flicker throughout and the percussion provides the faintest heartbeat against an enigmatic vocal line slow to reveal its secrets. ZVI offers up an intriguing and appropriately dark “Undenied” that’s one part darkened prayer, one part invocation of the muse.
Speaking about the single, Varod said, “In the summer of 2015 I wrote the guitar part at my old Brooklyn rehearsal space and hummed wordless melody into my phone that came to me on my walk back home and didn’t touch it for a long time. Everything from that one session stuck in my head over the course of the next year or so of touring. It became somewhat of a jump off point for when I got home and buckled down and started putting together this record. I performed all the vocals, guitar, synth and did all the drum programming but this track also features Randall Dunn on Buchla as well as Kayo Dot bandmate Toby Driver on bass guitar. The Portishead cover on the B-Side was something I had opened a lot of my shows with while touring my last record and decided to do a home recording of just to document it.”
TOUR DATES
2/27/2019 Brighton Bar – Long Branch, NJ w/ East Of The Wall
3/03/2019 Trans Pecos – Queens, NY w/ Zevious, PAK, Hardpan (DJ)
4/04/2019 TBA – San Diego, CA w/ Jerkagram
4/05/2019 @ The Smell – Los Angeles, CA w/ Jerkagram, @thief_sounds
4/06/2019 TBA
4/07/2019 Elbo Room – San Francisco, CA
4/11/2019 Teatro de la Psychomachia – Seattle, WA w/ To End It All, Xiphoid Dementia, Vanessa Skantze, Lye Feast
4/12/2019 Cryptatropa – Olympia, WA w/ To End It All, Xiphoid Dementia, Clayface
4/13/2019 Azoth – Portland, OR w/ To End It All, Xiphoid Dementia, Caustic Touch