Zillas On Acid: The Ransom Note Mix

It’s no surprise then that they’ve been closely affiliated with Making Time, the Philadelphia institution helmed by Dave P, that treads similar transcendental terrain.

Over the years they’ve notched up releases for some of our favourite labels, including Optimo Music, Live at Robert Johnson, Les Disques de la Mort and Running Back, and now they’re bringing this music to life with their live band, adding vocalist Ari Ratner and bassist Matt O’Hare into the mix.

Their latest offering, Rolling The Marble Wheel, comes via our sister label Human Endeavour and is Zillas at their best (not even biased…). Following the release, we asked them to contribute to our Ransom Note mix series. Dive into the Zillas world, it’s a trip…

Describe your approach as a DJ?

Thom: I think intuition is a big part of it. Relying on what you know and what tracks you think the crowd will enjoy. I always try to read the crowd and take note of what they respond to. If we are playing a longer set, we usually start pretty slow and build it up.

James: Always trying to find that right balance of weird dubby post-punk stuff that sounds like someone reading a grocery list through delay pedal over a beat, mixed with full-on Italo FACE-MELTERS where there are three synthesizers filling up every possible 16th note and the minute they hit everyone knows “ok it’s ON.”

What’s your relationship with silence in a set?

Thom: One of the reasons I like playing slower tracks is because it feels like time starts to stretch out and you are able to hear new sounds. I like music with nuance and don’t mind having a long or silent break.

James: Usually seems important to have a lot of SPACE in songs early on in a set to help folks find their way onto the dance floor.

What’s the most chemically altered crowd you’ve ever played for?

Thom: This is a tough one… Maybe at one of the festivals we’ve played, Making Time ∞ or IOTA.

James: Yes, playing on the fabulous Tweak Soundsystem at IOTA Festival on Île d’Oléron.

Describe your musical influences?

Thom: Psychedelic music in all forms, as well as dub and post-punk. Electronic/Dance music wise I have always loved the Chemical Brothers since I was a teen. The first time I saw Soulwax play live at Making Time back in 2007 my head exploded. Also Optimo and Andrew Weatherall.

James: Optimo, Devo, Maurice Fulton, Akiko Yano till the end of time, Colourbox… To be super-specific, I can’t recommend enough the Chicken Lips DJ-Kicks mix or Rvng Prsnts Mx2: Diabolic & Julian S. Process (aka Julian Grefe of Pink Skull). Lately, anything by Pieter Kock or Scotia!

What’s the weirdest source of inspiration you’ve pulled from recently?

Thom: I’m always trying to think of Track/EP titles. I have this REALLY long running list on my phone. Whether it’s a fleeting thought, a phrase that catches my attention or a tongue-in-cheek-pun, I’m always jotting something weird down.

James: Don’t want to divulge all our secrets BUT… we’ve been getting a lot of good stuff lately by just whistling into a Boss SL-2 Slicer pedal. I also just released a song about a chicken sandwich I had in Arkansas that was so good, it still haunts my dreams…

What’s the ideal environment to hear your music for the first time?

Thom: The obvious answer is loud, and in a club. I think listening to our stuff on headphones is a good idea because you will catch more details in the mix.

James: We throw a party in Philly called Melt You Down in this amazing haunted disco that hasn’t really changed since 1988. This is definitely my ideal place to test out new Zilla tunes and get realtime feedback from “Melters” in attendance.

What would a perfect afterparty look like?

Thom: Me asleep in my bed. I am a boring person who loves sleep.

James: Kind of like one of those strobing, hallucinogenic, spinning bonus levels from the first Sonic the Hedgehog?

What’s in store for the future?

Thom: We are going into the studio this summer to record some of our tracks with the live band for an ep. I have a solo ep that I finished recently that I will be self-releasing later this year. At the end of July I’m doing an all Chemical Brothers night called In Dust We Trust with our bud Mario Cotto and former Zillas member KTzilla at the Dolphin in Philly. Oh yeah, and we have been DJ’ing for 20 YEARS this August!!!!

James: We’re putting the finishing touches on more of a post-punk album with the Zillas band (think: saxophone, screaming, etc. all over it). More to come this year from my Girls Chat Room collab with Babystar. We also might have a new Zillas 12” on the way that we made with a mysterious producer named R. Flügel. Can’t say more than that for the moment. Watch this space 😉