Welcome to the mystery dungeon. Can you solve the puzzle?
Eyes of Xatu’s ‘Za(ii)’ does not pull any punches. Built on a heavily branded, nostalgic and at times dark video game aesthetic, genre-bending production fleshes out a world for the listener to sit in, and engage with.
I’m constantly finding myself impressed with the depth and quality of production on seemingly grassroots/homemade projects; the kids really are doing alright! What sets Za(ii) apart is how this skill is applied to vocals - every vocal track is distinct; from waveringly deep and mournful on Want(Y)ou2, to swagged out and glitchy on Gho(s)t, to underproduced and almost spoken word on Familiar(Com)fort. Lyrics range from pining refrains about love and meaning, to perfectly spaced out drug motifs, something for everyone.
A lot of Za(ii) rests in the fantastical; big, ethereal synths, Nordic horns, drum’n’bass WUB’s and distorted vocals. There are suggestions of ancient darkness, ancestral callings and a spiritual calling. There are also gripping moments of humanity; the final track Way2M(u)ch feels vulnerable and raw, like Eyes of Xatu is disclosing just how badly he wants to create, achieve, communicate.
Formed out of what appears to be a beautifully connected mixtape, with seamless transitions, Mr EoX has jumbled the songs to add another layer to the album experience, even hiding the website URL across the song titles. The album’s website sees the Pokemon Xatu presents the listener with a mission: solve the puzzle, unlock the hidden truth, stop the darkness. The solve is also available deeper into the website, with a full listen-through of the mixtape, seamless transitions included.
Despite the layers of production, Za(ii) manages to blend spiritual humanity throughout a cutting-edge project that sounds both ahead of its time and formed thousands of years ago in the Amazonian jungle. For an Eora-based artist of this size to be building such multimodal worlds around their work is no small feat; Eyes of Xatu wants you to listen, play the game, experience the world that Za(ii) is.
Words by Orion Wheatland