Last month I made a spontaneous trip to Chicago to check out a Filibusta show, and certainly had a lot of fun. After the concert ended I later wound up at an after-show, and was incredibly mesmerized by a masked musician, live producing Abelton beats while jamming over with guitar licks and keyboard melodies. I was instantly a fan of Zombie Mañana – music I will describe as an electronic fusion of rock, trance, and alternative. After the show I picked up an album, and was able to meet the man behind the mask, Danny Biggins ~ former guitar player of 5-time SCamp veterans The Coop.
INTERVIEW
Thanks for doing this, Danny! I had a lot of fun at your show… first question is, how would you describe your genre?
DB: No problem! I am self-described electronic singer/songwriter. It has undeniable rock influence, it is psychedelic, it crosses many electronic genres such as dub and hip-hop, it has some tribal rhythms, and sometimes very simple beats. Sometimes it is ambient. Additionally I have some jazz and classical background which adds to my sense of harmony and song structure. When I start a song I try not to think of what genre it will sound like. I just follow what I’m feeling at the moment.
Who are your musical influences?
DB: There are too many to name, but here are more obvious influences you can hear in my music: The Beatles, Radiohead, Animal Collective, The Flaming Lips, Frank Zappa, Dirty Projectors, Beck, Hot Chip, Flying Lotus, Soundgarden, David Bowie.
Your lyrics tend to challenge societal norms and the way of our culture ~ how would you theme the message of your music?
DB: The prevailing theme of the album “Idle Brains” is the negative effects of technology. I’m not the first to observe how we’ve grown more distant from each other in spite of how ‘connected’ technology has made us. I speak from personal experience; I’ve caught myself spending way too much time on social media before (still happens). I feel as a whole we need to spend more time outdoors and more time creating! The name Zombie Mañana came from a lyric in the song “New Meanings.” I had been writing for a solo project for a few months and it was taking a while to come up with a name. I wrote that lyric and that phrase was just sticking in my head. I then realized that it would work as the name for the project. It literally means “Zombie Tomorrow” which (in the context of the song) describes staying up late working on a song and being a tired ‘zombie’ the next day. It also provides some social commentary; it calls to mind the aforementioned themes of “Idle Brains”… A society which no longer thinks for themselves but just consumes and that is all. The mask I wear on stage was created by my longtime friend, and talented artist Nathan Maxwell. I feel the mask adds a mysterious element to the show… To some, it might just freak them out, but to others, they may see how it forces them to focus less on the performer and more on the songs themselves. SPOILER ALERT! I’m out to make the audience think and feel, not just move.
At your show, it seemed like you would live produce and then play guitar over the beats – is that accurate?
DB: My live performance is still centered around the songs, but I’ve been incorporating more improvisation and live manipulation of the samples or sequences. Ableton Live really facilitates ‘cutting up’ the composition into loops and however you want to perform your song live. The songs often have more of a rock/progressive structure than that of a typical DJ set. What I’ve been doing lately is mainly improvising at the start of a song and then texturally build into the song, and then play it mostly how it is on the album. I manipulate my vocals live as well and play plenty of guitar/keys. The live show is getting some serious upgrades now with the addition of Dustin Borlack (drums) of Chicago Funk Mafia, and Cassandra Lynn (violin, backing vocals, keys) of Candy Town. I did a show with CFM last October and Dustin offered to throw drums on a couple songs. He did an awesome job, and shortly after we discussed him learning the songs and including him as an official member of ZM. I’ve actually known Cassandra Lynn for a long time. She came to one of my shows and mentioned how she would be willing to collaborate sometime. That turned into her recording these violin parts I wrote for “I Am a Ghost.” It turned out amazing. The last month has been full of rehearsals with these two; I’m grateful for their talent/efforts and excited to bring the new sounds to the stage.
Thanks Danny! I’m looking forward to seeing you on the road again soon!
DB: Awesome man, thank you, hope to see you soon!
ALBUM REVIEW
“Idle Brains,” is the debut album from Zombie Mañana, which features 11 tracks clocking in at just under 50 minutes. The album’s opening track, New Meanings, as mentioned in the interview, sets the theme both musically and lyrically for what to expect from the rest of the album: meaningful lyrics over genre crossing fusions of different types of rock and EDM.The second track, Whistleblower, has a much softer intro until “the whistle blows” and ZM comes at you with an array of different electronic elements, well orchestrated and rhythmatized to some impressive guitar shredding peaks. Beauty, Stampede, Full Immersion, and Understand all follow suit, and especially offer insightful lyrics to challenge and inspire the listener. I am a Ghost features violin and shows more of the varietal sound ZM is capable of, both from electronic and jazz influences. A Subtle One impressively incorporates reprises from each song on the album, before a fittingly titled closing track, The Next Phase, which allows Biggins to showcase his impressive vocal skills
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View more at the ZM website: http://zombiemanana.com/
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