Will Schube started the Malice at the Palace.
Haunting and impactful aren’t the same thing. Spooks don’t carry that lasting weight. ZGTO, the collaboration between ZelooperZ and Shigeto have found the balance between the two, that dead land where haunting beats and narcotized vocals pack a punch and last ’til the final round. Because there’s a shred of goodness in this awful world, the drummer cum beatmaker and the Bruiser Brigade vet have united for an entire LP, out July 28th on on Ghostly International. On the record, titled A Piece of the Geto, the Detroit rapper has taken notes from his protege Danny Brown, mining his flaws and shortcomings for emotional impact, and the result with first single “Off Dat” is a spooky tour of the Detroit he and Shigeto call home.
“Going down the road/Almost lost my soul,” sings ZelooperZ in a half croon, unafraid of his vocal flaws—which only makes his delivery more impactful. Shigeto’s beat clicks and clacks in a slow-paced drawl, drugs and desire concocted into a mix equal parts sparse and impactful. ZelooperZ’s hushed, falsetto chorus sounds like the ten year old girl you’re supposed to stay away from in horror movies, the unrelenting haunt of traumas past. You believe him when he sings, “I stay high until I can’t feel.” Over visuals of sepia filter effects, ocean waves, and blunts, you’d think ZelooperZ and Shigeto were enjoying the fruits of a productive collaboration. That is, until the track ends and you can’t move from the contact high.
Pre-order the album on vinyl here, and digitally here. If you’re in Detroit, catch ’em this Friday. All information is here.
