Tuesday, 08 August, 2023 - 16:29

Zea

Zea is a breakpop mono from Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Armed with guitar, mic, drum machines, sampler and synths, Arnold de Boer comes with fast-paced programmed drums, copious synth work, guitars that go from jangly to strummy on a moment’s notice, and vocals that chant as much as they sing; 8-bit electronic sounds exploding all over the place, and at the same time a poptune isn't out of the question either.

Live is Zea fast and vicious, putting rock and roll into electronics, and pushing noisy loops into beat punk. Zea released four albums and many singles. The last two albums were released, especially for an Ethiopian tour, on cassette. In 2009 Zea released a 7” EP containing 7 songs, called “We Better Boil Soup of the Grown-Ups”, in December 2009 Zea released “Super Cosmotics” a second 7” (both on his own Makkum Records), and the new album is released just now. After “Kowtow to an Idiot” (2000), “Today I Forgot To Complain” (2003) and “Insert Parallel Universe” (2006), “The Beginner” [2010] is number four.

For the last seven years Zea has been playing all over the world, including 3 times USA, 5 times Russia, Canada, 10 times UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Balkan, Scandinavia. Zea also played many festivals like Moers (D) and Printemps de Bourges (F), Lowlands (NL), CMJ, SXSW (USA). In 2008 and 2009 Zea played 11 concerts in Ethiopia and one in Accra (Ghana). In 2010 Zea will tour in Russia, France, Spain, on the Balkan and in the UK. Since 2009 Arnold de Boer is also the new singer and guitarist of The Ex.

Press quotes:
Incendiary Mag: 
"The Beginner is an incredible record. Oh it's incredibly bonkers, that's for sure, but it's so bloody energetic, so bull headed and so schizophrenic in its approach to crafting a tune that you simply can't fail to be impressed by it. This is what happens when you give a troubled youth recording equipment. The results are astonishing."

Kerrang:
“Like They Might Be Giants jamming with the Ramones or Pink Floyd headlining a punk convention,

Playlouder “Single Of The Week”:
Sounds like They Might Be Giants after they've fallen on their heads. Superb, and a worthy winner."

LOGO magazine:
“Zea sounds like he’s been visited by the Gary Numan-obsessed ghost of At The Drive-In. A brightly hued collage of electro, glitch-pop and heavily compressed guitars, the image of Stephen Malkmus reborn as an angry wasp trapped under a beer glass is one that won't abate. Here sits two very good arguments for legalising drug use."

Losing Today:
“Clearly a man of wild imagination and restless spirit, Zeas punk ethic proves the bedrock to this collection of tracks and to his career to date. Wonderfully bonkers.”

The late John Peel played Zea songs on BBC Radio One and BBC Worldservice.
In October 2006 Zea recorded a live session for BBC Radio One program One Music.