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Described as “an exploratory journey into the physicality of deep bass, with a taste for the cinematic”, Come Closer is the debut album from electronic producer Zuke, aka synth wizard Ed Zuccollo. Come Closer is a kaleidoscope of sounds, textures, rhythms and moods, where elements of jungle, dubstep, downtempo, house, and environmental field recordings fuse together, creating a dynamic blend of melodic beauty and powerful bass.

“This album is a collection of tunes from the last 6 years that I felt went together in terms of a cosmic cinematic feel, density of layers, and journey-like forms.” - Zuke

The album opener, ‘Ice Bear’, highlights Zuke's signature style, featuring an epic, beatless intro that intensifies before delivering a powerful drop, where stuttered drum breaks collide with a deep bassline. The 10-minute title track ‘Come Closer’ explores Moog synth bass layered under a half-time house beat, transitioning into a second movement that spotlights Zuccollo’s musical prowess with an improvised Minimoog solo.

‘How We Met’ brings a classic downtempo vibe with lush ambient Rhodes chords and a hint of acid, while much of the album inhabits a genre-fluid space akin to electronic artists like Rival Consoles, Jon Hopkins, Max Cooper, and Djrum.

Tracks like ‘Hyperion’ and ‘Voyager’ allude to jungle and leftfield bass influences without fully settling into either genre. ‘Hazel Tales’ and ‘Xul’, inspired by 140 bpm UK bass, offer a richer melodic texture than traditional dubstep. ‘Pillars of Creation’ starts with a melodic motif but reaches beyond conventional boundaries. The album concludes on an evocative note with ‘Time’, an ambient piece featuring a lyrical melodic performance on the Minimoog.

The album showcases Zuke's full artistry, with meticulous attention to detail in composition, sound design, and artwork - the latter crafted through Zuccollo’s own photographic experiments with light and smoke.

Zuke’s debut album Come Closer, released on Loop Recordings Aot(ear)oa, features nine carefully selected tracks from an extensive archive of recordings. Expect more releases to follow in 2025 as Zuke continues to explore new sonic territories.