Zomby – Dedication, Nothing
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| Artist | Zomby |
| Title | 1-5: Dedication, 6-15: Nothing |
| Label | 4AD |
| Year | 2011 |
| Design | Uncredited |
| Music | Mortal |
| Notes | I’m firmly convinced of Zomby’s brilliance. Where Were U in ’92?, a thrilling record apparently thrown up by one of 4hero’s wrinkles in time undermined received ideas of (logical) progression. Its successor, this year’s Dedication was a deeply felt reflection upon mortality, apparently prompted by the loss of a person close to Zomby – both the album and its companion EP Nothing bear the text “Dedicated to BDM 11.11.46 – 25.06.10”. The grief at the heart of Dedication’s 16 tracks is ultimately elegiacal while the structures through which that melancholy is expressed make ridiculous any discussion of the album solely in terms of the utilitarian functionality of dance music. Although this prompts reference to Burial, this listener is more moved to think of Borges’ compressed fictions, De Chirico’s symbolism or Warhol’s death and disaster paintings.Black and white are the (non) colours used by the uncredited designer for these two releases. Dedication bears no images except the broken heart on the compact disc itself. It has two distinct faces, the front which displays the titles, dedication, etc and the reverse which is entirely blank. Nothing opts for blank, but embossed faces. The white label, dance music’s prime coin, is enlarged to become the entire object. The white of heaven or nothingness? Perhaps one and the same. |
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