The unnerving sculpture by artist Tony Matelli that graces the cover of Inzinzac’s self-titled debut, a violent scene played out by hyper-realistic chimps, serves as a warning to potential listeners: The music inside will grab you by the throat, and has no intention of letting up.
The Philly trio will celebrate the release of the new disc tonight at Johnny Brenda’s, prior to a rare stateside set by Belgian avant-garde big-band, Flat Earth Society. Expect a ferocious blend of screeching jazz, razor-wire rock riffs and complex rhythmic maneuvers.
Inzinzac was formed as a quartet by guitarist/composer Alban Bailly in 2007 and named after the town in his native France, where his brother resides.
Initially conceived as a vehicle for his accordion playing, Bailly grew frustrated with the instrument, switched back to his primary axe, and trimmed the lineup to a trio with saxophonist Dan Scofield (of the quartet Shot x Shot) and drummer Eli Litwin (of metal project Intensus and uncategorizable ensemble Normal Love).
“[The music] became a lot more aggressive and corrosive,” Bailly says of the change. “There are some undeniable influences: heavy-rock music like The Melvins, free jazz like James Blood Ulmer, Ornette Coleman and James Chance, contemporary jazz and the rhythms of Bulgaria or Serbia.”
