The passing of NO ZU’s beloved vocalist Daphne Camf (also of GAY, Rat Vs Possum and SaD) in 2021 devastated Melbourne’s underground music community and plunged this band into silence.
Now the collective makes a welcome return with this intriguing five-track EP, named after their own self-identified genre and featuring Camf’s final recordings.
Opening lead single Liquid Love’s bass groove conjures Pressure On by Spandau Ballet and the unexpected “LI-QUID!” call-outs channel Freeze-Frame by The J. Geils Band. Mind Melt sounds like a loose Arabian shindig with occasional cowbell, rim clicks, brass blasts and a hotline-inspired outro: “Hello, I need help/ My mind is melting from my skull…” – call “1300 Heat Beat” at your own risk (see: closing track Phone Call Melt Down). A referee’s whistle and percussive, breathy “ha-ha-ha”s punctuate Cosmetic Beat, which lists cosmetic brands in deadpan fashion a coupla minutes in.
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There’s something Supernatural Amphitheatre-level wild about NO ZU (if you’ve been there, you know) and agile basslines weave a horny thread throughout. Yello and also Tom Tom Club (particularly Wordy Rappinghood) spring to mind – nothing is sonically out of bounds when it comes to NO ZU, which makes for a thrilling ride.
Surrender to these tunes and block out the world, ‘Fuck off, I’m dancing!’-style. You can’t not dance to Heat Beat.
Heat Beat released on November 18 via Chapter Records. Check it out by heading here.
