“Spirituality and futurism are two major themes in the band’s music,” explains lead singer and keyboardist Thom O’Leary. “I [have] also always been somewhat a Japanophile. Although a lot of the band’s lyrical content delves into some very dark themes, the music is not exclusively dark. I wanted a name that wouldn’t pigeonhole the band as only being a dark act.”
Certainly, Zen Robotic are nothing if not unclassifiable. Pulling in an array of different sounds, tones and themes, the acclaimed group blur genres at will, and explaining their sound is the kind of impossible task even O’Leary struggles with. “We’re electronic but we’re not a dance act. The band’s synth driven [sound] is written with the intention of getting people to physically be compelled to move. But the songs are always centred around my meaningful, emotive lyrics. Our music tends to move people emotionally more than it does physically.”
That contrast makes itself known in their music too. A Zen Robotic song doesn’t necessarily fall into a binary division between happy and sad, or angry and joyous, and some of their most danceable, frenetic songs are accompanied by stunningly soul-searching lyrics. “Sunlight is a song that deals with coming from mental and emotional darkness and wanting to go towards the metaphorical light and warmth. A lot of our music deals with polarities.
“Chimera is a song that’s primarily about being non-binary; about not identifying as male or female but rather, being somewhere in between those polarities. It’s also about not fitting comfortably into any of the other boxes that society has constructed.”
If that all sounds somewhat reminiscent of the kind of dark, heartfelt poetry spat out by such masters as Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave, that’s because O’Leary namechecks both as primary influences, along with an eclectic range of other similarly diverse gamechangers. “Because our music is so lyrically driven we’re inspired by great musical poets such as Cohen and Cave just as much as we’re inspired by other synth driven acts such as Depeche Mode and New Order. Some other major influences are David Bowie, Moby, The Naked And Famous and INXS.”
Not that Zen Robotic is O’Leary’s only focus. A true musical polymath, O’Leary has also expanded the limits of personal artistic goals to encompass other varieties and styles of electronic music. “As well as being the driving force behind Zen Robotic, I also founded and run a group called the Non-DJ Electronic Musicians of Melbourne.
“On Saturday June 3, the group will be holding their seventh showcase event. It will be a special ‘dark’ electronic showcase that will also feature Snuff, who are NSW natives travelling down for the event, Death Of Art, who are darlings of Melbourne’s goth community and also 0F.digital, Xenosine, Synthicide and Siphonophore.”
One might assume that so many disparate projects might wear O’Leary out, or have an effect on the quality of Zen Robotic’s sound. But quite the opposite is the case. The group have only strengthened and solidified over their time together, gradually becoming one of Melbourne’s most peculiar and impressive live experiences. There is something that happens at a Zen Robotic show: something transformative, a power that turns the audience from mere spectators into clandestine co-conspirators, cogs in the greater machine of the group’s dark sound.
Given that all-embracing artistic generosity, it’s perhaps unsurprising that despite being suitably ambitious, the band’s most pressing goal is to treat their fans well, and to enhance themselves through their sound.
“We’d love for our music to reach as many people as possible and we want to promote our music internationally and tour overseas in order to reach our goals. But the most important thing is always the enjoyment that comes from putting our hearts and souls into the music itself and always striving to put on memorable live performances for our fans.”
