NEWS

Continuing the tradition of a secret Christmas track at the end of every University of the King record, we made this for that foetal hip-hop philosophy long player Zang Hibidy. Not a very Christmassy album in feel - true - but the nativity story is one rich field of foetal philosophy.

One review of that album stated "the vocals annoy throughout." Some people just didn't get it. Here it is...

2541 days ago to this day, The Visitors by The Custodians was released. Joel the Custodian takes us on a Nativiteous - definitely a word - adventure with some beautiful additional vocals from Selina Blakeney.

Go and grab it now

Here is the third Christmas song in Zang's advent calenderof 2012.

It's the secret track on University of the King's ground breaking 2002 long player Look Out for Germs. Rob was super keen to do this one in a real Nat King Cole voice, and we all ended up a little bit disappointed at missing the mark so badly. I guess either you're Nat King Cole, or you're not Nat King Cole, and we weren't Nat King Cole. Still, it's alright.

So here it is: Merry Chritmas to You...

This track sort of slipped under the radar back in 2010. Mainly because it only got concieved, written and recorded on the 20th December.

Selina Blakeney - on her way back from the laundrette - slipped over on the festive ice and was inspired to write this track.

So, for day 2 of the Zang Advent Calendar we have A Christmas Tale by Selina Blakeney

This will be the last ever Zang Christmas, and so the Zang family will be counting down to the day of the Saviour's birth (or the day we celebrate it over here anyway), with 25 of Zang's favourite Christmas songs from the last decade.

Today, the 1st of December, we bring you Sleigh Ride - a record from University of King, way back in 2004. I, for one had had this song in my mind for some time. It's got a great family feeling to it. Some beautiful extra vocals on there from Selina Blakeney (who was rescuing a lot of UotK work from nightmarish atonality at that time), and listen out for the solo at 2:20... It's quite something.

Benjamin Blower

This Wednesday – thats oct 31st, Halloween – The Army of the Broken Hearted will be shooting a music video on the Number 50 bus in Birmingham… Anybody’s welcome. We’ll meet outside the Hare and Hounds on Kings Heath High Street at 7.45pm You’ll need £3.80 for a daysaver ticket.

We’ll be playing the songs Ride That Beast and Not Going to Buy it. You can shout along on the choruses (they’re not complicated…), and you can also bring a percussion instrument if you like. You can listen to the songs here and get familiarised.

Be aware, the video will be a big diss to the tabloid press’ empire of misogyny, and it’ll be affiliated with the no more page three campaign.

See you there.

BB

The fourth album by Benjamin Blower is out now. This concept album is rooted in history, the rise and fall of empires and the fragility of peoples. Available at the usual outlets in mp3 format. Hard copies available at the online store...

Watch this space for a series of live shows in collaboration with fire-icon painter Michael Gilbert. More soon...

BOOM! We have slashed the prices of the Zang Back Catalogue.

Make your way to the Zang Online Store to complete your Zang CD collection!

Shocking news: after a decade of beautiful music, juvenile trickery, impassioned social criticism, and playful philosophical enquiry, the Zang Productions label will, at the end of 2012 cease to be.

The intensity of the Zang spirit has been a force of nature in its own time and way, but it has been agreed by the founders that that the story needs to end in the fashion of a good book, and not continue indefinitely like bad Australian television.

The last three months of 2012 will be fairly packed with releases, free downloads, and some nostalgic reminiscence. So stay by the bedside of a dying label if you want to hear some good stories…

Mr. Z

We have a new track from Barrowclough, produced by Re:Flex The Architect.

Have a listen in the Free Downloads section.