Frukt music editor Simon Singleton on Zapatilla's Crumbling Down EP.
Although a new name, Zapatilla’s already had a busy summer at various festivals, from All Points East to Lost Village, via Kendal Calling and Live At Leeds. His kaleidoscopic sound has the blueprint of minimal techno, with deep, hypnotic basslines and trippy percussive grooves, but it’s all wrapped up with a w eighty soundtrack feel with chilling pianos and stirring strings. Understated vocals hover like a ghostly narrator, and the y create elegance… until drums and synths drop you right back onto the dancefloor.
He’s already had support from BBC Radio 6 Music DJs Tom Ravenscroft and Gilles Peterson, who championed his percussive debut single Crumbling Down, while Mixmag awarded him a recent Big Tune. With new music coming soon, I’m tipping him to create quite a stir in 2019.
His bass-heavy, deep live show is a cut above identikit dance sets, with Zap decked out in a cloak and bouncing between instruments, from synths to finger pianos.
I’m really looking forward to hosting him at my Shake The High Road festival this week, I know it’s going to be a special show.
