PREMIERE: Belfast indie/alternative act The Zang debuts new EP LOOPS

Tomorrow, June 17th, The Zang is set to drop his highly-anticipated, experimental new EP LOOPS.

Hot Press are delighted to exclusively premiere the quirky project below, which was entirely crafted by Belfast's idiosyncratic Chris Molloy in Zang Headquarters.

Coming a year on from the release of the Northern Irish multi-instrumentalist's acclaimed debut LP, The Point Of No Return, it’s a brilliant, curveball collection of four songs that underscore his genre-spanning craft.

LOOPS contains equal measures of love, joy, anger, fear, humour and instability in the four tracks. Across 11 minutes, it strives to create a cinematic universe, both otherworldly yet surprisingly familiar in its short span.

Opener 'SELLOVE' has a captivating, driving yet simple guitar riff anchoring the song. It has elements of Skinty Fia-era Fontaines D.C., with more of a DIY tempo.

'ALCOHOLIDAYS' picks up the pace, with twinkling synths and a plucky drum beat urging you to dance. There's plenty of distortion in the guitars, but soaring harmonies bringing you back to the core.

'CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANTS' is one of the more strange numbers, using unconventional sounds as part of the music - which focuses on the similarities between the two religions and communities.

Concluder 'OBJECTS OF DESIRE' is a down-tempo, soulful track that oozes alternative goodness. It's more spoken word than the rest of the EP, with Chris Molloy decrying "the garden of roses that you never smell, the paintings you never look at". It's about materialism and technology versus human need.

Born from using a looper pedal, it’s a release soaked in revolving ideas. Circumstances can change along with surroundings but there are elements that seem to keep surfacing and resurfacing. Reoccurring dreams, thought patterns, and habits (wholesome or otherwise) prove poignant examples.

Layered guitars and vocals allow the EP to become an immersive and hypnotic listen, if not a little bit unhinged in places.

There will be a celebration and launch night for the EP, which was recorded at Zang Headquarters, at Belfast’s Sunflower Bar and Live Music Venue on Saturday 18th June, 2022 at 8pm. Tickets here.

Listen to The Zang's LOOPS EP exclusively below.