Abazaba with Eugene Hütz – “Isolation” (Joy Division cover)

Absolutely the energy that the New Year needs. The first single from NY Taishogoto quintet, Abazaba re-frames the instrument as an engine of angst. I’ve mostly been familiar with the Japanese zither in its original context as a folk set piece or from Bill Nace as a conduit of noise but here the instrument mirrors the fury of guitars, bass, and synth. The quintet enlists Gogol Bordello’s Eugene Hütz on vocals for a cover of Joy Division’s “Isolation,” thrashing through the cut with the kind of fire it deserves. The original Closer standout relies on keys as its engine but with Steve Shelley pushing the pace on the drum kit and a thick wall of fuzz lacquered onto the group’s Taishogoto torrent, this growling take stands out as one of the more dynamic covers. The cut is out now on limited lathe cut 7” from Vampire Blues.

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