Thalidomide Butterfly is the debut solo EP from Melbourne Producer Zu Sun. A uniquely organic yet askew collection of Electronic and Lo-Fi Hip Hop music. The synth heavy set of music’s uniqueness comes from its origins as live sessions from a one-of-a-kind modular sampler system. Set up in such a way that it can not ever reproduce the same tones and textures twice. The album was created as a therapeutic outlet to the craziness of the last year and celebrates the strangeness, change and dysfunction it has brought.

Zu Sun has been part of Melbourne’s Hip Hop scene for close to 20 years. Through his work as a graffiti artist, community event organiser & radio host. Always producing beats for underground Hip Hop acts in the background. Over the last ten years music has taken a back seat to a demanding career, organising and managing emergency care for traumatised young people. Being a first responder to kids escaping dark and dangerous situations is emotionally taxing and making music was the therapy used to counter act this. Rather than wallow in the negativity, the resulting music is a lush and beautiful arrangement that celebrates the joy in imperfection.

Modular synths are popular in Electronic music but rarely used for Hip Hop. Zu was drawn to the randomisation aspects and built a set up around granular samplers and effects. Once a sample is loaded its output can never be predicted or ‘played’, it is more a process of shaping and taming the resulting sound. This ensures unique sonic exploration. Each track is the result of rare down time jamming with effects and filters played live. The result is a warmly complex, constantly evolving soundscape.

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/17NvOpcw1hBBmB0xjU5yS2?si=d5r84Br4S7uv-0rsXU4yGQ

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