By Keith Walsh
Zia Starlust is a global project that might ruffle some tail feathers.
Led by Ian Smith, the Bowie-obsessed collective employs pornographic film actresses and others who vocalize over beats inspired by the music and public image of the legendary rocker. Smith says “I’ve been a David Bowie fan forever. We pattern our chameleon approach to albums after Bowie. He rarely made the same album twice. Of course, the Ziggy Stardust era and the Berlin Trilogy are huge influences on us.”
Among the sounds of Zia Stardust you’ll hear spot-on duplications of those found on Bowie’s albums, as the musical team riffs on “Fashion,” “Golden Years,” and “Speed Of Life.” Photos are an important part of the message as well: the clothing, makeup and hairstyles of Zia Starlust, as well as the nudity, entice even as they shock.
‘Holds A Mirror Up’
I asked about the secret sauce in the Bowie soundalikes. “I approached Nate (Bridges) with the idea of the Zia Starlust character as the ‘female Bowie’ and wanted to create something as a tribute to that sound,” Smith told me. “He suggested working with Wise Owl (Brandon Niznik) and the two helped create an authentic Bowie-fueled album.” More on Bridges and Niznik in a bit.
As radical as David Bowie seemed in the 70s, the musical art of Zia Starlust goes far beyond the social transgressions of the British rocker. As Smith explains: “Our music breaks from genre, with an evolving style, defying sexual norms. Our persona challenges the notion of art as didactic porn. The music holds a mirror up to lustful capitalist consumerism, sometimes even celebrating it without sanctimony. We want to gain recognition for creating music, artwork, and fashion, popularized by these sexual avant-garde performances.”
Zia Starlust is a global project seeking worldwide recognition. Smith’s located in San Francisco, Brandon Niznik is in Los Angeles, while Nate Bridges operates his studio in Nashville. It’s the mysterious vocalists who lend an international flavor to the project. As Smith tells me: “Our singers are from all around the world and send in their tracks remotely: Scotland, Germany, Columbia, Italy, Brazil and Denmark.”
Scottish model and vocalist Daisy Love appears in most of the publicity photos in addition to delivering vocals. Lilly El Rod, from Germany, performs vocals on the latest album, Zia Starlust And The Riders From Oz, and also appears in photos, as does Candy Crush, from Brazil. “Candy is like a sister,” says Smith. “She’s got a kind heart and a sexual energy that keeps us grounded – our resident porn star and girl next door. Every band should have one!”
If the images employed by Zia Starlust seem shocking, it’s both commentary and enticement. “The theatre of the mind is the most dangerous kind,” says Smith. “Both Daisy and Candy are adult performers — their sexual energy wraps our music in a unique skin, and does not apologize for being graphic and retrospective in style and sound.”
Smith is a multi-instrumentalist who got into computer-based music making with Logic Pro X and GarageBand, then partnered with Nate Bridges, of High Noon Audio, and his musical colleague, Brandon Niznik (Wise Owl). “The project began 4 years ago,” Smith says, “when I started playing around with loops and pre-recorded sounds. After taking 15 years off from playing music, this project started as kind of a lark. I found some great collaborators to work with and things have been progressing steadily ever since. I met Nate through his awesome Black Market Dub project on Bandcamp. His Bowie albums are amazing. He’s been a solid partner ever since and this time he brought in Brandon ‘Wise Owl’ for the new Bowie inspired album. A dream team for sure!”
Zia Starlust Band
Black Market Dub on Bandcamp
High Noon Audio
Nate Bridges Interview On Synthbeat.com
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