''Stridulum'' is the sixth release and second EP by American singer-songwriter

Zola Jesus Nika Roza Danilova (born Nicole Rose Hummel; April 11, 1989), known professionally by her stage name Zola Jesus, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her music has been noted for combining elements of electronic, industrial, c ...

, released on March 9, 2010 by

Sacred Bones Records Sacred Bones Records is an American independent record label founded in 2007 and based in Brooklyn, New York. The label has released recordings from artists including Zola Jesus, David Lynch, John Carpenter, Blanck Mass, Crystal Stilts, Marissa ...

. It was expanded into the full-length album ''

Stridulum II ''Stridulum II'' is the second full-length studio album release (although it is considered her first in the UK) by the American singer-songwriter Zola Jesus, released by the German label Souterrain Transmissions on August 23, 2010. The album com ...

'', released later in 2010. In August 2017, the EP was reissued into an LP, which complies the EPs ''

Valusia ''Valusia'' is the fourth EP by American singer-songwriter Zola Jesus. It was released on October 15, 2010 on Sacred Bones Records Sacred Bones Records is an American independent record label founded in 2007 and based in Brooklyn, New York. ...

'' and ''Stridulum''.

History

With its more sophisticated sound, ''Stridulum'' was still self-recorded over two hurried weeks between college semesters in Danilova's bedroom, rushed so it could be released in time for the 2010

South by Southwest South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, ...

festival. No assistants were involved, except for friend Alex DeGroot who helped to record her vocals and mix the songs. "I would sit at my bed with my synths, make a beat and then layer and layer over it, then fall asleep right next to my synth and do it again the next morning", Zola Jesus said in an interview. In an interview with music blog Rock of the Arts she said: The EP's subject matter was described as 'macabre'; Danilova, who rejects the " goth" label, often uses themes of death and the

Apocalypse Apocalypse () is a literary genre in which a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a human intermediary. The means of mediation include dreams, visions and heavenly journeys, and they typically feature symbolic imager ...

. "I just really like that desperation that comes with the end of the world, and the aesthetics of everything being chaos, and everyone just running around in anarchy and crying and throwing up over each other", she commented.

Critical reception

Next to Zola Jesus' debut album, ''Stridulum'' was described as "an infinitely grander EP that rumbles in deference to

The Cure The Cure are an English rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith has remained the only constant member. The band's ...

's ''

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'' and suggests

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

or a moodier

Bat for Lashes Natasha Khan (born 25 October 1979), known professionally as Bat for Lashes, is an English singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. She has released five studio albums: '' Fur and Gold'' (2006), '' Two Suns'' (2009), '' The Ha ...

in its towering production".

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...

placed it at number 37 on its list "The Top 50 Albums of 2010".

Track listing

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stridulum Ep 2010 EPs Zola Jesus albums