New Release by Zombie Records

Tired of the same old thing? Check out J. Wallace's new Indie-label, Zombie Records. Wallace came to Chicago in 2003 after serving several years in the military and has been furiously stirring up trouble ever since. Currently he is a freelance writer working on a variety of projects, but he hasn't let his day job slow him down. He just released two albums "Midnight Hallucinations" by Paisley Babylon, and "Zombie Records: Lo-Fi Classics Volume One". It is rumored that another album from Paisley Babylon is on the way.

"Midnight Hallucinations" by Paisley Babylon is a sensory experience. It is the kind of music more easily described in terms of its impact, than by its construction. Ostensibly it is ambient electronica, sometimes called trance music or sex music. But the listener will soon realize that this Zombie Records collection is more than a sum of its parts. Woven into it's fabric is a darkness that strokes the subconscious.

I have to admit when a friend of mine told me about Paisley Babylon at first I had my doubts. I'm not always enthusiastic about electronic music. Too many times it trades technology for depth. But from the first few minutes of this Zombie Records production I was drawn into the layers of "Midnight Hallucinations." Hidden amidst the synthesizers and dubbed whispers I found an eroticism that was always present, yet just beyond my grasp. It is this quality of Paisley Babylon that sets it apart from other works in this genre.

The journey to Paisley Babylon and Zombie Records began in the late 90's when Wallace went into a meditative trance and recorded about 30 minutes of music. This was later edited to become the track called "Soporific." "Midnight Hallucinations" is actually the second Paisley Babylon album, the first was "The Alpha Wave Variations" released in 1998 by Uncle Buzz Records. It received favorable reviews by several music journals of the time including "Last Sigh", "Outburn," and "Ptolemaic Terrascope".

Paisley Babylon has always been a solo project for J. Wallace, however during his years in the military he was a part of such musical groups as Opinion 8, and Toilet. These musical efforts can be heard on Zombie Record's other new release "Lo-Fi Classics Volume One". Admittedly the music on this album is more of an acquired taste, not unlike Mad Dog 20/20. Its certainly not delicate but if you are craving self brutalization it really hits the spot. The tracks "Psychedelic Beige Orangutans" and "Mail Room Massacre" are dangerously addictive, and not recommended for listeners with nervous disorders.

On a superficial level it seems that the music from "Lo-Fi Classics Volume One" and "Midnight Hallucinations" is not only from different people, but perhaps a different species of being. "Low-Fi Classics" is savage and undisciplined, while Paisley Babylon is seductive and skillfully crafted. But beneath both compilations there is the primal sex energy and biting wit that are the trademarks of Zombie Records.

Check out J. Wallace's blog ZombieProjectfor his latest projects and daily nuggets of Indie-music fun.

Learn more about Midnight Hallucinations by Paisley Babylon on iTunes by clicking here
or hear more Midnight Hallucinations by Paisley Babylon on Napster by clicking here.