ABOUT
Indianapolis-based Zach Frizzell is the man behind the prolific zakè project, whose warm drones and analog textures have yielded dozens of albums – both solo and collaborative – across a broad spectrum of atmospheres and tonalities. He is also the founder of Past Inside the Present, a renowned record label and artistic collective “in search of the world’s most inventive and engaging quiet music”, as well as its sister imprints, Zakè Drone Recordings and Healing Sound Propagandist.
From the sweeping, melancholy resonances of his Orchestral Tape Studies series, to the slow swells that typify his work with kindred souls like marine eyes, City of Dawn, and Tyresta, Frizzell creates a distinct sonic environment with every effort, unifying them with a balance of classical training and adventurous experimentation. Among his catalog, there are striking contrasts: Remembrance (2022) is unique for its brevity and sunrise gentleness, while Veta (2024) patiently unfolds with the ominous loom of an approaching squall, and the travelog Carolina (2021) nests its open-sky drift in a set of evocative, naturalistic field recordings. These variations highlight the influence of intuition on his compositional process, as each mood is established by the careful addition and subtraction of layers to achieve an organic flow.
When forging musical alliances, Frizzell consistently unveils different dimensions of the zakè universe, bringing his artillery of analog synths and tape manipulations to new sonic territories. His list of partnerships is a who’s-who of modern ambient, including ASC, Benoit Pioulard, bvdub, Lucy Gooch, James Bernard, Drum & Lace, Markus Guentner, Rafael Anton Irisarri, Chihei Hatakeyama, Jonas Munk, and many more. He views each record as a means of processing lived experience, and as a marker of time; this is perhaps best exemplified by Silentium (2024), an anthology of 21 collaborative pieces created during a protracted period of recovery, and an attempt to wrest meaningful connection from lonesome uncertainty.
His two albums with 36, Stasis Sounds for Long-Distance Space Travel I and II (2020/2022), found a sweet spot with listeners, garnering millions of streams, thousands of physical sales, and widespread praise. Complex Distractions called them “sonic bliss”, while Igloo Magazine delighted in their “spatial transmissions, awash with billowing tones”. Frizzell’s discography has further been lauded as “a realm of boundless beauty” (Bandcamp Daily) and “thoughtfully immersive” (Headphone Commute), occupying a timeless, formless space that is equally suited to both focus and disengagement.
In addition to his own labels, Frizzell has partnered with a stable of acclaimed imprints, including Azure Vista, Affin LTD, quiet details, Polar Seas, Dunk!Records, Florina Cassettes, and others. UK stalwart Sonic Cathedral is the home of Dawn Chorus and the Infallible Sea, his acclaimed trio with Marc Ertel and Damien Duque. Their 2024 album Reveries conjures an enigmatic, pastel haze that the artists lovingly deem dronegaze, and has drawn considerable praise from critics and followers alike.
Despite the intensely personal nature of his recorded work – and of deep listening music in general – Frizzell is a benevolent and community-minded curator. From his headquarters in the American Midwest, he has developed a roster of creative peers from as far away as England, Sweden, Japan, and China, all in pursuit of a new standard for modern experimental artistry. Since 2018, Past Inside the Present, Zakè Drone Recordings, and Healing Sound Propagandist have issued landmark albums from established voices like bvdub, Purl, Hakobune, Pausal, Slow Dancing Society, and Warmth, while also fostering a new generation of innovators like T.R. Jordan, Cat Tyson Hughes, From Overseas, and Christina Giannone. The three labels have earned a reputation for equitable, artist-led operation and aesthetically rich output, honoring posterity over profit, and blurring the ephemeral with the eternal.
From the sweeping, melancholy resonances of his Orchestral Tape Studies series, to the slow swells that typify his work with kindred souls like marine eyes, City of Dawn, and Tyresta, Frizzell creates a distinct sonic environment with every effort, unifying them with a balance of classical training and adventurous experimentation. Among his catalog, there are striking contrasts: Remembrance (2022) is unique for its brevity and sunrise gentleness, while Veta (2024) patiently unfolds with the ominous loom of an approaching squall, and the travelog Carolina (2021) nests its open-sky drift in a set of evocative, naturalistic field recordings. These variations highlight the influence of intuition on his compositional process, as each mood is established by the careful addition and subtraction of layers to achieve an organic flow.
When forging musical alliances, Frizzell consistently unveils different dimensions of the zakè universe, bringing his artillery of analog synths and tape manipulations to new sonic territories. His list of partnerships is a who’s-who of modern ambient, including ASC, Benoit Pioulard, bvdub, Lucy Gooch, James Bernard, Drum & Lace, Markus Guentner, Rafael Anton Irisarri, Chihei Hatakeyama, Jonas Munk, and many more. He views each record as a means of processing lived experience, and as a marker of time; this is perhaps best exemplified by Silentium (2024), an anthology of 21 collaborative pieces created during a protracted period of recovery, and an attempt to wrest meaningful connection from lonesome uncertainty.
His two albums with 36, Stasis Sounds for Long-Distance Space Travel I and II (2020/2022), found a sweet spot with listeners, garnering millions of streams, thousands of physical sales, and widespread praise. Complex Distractions called them “sonic bliss”, while Igloo Magazine delighted in their “spatial transmissions, awash with billowing tones”. Frizzell’s discography has further been lauded as “a realm of boundless beauty” (Bandcamp Daily) and “thoughtfully immersive” (Headphone Commute), occupying a timeless, formless space that is equally suited to both focus and disengagement.
In addition to his own labels, Frizzell has partnered with a stable of acclaimed imprints, including Azure Vista, Affin LTD, quiet details, Polar Seas, Dunk!Records, Florina Cassettes, and others. UK stalwart Sonic Cathedral is the home of Dawn Chorus and the Infallible Sea, his acclaimed trio with Marc Ertel and Damien Duque. Their 2024 album Reveries conjures an enigmatic, pastel haze that the artists lovingly deem dronegaze, and has drawn considerable praise from critics and followers alike.
Despite the intensely personal nature of his recorded work – and of deep listening music in general – Frizzell is a benevolent and community-minded curator. From his headquarters in the American Midwest, he has developed a roster of creative peers from as far away as England, Sweden, Japan, and China, all in pursuit of a new standard for modern experimental artistry. Since 2018, Past Inside the Present, Zakè Drone Recordings, and Healing Sound Propagandist have issued landmark albums from established voices like bvdub, Purl, Hakobune, Pausal, Slow Dancing Society, and Warmth, while also fostering a new generation of innovators like T.R. Jordan, Cat Tyson Hughes, From Overseas, and Christina Giannone. The three labels have earned a reputation for equitable, artist-led operation and aesthetically rich output, honoring posterity over profit, and blurring the ephemeral with the eternal.
Appearances & Collaborations
Compilation appearances include: Kompakt's Pop Ambient Series, Polar Seas, Stereoscenic, Headphone Commute, Imaginary North, Deep Breakfast Series, Mailbox, Elm Records, El Muelle Records, Tiny Drones for Lovers, and Giraffe Tapes and others.
zakè has collaborated/worked with these prominent ambient artists: 36, The Sight Below, Benoit Pioulard, bvdub, ASC, Warmth, Innesti, Tyresta, Isaac Helsen, marine eyes, awakened souls, Rafael Anton Irisarri, T.R Jordan, Patricia Wolf, Ossa, City of Dawn, Slow Dancing Society, Black Swan, Grandbruit, Christina Giannone, From Overseas, Wayne Robert Thomas, Ai Yamamoto, worriedaboutsatan, Poemme, Hotel Neon, Andrew J Klimek, Pausal, Polar Moon, Lucy Gooch, Low Howl, James Bernard, Joachim Spieth, Black Brunswicker, Matthew Prokop, Akkad The Orphic Priest, Marc Ertel, Markus Guentner, Color of Time, Jonas Munk, Cat Tyson Hughes, Robert Farrugia, Belly Full of Stars, anthéne, Georgeson, Keep The Orange Sun, Fax, Coppice Halifax, Aural Imbalance and others.
zakè has appeared on compilations with Ryuichi Sakamoto, Claire Deak, Emilie Levienaise, Rachel Grimes, Aisha Burns, Sachi Kobayashi, Anna Phoebe, Julianna Barwick, Simon Scott, Olivia Belli, Hollie Kenniff, Goldmund, Heather Woods Broderick, Rose Riebl, Helios, Taylor Deupree, Andrew Tasselmyer, r beny, Stephen Vitiello, Corey Fuller, Bruno Sanfilippo, SVLBRD, Sven Laux, Shuta Hiraki, Pepo Galán, Karen Vogt, Carlos Ferreira, Ausklang, Amble, wøunds, Ecovillage, Olan Mill, Hilyard, Purl, Good Weather for an Airstrike, Scott Campbell, Slow Clinic, KMRU, Stijn Hüwels, Halftribe, Innesti, and others.
zakè has collaborated/worked with these prominent ambient artists: 36, The Sight Below, Benoit Pioulard, bvdub, ASC, Warmth, Innesti, Tyresta, Isaac Helsen, marine eyes, awakened souls, Rafael Anton Irisarri, T.R Jordan, Patricia Wolf, Ossa, City of Dawn, Slow Dancing Society, Black Swan, Grandbruit, Christina Giannone, From Overseas, Wayne Robert Thomas, Ai Yamamoto, worriedaboutsatan, Poemme, Hotel Neon, Andrew J Klimek, Pausal, Polar Moon, Lucy Gooch, Low Howl, James Bernard, Joachim Spieth, Black Brunswicker, Matthew Prokop, Akkad The Orphic Priest, Marc Ertel, Markus Guentner, Color of Time, Jonas Munk, Cat Tyson Hughes, Robert Farrugia, Belly Full of Stars, anthéne, Georgeson, Keep The Orange Sun, Fax, Coppice Halifax, Aural Imbalance and others.
zakè has appeared on compilations with Ryuichi Sakamoto, Claire Deak, Emilie Levienaise, Rachel Grimes, Aisha Burns, Sachi Kobayashi, Anna Phoebe, Julianna Barwick, Simon Scott, Olivia Belli, Hollie Kenniff, Goldmund, Heather Woods Broderick, Rose Riebl, Helios, Taylor Deupree, Andrew Tasselmyer, r beny, Stephen Vitiello, Corey Fuller, Bruno Sanfilippo, SVLBRD, Sven Laux, Shuta Hiraki, Pepo Galán, Karen Vogt, Carlos Ferreira, Ausklang, Amble, wøunds, Ecovillage, Olan Mill, Hilyard, Purl, Good Weather for an Airstrike, Scott Campbell, Slow Clinic, KMRU, Stijn Hüwels, Halftribe, Innesti, and others.
Kind Words
“Thoughtful ambient music, right when many of us need it most.”
Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork
‘Towering immersive minimal drone ambience’
Jon Hillcock, BBC Sounds
“Perfect listening at low volume, zakè’s output serve as a perfect escapist tool from our current surreal predicament.”
Headphone Commute
“Perfect calm listening, the antidote to fear in these troubled times.”
pinpod, Quiet Space
“zakè’s music represents a personal longing for others to feel content with switching off, for self-reflection and stillness.”
Ari Delaney, Bandcamp, Inc.
“zakè‘s music evolves slowly, like water gently trickling from a glacier, drawing the listener in to get lost in its subtly epic scope.”
All Things Loud
“If you are a fan of the purer form of drone music, then zakè will be right up your alley.”
Drifting, Almost Falling
“Thoughtful and immersive ambient of exceptionally high quality.”
Headphone Commute
"Warm, calm, slow music that encourages you to “settle in, open up, and let the experience unfold."
ambientblog.net
"The most gorgeous, gossamer ambient music, breathy and sparkling."
Norman Records
"Over the past decade under the zakè moniker, Indianapolis experimentalist, Zach Frizzell, has been responsible for some of the most delicately produced ambient compositions. His production rivals some of the best ambient composition out there today."
Simon Kirk, Sun 13
Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork
‘Towering immersive minimal drone ambience’
Jon Hillcock, BBC Sounds
“Perfect listening at low volume, zakè’s output serve as a perfect escapist tool from our current surreal predicament.”
Headphone Commute
“Perfect calm listening, the antidote to fear in these troubled times.”
pinpod, Quiet Space
“zakè’s music represents a personal longing for others to feel content with switching off, for self-reflection and stillness.”
Ari Delaney, Bandcamp, Inc.
“zakè‘s music evolves slowly, like water gently trickling from a glacier, drawing the listener in to get lost in its subtly epic scope.”
All Things Loud
“If you are a fan of the purer form of drone music, then zakè will be right up your alley.”
Drifting, Almost Falling
“Thoughtful and immersive ambient of exceptionally high quality.”
Headphone Commute
"Warm, calm, slow music that encourages you to “settle in, open up, and let the experience unfold."
ambientblog.net
"The most gorgeous, gossamer ambient music, breathy and sparkling."
Norman Records
"Over the past decade under the zakè moniker, Indianapolis experimentalist, Zach Frizzell, has been responsible for some of the most delicately produced ambient compositions. His production rivals some of the best ambient composition out there today."
Simon Kirk, Sun 13
FEATURES
zakè has been featured in: Electronic Sound Magazine, Pitchfork, BBC Sounds, All Music, Stationary Travels, Soho Radio, BBC Radio 6, The Quietus, Sun 13, First Floor, Discipline Mag, All Things Loud, A Closer Listen, Moonbuilding, No Place Like Drone, Optimistic Underground, Quiet Space, ambientblog.net, Headphone Commute, Complex Distractions, Igloo Magazine, Drifting Almost Falling, Bandcamp 'Best New Ambient', Sound Propositions, Rivulets & Reveries, E-Lodie Radio 100,7, Soundsvegan.com, Cardmomchai, Foxy Digitalis, Cerberus, Tone Harvest, Sound as Language, The Slow Music Movement, Ambient Music Guide, Toneshift, Record Crates United, Tape of the Week, Jounreyscapes, Deepest Currents, Ambient Zone, Joyful Union, Ondarock, and others.
