ZIMBRU

ZIMBRU rose from the ashes of a former household name, Lights Out — deemed to be a remarkable pillar of the Romanian underground scene. The transition came four years later, as three out of the four members quietly but dramatically dropped their guitars for unapologetical orchestral synths that grew into the vibrant and colourful tracks that now define ZIMBRU’s sound.

As the year of their inception (2019) wrapped up, ZIMBRU had sold out several venues, ticked the boxes of all notable Romanian festivals (Summer Well, Electric Castle, Untold etc.) and brought out into the world Little Creatures, a 4-track EP, locally recorded, produced and mixed at their own record label, Cirkular.

What they’ve been achieving these past couple of years can be considered a novelty in their homeland: the snappy exuberance of the percussion, buoyed up by the twitching rhythms of the guitars, proceeds hurriedly through the emotional brew brought on by the lead singer’s lyrical motifs. They tackle themes such as climate grief,gender anxiety, and lost lovers, keeping the songs personal and alive, without ever descending into malaise.

Drawing on stylistic elements from either Agnes Varda or Sergei Parajanov (specifically ‘The Color of the Pomegranates’), every visual iteration of their music serves to enhance the sense of communion by means of solitude delivered through their ecstatic and bittersweet soundscape. By dwelling in the realm of magical realism, ZIMBRU create a sound for moving bodies, as they turn docility and softness into strengths, rather than weaknesses.

Resisting the mass indie-rock takeover of the Romanian scene over the past 15 years like a breath of fresh air, ZIMBRU champion the honest search for connection in an increasingly fractured world for those who feel like they have been duped by late capitalism.