J. Zunz is Mexican artist Lorena Quintanilla, formerly one half of Lorelle Meets The Obsolete, who will be releasing her new album Hibiscus on August 21. This week she has shared a new song and video from the forthcoming record called “Four Women and Darkness”. She explains the origin:
“‘Four Women And Darkness’ is a story from my grandmother’s childhood. She told me that once during wartime in México in the late 1920’s, she and her sisters were hidden by her grandmother in a little, cold secret room. She hid them there because the militia wanted to search the house. Soldiers used to look for women or girls to rape them or to kidnap them. My grandmother and her sisters stayed there in the dark room for hours until the soldiers left.”
All of that tension and fear is compacted into J. Zunz’s imposing production. “Four Women and Darkness” features Quintanalla’s voice, but the words are hard to make out, almost as if she’s whispering within the pitch black of the secret room – she might be a few feet away, or a few millimeters, but the pure shivering fear makes it impossible to know. Synths wash above, while bass pulses below, like invisible pressure pushing in on the hiding bodies, and all you can do is stay still and let that mortal feeling course through you.
“Four Women and Darkness” is a purely impactful work, which is furthered by the video. J. Zunz says: “I asked four close friends of mine to express their own darkness. They all come from different cities and backgrounds. I instructed them with some movements remarking and reassuring the limits of our bodies, which for years have belonged to everyone but us.”
Watch the video below.
J. Zunz’s new album Hibiscus comes out on August 21 through Rocket Recordings. You can find her on Bandcamp, Facebook, and Instagram.
