Z² Explained

Z²
Type:studio
Artist:Devin Townsend
and Devin Townsend Project
Cover:Devin Townsend Z2 cover.jpg
Recorded:May 2014
Genre:
Label:HevyDevy
Producer:Devin Townsend
Chronology:Devin Townsend
Prev Title:Casualties of Cool
Prev Year:2014
Next Title:Transcendence
Next Year:2016

Z² (short for Ziltoid 2; pronounced "zed squared" or alternatively "zee two"[1]) is a double album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend and his musical project Devin Townsend Project,[2] released on October 27, 2014.[3] It consists of two albums released together: the sixth album in the Devin Townsend Project series, the rock-oriented Sky Blue, and Dark Matters, a solo metal concept album acting as a sequel to Townsend's 2007 album Ziltoid the Omniscient.[4] The main theme of Dark Matters is, according to Townsend, "Ziltoid against the world".

Background

Z² has been a long-running project, with Townsend announcing it in 2009.[5] Later he stated that he "may have just written the heaviest thing he's ever done" for the album.[6] Townsend also mentioned there is a surprising lack of Ziltoid himself appearing on the album, and that it "will be interesting to see how it all pans out". The project took its first steps on August 24, 2013, when a London-based radio station TeamRock Radio aired the first one-hour episode of Ziltoid Radio, a satirical radio show hosted solely by Ziltoid.[7] Later, Townsend stated that "Z Radio is just one little element of the Z² project".[8] After several Ziltoid Radio episodes aired, Townsend said he found the project hard to schedule and work with amidst touring and writing,[9] [10] because he doesn't want to just "phone it in", and "it takes a lot of effort" to keep the content with tongue-in-cheek humour entertaining.[11] [12] A total of seven Ziltoid Radio episodes aired between August 2013 and January 2014, and since then there has been no discussion or activity considering the series or its affiliation with the Z² project. The episodes have since been removed from TeamRock Radio's website. Townsend published a series of online videos involving Ziltoid in a series titled ZTV.

In October 2013, Townsend said that he had "more ideas than time", but that it was "almost time to start demoing" the album.[13] Later Townsend stated that since June 2013 he had written ideas for over 70 songs,[14] and revealed that the album was "taking shape".[15] Townsend also stated he was going to finish the whole project in two years.[16] In February 2014, Townsend announced the recording process of Z² started on May 2, 2014, in Los Angeles,[17] and also revealed that the project will include the Ziltoid TV program and a live show, with a "big graphic novel comic" and a documentary. On February 26, 2014, Townsend posted that Z² will be a double album, with disc one being the main album and disc two featuring Devin Townsend Project material.[18] According to Townsend, the album's theme will be "Ziltoid against the world". Townsend revealed his intention of adding audience-participated choir tracks on both discs.[19]

The Z² show took place at the Royal Albert Hall on April 13, 2015, after which Townsend stated his intent to take at least a year-long hiatus from recording and touring.[20] [21] [22] However, by February 2016, work had begun on the next DTP record, Transcendence.[23] Z² won the Juno Award for Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year at the 2015 Juno Awards.[24]

Release

Z² is released in three different editions. The basic jewel case edition includes both albums on CD. The limited digipak edition features expanded artwork, both albums on CD and a bonus CD featuring Dark Matters without its dialogue. The vinyl edition features a double gatefold package in a slipcase, including the two albums on four records. The vinyl edition also includes both albums on CD.[25] The Japanese limited edition of the album features a "Loud Park" concert on a bonus DVD, recorded in Saitama, Japan, in October 2013.[26]

Track listing

Disc 3 (Collector Edition only): Dark Matters – Raw (Dialogue free)

Do note that the original tenth track "Through the Wormhole" has been removed entirely on the raw version, likely because it almost only consists of dialogue.

Sample and influential credits

Personnel

Production

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Z2 Album Teaser . .
  2. Web site: Devin Townsend unveils track listing for 'Ziltoid 2'. April 16, 2014. April 27, 2014. Alex. May. Rockadia.com. October 6, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141006102117/http://www.rockadia.com/news/devin-townsend-unveils-track-listing-for-ziltoid-2/2583. dead.
  3. 496767123004616705. centurymedia. .@thisismonuments heading out this fall with @dvntownsend and @AnimalAsLeader on the Abstract Reality tour! . August 6, 2014. August 5, 2014.
  4. 497219080886439936. dvntownsend. Oh, and the DTP album is called 'Sky Blue' while the Ziltoid disk is called 'Dark Matters' . August 7, 2014.
  5. Web site: Ziltoid Part 2... Z2. MetalSucks. November 17, 2009. September 9, 2014.
  6. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/258081924592062464 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  7. Web site: Devin Townsend's Ziltoid gets TeamRock Radio show . TeamRock Radio . August 21, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130824233055/http://www.teamrockradio.com/news/devin-townsends-ziltoid-gets-teamrock-radio-show . August 24, 2013 .
  8. Web site: Devin Townsend's TeamRock Radio show is part of the Z2 project . TeamRock Radio . August 21, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130830005951/http://www.teamrockradio.com/news/devin-townsends-teamrock-radio-show-is-part-of-z2-project . August 30, 2013 .
  9. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/394248886266511360 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  10. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/395642612427661313 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  11. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/394249087588900864 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  12. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/395644912516874240 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  13. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/393101142021775361 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  14. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/417565848983699456 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  15. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/417566755960012800 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  16. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/364761687708008448 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  17. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/433937161398673409 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  18. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/438912576554934273 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  19. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/438912776006668288 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  20. Web site: Devin Townsend interview with TotalRock @Sonisphere 2014. July 8, 2014. September 9, 2014. YouTube.
  21. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/497215176353906688 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  22. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/486292942441562113 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  23. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/695649574476623872 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  24. http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/devin-townsend-wins-juno-award-in-metalhard-music-album-of-the-year-category/ BLABBERMOUTH.net
  25. Web site: Devin Townsend – Z2. Record Shop X. September 9, 2014.
  26. Web site: Devin Townsend – Z2 [w/ DVD, Limited Edition]]. CDJapan. September 28, 2014.
  27. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/525948899182145536 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  28. Z² liner notes
  29. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/526073998396772353 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  30. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/526015083269193728 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  31. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/524191138920402944 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  32. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/527482854377533440 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  33. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/526531246487515137 Devin Townsend's Twitter
  34. https://twitter.com/dvntownsend/status/529687785104756736 Devin Townsend's Twitter

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Z²".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.