Artist description Zruism--like dadaism and surrealism--is an art of the moment. The "ZRU" in Zru Vogue stands for "Zero Risk Unobtainable." Zru Vogue is avant-garde, experimental art music, sometimes in the form of ethereal pop songs, and sometimes in the form of eclectic instrumentals.

Music Style Avant-Garde Experimental Pop vs. Electronic-Acoustic Neo-Funk Rock

Musical Influences David Bowie, Talking Heads, Eno, Roxy Music, etc.

Similar Artists Peter Gabriel, Moby, Brian Eno, Moody Blues, Talking Heads, Pink Floyd

Artist History If you listened to college radio in the early 1980's, then you undoubtedly heard Zru Vogue. Several Zru Vogue songs received airplay, including Cumulonimbus (an instrumental track which NME dubbed a "neo-African avalanche"), The Dream Stops, and Do The Zru (pre-techno electronic trance funk). But the certifiable hit of its day was Nakweda Dream, a haunting, ethereal song with a lilting melody that Sub-Pop named the best independent single of 1981. The band consisted of Andrew Jackson (guitar, e-bow, bass, percussion, vocals), Rick Cuevas (bass, lead guitar, drums, keyboards, backing vocals), Tom Sanders a.k.a. Max Tyrell (bass, guitar, phonetic poetry), and Nancy Miller a.k.a. Zelda Blue (percussion, keyboards, backing vocals). Although the band was somewhat reclusive, preferring to play mysterious improvised music in candlelit living rooms late at night, they did get out occasionally to perform in San Francisco and popular Bay Area clubs. Zru Vogue performances were unconventional, incorporating performance art, dadaist poetry, and improvisation into the standard rock show format. During their first four years Zru Vogue released a 7-inch single ("Nakweda Dream / Cumulonimbus" in 1981), a full-length album ("Zru Vogue, The Album" in 1982), and a 3-song EP ("Zru Vogue Now!" in 1984). In 1982, the band became a duo with the departure of Max and Zelda, but by late 1983 there were again four Zruists with the addition of Lawan Angelique (vocals and percussion) and Barry Greenhut (keyboards). Zru Vogue played art galleries, nightclubs and art events in San Jose, Palo Alto, and San Francisco; some of these performances were entirely improvised, while others incorporated pre-recorded backing tapes mixed with live performance. In 1984, Andrew and Lawan were married, and the last true Zru Vogue performance took place on New Year's Eve 1985. After that, Andrew Jackson, Rick Cuevas, and Max Tyrell each recorded solo albums. In 1998, Andrew and Max recorded a Zru Vogue CD "long distance," trading tapes between Max's studio in the L.A. hills and Andrew's studio in Silicon Valley. They independently pressed the resulting music with the title: "Unlimited Enjoyment/Instant Gratification." Then in late 2001, Rick and Andy started playing music together again. The new songs, produced and recorded in 2002, are available right here on MP3.com/Zru ... And so, the spirit of Zruism lives on in the new millennium... stay tuned...

Group Members Andrew Jackson (vocals, guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, percussion, clarinet, sound design); Rick Cuevas (guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, drums, percussion, engineering); Max Tyrell (bass, guitars, vocals, drums, percussion, keyboards, programming); Lawan Angelique (keyboards, percussion, vocals); Zelda Blue (keyboards, percussion); Barry Greenhut (keyboards); Brian Sheridan (drums).

Albums The Album (1982); Zruism (1998); Unlimited Enjoyment Instant Gratification (1998)

Location Palo Alto, CA - USA

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