Meet the Band: Zora (vocals, keyboards, production, songwriting), Xhausen (synthesizer, production)
A Classical Case: Zora and Xhausen met three years ago by chance while attending at classical concert at Severance Hall. "We had no idea that we'd be writing music three years later," she says, adding that she describes the group's music as "dystopian" and "haunting psychedelic Goth."
On the Eve of Destruction: Zora says the themes on the new album, Metamorphosis, have to do with "the chaos and unpredictability of life. I think besides life's tragedies and struggles, what drives me is not just the tragedies themselves but my repression of it," she says. "When I was young, I suppressed a lot of emotions and I think this had a lasting effect on me. When expressing myself through music, I can let myself be both free and vulnerable. Outside forces that influence me are dystopian sci-fi films like Metropolis and Gattaca."
Why You Should Hear Them: Zora's whispery vocals recall Tori Amos on tunes such as "Alienation" and "Cybergalatic." A moody mix of electronic and organic instrumentation, the music sounds something like Portishead or Evanescence. "My lyrics tend to reflect my wandering and frantic state of mind — as well as my attraction towards fantasy and desire to find truth," says Zora. "Some of the lyrics are inspired by [author Aldous] Huxley and some, I've been told, are quite David Lynch-esque. I like the lyrical brilliance and passion of Tori Amos, the melodramatics of Muse, the edginess of Nine Inch Nails, and the experimentation of Björk. We try to inject some feeling into this artificial world."
Where You Can Hear Them: zoramusic.com
Where You Can See Them: Zora performs with Stolen Babies, New Year's Day, Lydia Can't Breathe and Otep at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11, at Peabody's.
