V/Z meaning Valentina and Zongamin, said with the same gravity as Sly and Robbie. V/Z, the enigmatic rhythm section behind psychedelic pop stars Vanishing Twin and live dub killers Holy Tongue. This project- more or less under their own names- sounds like a perfect midpoint in their work this far. They fully explore their skills as multi-instrumentalist and their chemistry as longtime band mates.

The album is a heady blend of post-punk and dub with elements of electronic, psych, trip hop and dream pop. Mostly instrumental with some great samples and features. In this way it’s got a little bit of everything that they’re each known for. As distinctly UK as Dean Blunt or PiL or Beth Orton, Suono Assente is an instant classic that fits natively in the UK experimental pantheon. This is a cleanly played, smartly produced and quietly emotive record that I still spin often. Suono Assente is a great listen and an essential piece of V/Zs growing collective contribution to modern music.