Zach Hill

Zach Hill
Zach Hill in 2012
Background information
Born	(1979-12-28) December 28, 1979
Genres	Experimental rock, noise rock, math rock, experimental hip hop, electronic
Occupations	Musician, drummer, visual artist, screenwriter, director
Instruments	Drums, vocals, sampler, guitar, bass guitar, piano, synthesizer, cornet, trumpet, melodica
Years active	1999–present
Labels	5 Rue Christine, Ache, Anticon, Deathbomb Arc, Epic, Ipecac, Joyful Noise, Kill Rock Stars, Narnack, Ormolycka, Overlap, Rodriguez Lopez, Rock Is Hell, Sargent House, Sick Room, Skin Graft, Sub Pop, Suicide Squeeze,Third Worlds, Toad
Associated acts	Bygones, Death Grips, Flössin, Goon Moon, Hella, Holy Smokes, Marnie Stern, Mick Barr, Omar Rodríguez-López, Spoek Mathambo

Zach Hill (born December 28, 1979)^[1] is an American drummer and visual artist.

Drumming style

One of Zach Hill's most defining characteristics as a drummer is his footwork, especially right foot double strokes on the bass drum. Additionally, his drum kit thus far has had generally very low-tuned tom-toms and floor-toms. His snare drum sound is often a contrasting highly tuned "crack" sound.

A unique aspect of Zach's style is his liberal use of unconventional sounding cymbals, often referred to as "trash" cymbals. His most commonly and characteristically used trash cymbal consists of broken cymbals (usually between 3 and 4) stacked on top of each other, mounted just to his right of his high tom. This setup produces a harsh sound similar to that of a China cymbal, but with much less sustain. This can be heard on almost every single Hella release. Part of the reason for his use of trashed and old equipment may be that he could not afford good gear in the first place and got used to it; "Ever since initially starting to play, I've always just played on beat-down shit, so in a way I'm most comfortable on stuff that's rickety or has personality."^[2]

Zach also utilizes complex time signatures and polyrhythms in his drumming. Zach has developed his approach to time signatures through playing, and goes by feeling a beat rather than writing it out or counting. As well as playing odd time signatures and polyrhythms, he played in a recognizable, yet more contemporary style with Team Sleep. When he was with Wavves and on Bygones "Spiritual Bankruptcy E.P." he displayed an intense hard core punk rock style that's a bit more straight forward than most of the other projects he's involved in.^{[citation needed]}

Another notable aspect of Hill's playing is that he is an extremely hard hitter. His equipment tends to wear down very fast due to the combination of the speed and power of his playing, which has been known to break lug casings and bend the top hoops of his drums from the sheer force of his playing. A testament to his relentless hard hitting rhythmic assaults is that he recently fractured his left hand during a band practice with Wavves. As a result of said mishap, he has taken a hiatus from the project.^{[citation needed]}

Art

In addition to music, Hill is also a visual artist. One of the most notable examples is his fully illustrated book Destroying Yourself is Too Accessible which included the Zach Hill and Holy Smokes album "Masculine Drugs" Released in 2004 on TNI books and Suicide Squeeze Records.

The Sacramento, California art space Fools Foundation ran an exhibition of Hill's art, titled "Poltergeist", from April 1 to April 29 in 2006. Parts of the exhibit are visible in the photos accompanying Hill's article in the August 2006 issue of Modern Drummer and on the Fools Foundation website.^[3]

Film

Hill was rumoured to be working on an original feature film. Death Grips would be involved with the soundtrack of the film.^[4]

Discography

Solo Releases

• Astrological Straits 2CD/2LP (August 12, 2008, Anticon/Ipecac)
• Face Tat CD/LP (October 19, 2010, Sargent House)
• Lil Scuzzy 10" (2011, Altamont Apparel) (as Xach Hill)

with Bygones

• by- CD/LP (August 4, 2009, Sargent House)
• Spiritual Bankruptcy Digital (February 16, 2010, Sargent House)

with Death Grips

Albums

• The Money Store CD/LP/Cassette (April 21, 2012, Epic)
• No Love Deep Web CD/LP (October 1, 2012, Third Worlds)
• Government Plates Digital (November 13, 2013, Third Worlds)

Mixtapes

• Exmilitary CD/LP/Cassette (April 25, 2011, Third Worlds/Ormolycka)

EPs

• Death Grips Digital (March 8, 2011, Third Worlds)
• Live from Death Valley Digital (June 28, 2011, Deathbomb Arc)

with Flössin

• Lead Singer CD/LP (September 14, 2004, Ache)
• Live at Overlap 01 Digital (February 18, 2006, Overlap)
• Serpents Digital (February 10, 2009, Overlap)
• White Anaconda and the Rainbow Boa Digital (December 25, 2011, Overlap)

with Hella

Albums

• Hold Your Horse Is CD/LP (March 19, 2002, 5 Rue Christine)
• The Devil Isn't Red CD/LP (January 20, 2004, 5 Rue Christine/Suicide Squeeze)
• Church Gone Wild/Chirpin Hard 2CD (March 22, 2005, Suicide Squeeze)
• There's No 666 in Outer Space CD/2LP (January 30, 2007, Ipecac)
• Tripper CD/LP (August 30, 2011, Sargent House)

EPs

• Leather Diamond CD (2001, self-released)
• Falam Dynasty 7" (September 10, 2002, 5 Rue Christine)
• Bitches Ain't Shit but Good People CD/12" (June 17, 2003, Suicide Squeeze)
• Total Bugs Bunny on Wild Bass CD/LP (August 12, 2003, Narnack)
• Acoustics CD (May 2004, Toad)
• Concentration Face & Homeboy CD+DVD-V (November 8, 2005, 5 Rue Christine)
• Acoustics CD (September 12, 2006, 5 Rue Christine)
• Santa's Little Hella 7" Flexi disc (November 1, 2013, Joyful Noise)

DVDs

• Portals DVD-r (2008, self-released)

Split releases

• with Dilute - Live Split 2CD (October 7, 2003, Sick Room)
• with Four Tet - Split Seven Inch 7" (March 30, 2004, Ache)

with Holy Smokes

• Masculine Drugs/Destroying Yourself Is Too Accessible Book+CD (September 21, 2004, Suicide Squeeze)
• Talk to Your Kids About Gangs CD (September 12, 2006, Skin Graft)

with Marnie Stern

• In Advance of the Broken Arm CD (February 20, 2007, Kill Rock Stars)
• This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That CD/LP (October 7, 2008, Kill Rock Stars)
• Marnie Stern CD/LP (October 5, 2010, Kill Rock Stars)

with Mick Barr

• Shred Earthship CD (May 9, 2006, 5 Rue Christine)
• Volume 2 LP (March 12, 2007, Rock Is Hell)

with Omar Rodríguez-López

• Mantra Hiroshima CD (November 29, 2010, Rodriguez Lopez)
• Telesterion 2CD/4LP (April 16, 2011, Rodriguez Lopez)

El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez

• Cryptomnesia CD/LP (May 5, 2009, Rodriguez Lopez)

with Spoek Mathambo

• Put Some Red On It Digital (September 27, 2011, Sub Pop)
• Father Creeper CD/LP (March 13, 2012, Sub Pop)

Other

• Aaron Molho - eclecticraft Digital (April 11, 2010, Sundial)
• Alan Moore & Mitch Jenkins - Unearthing 3LP+3CD (October 25, 2010, Lex)
• Apotheke - Apotheke CD (2005, Mash Down Babylon)
• with Ben Weinman - Untitled Digital (August 31, 2007, self-released)
• Cex - Maryland Mansions CD (November 18, 2003, Jade Tree)
• Chll Pll - Aggressively Humble CD/LP (October 20, 2009, Porter)
• Crime in Choir - Crime in Choir CD/LP (June 25, 2002, Omnibus)
• Damsel - Distressed CD/LP (October 24, 2006, Temporary Residence Limited)
• with Delicate Steve - Many Moods Digital (July 5, 2011, self-released)
• Diamond Watch WristsIce Capped at Both Ends CD (May 4, 2009, Warp)
• Friend/Enemy - 10 Songs CD/LP (January 1, 2001, Perishable)
• Howard Hello - Howard Hello CD (May 3, 2005, Temporary Residence Limited)
• Joan of Arc - Oh Brother 2LP (February 7, 2011, Joyful Noise)
• The Ladies - They Mean Us CD/LP (February 21, 2006, Temporary Residence Limited)
• Legs on Earth - Lasers and Saviors (CD, Para-Sight)
• Mason Lindahl/Ellie Fortune/Raleigh Moncrief/Zach Hill Split 2x7" (October 10, 2010, Life's Blood)
• Mick Barr - Mick Barr 2DVD (2008, aRCHIVE)
• Nervous Cop - Nervous Cop CD (November 4, 2003, 5 Rue Christine)
• with No Age - Flannel Graduate CD-R (2007, self-released)
• Prefuse 73 - Everything She Touched Turned Ampexian CD/2LP (April 14, 2009, Warp)
• Risil - Non Meters Volume One CD/2LP (October 28, 2009, Important)
• with Robby Moncrieff - Who Do You Think You Aren't? CD/LP (June 15, 2010, Porter)
• Scars on Broadway - Ghetto Blaster Rehearsals (2003, EatUrMusic)
• Sol Invicto - Initium Digital (August 6, 2011, Altered Beats)
• Team Sleep - Team Sleep CD (May 10, 2005, Maverick)
• Them Hills - Greener Grassing CD-R (August 14, 2007, self-released)
• Toughguy Fantasy/Arctic Boys - Thank Gods It's Friday/Louisiana Purchase 2CD (January 17, 2005, Frenetic)
• Various Artists - Revival Drum Comp Cassette (2010, Mississippi)
• Various Artists (Diamond Watch Wrists) - Warp20 (Recreated) 2CD (September 28, 2009, Warp)
• Various Artists (Hella) - You've Got Your Orders - Volume One CD (June 6, 2003, Chrome Peeler)
• Various Artists (Hella) - If the Twenty-First Century Didn't Exist It Would Be Necessary to Invent It CD (June 4, 2002, 5 Rue Christine)
• Various Artists (Hella) - Slaying Since 1996 2CD (July 5, 2006, Suicide Squeeze)
• Various Artists (The Ladies) - Thankful CD (November 2, 2006, Temporary Residence Limited)
• Various Artists (Les Claypool) - Under the Influence: A Jam Band Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd CD (September 14, 2004)
• Various Artists (Team Sleep) - The Matrix Reloaded (Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture) 2CD (May 5, 2003, Maverick/Warner Sunset)
• Weiss/Cameron/Hill - Drumgasm LP (August 27, 2013, Jackpot)
• Xiu Xiu - Chapel of the Chimes CD/12" (July 30, 2002, Absolutely Kosher/Nail in the Coffin)

References

External links

• Official Myspace page
• Thorough career information
• Pitchfork interview Zach Hill on Death Grips
• Fools Foundation Art Exhibit April 2006
• Zach Hill at exclaim!
• Interview with Zach Hill about Astrological Straits, collaborations and history on the Jekyll and Hyde Show. By Oren Siegel and Oded Fluss, Israel