Fans of Zed’s Dead may be slightly surprised at their chosen softer style in their most recent track release off of the Altered States EP. The EP was released on Soundcloud to supplement the announcement of a 35 date “Altered States” tour that will swing throughout North America. According to the Canadian duo, the tour title not only sounds cutting-edge, but has an ultimate underlying meaning in regards to “how music has the power to change the way you feel and alter your perceptions” – with the “states” portion of the title referring to the States of America that they will be travelling through…in addition to their Canadian counterparts (aka provinces).
Zed’s (one “D”, that is) track “By Your Side” features a change of pace in production style, choosing to shift their focus from the more aggressive hard-hitting bangers of prior releases into the realm of softer drops layered over an almost trance-like (at times) vocal complete with subtle piano additions and a rolling bass line. This style shift is a thoughtful one, and the duo has described the track as “a throwback to our hip hop sampling roots,” the group explains. “We tried to complement the melancholy vibe of the vocal by continuing down a dark road of rolling sub bass riffs.” Being that the upcoming tour is being dubbed as a multi-genre concept tour complete with grand scale production unlike anything the producers have done in the past, a slight departure in style from the norm is to be expected. Also be sure to check out the tours supporting acts Green Lantern, Branchez (I am really feeling “Open” personally) and Paper Diamond before raging your way into an Altered State of mind when the tour visits a city near you.