Announcing the exclusive premiere of Asimov’s new 7″ single, ‘Zambia,’ showcasing two legendary Zamrock tracks: ‘History of Man’ by Amanaz and ‘Troublemaker’ by Chrissy Zebby Tembo and Ngozi Family.

So here’s the scoop: it’s early 2024, and the Portuguese heavy psych rock behemoth, Asimov, decides to step back from the stage, retreating from the blistering lights and the thundering applause of live gigs. But don’t mistake this for a hiatus. Oh no, Asimov’s hands are deep in the dusty archives, unearthing and unleashing rare gems that have been marinating in the shadows.

First on the platter is ‘Asimov – Zambia,’ a relic that should’ve seen daylight twelve years ago, back in 2012. This long-lost treasure finally emerges as the 2024 Asimov Summer Release, kicking off a series of nostalgic goldmines slated for 2024 and 2025.

Flashback to December 2011, the dawn of Asimov’s Duo Era. ‘Asimov – Zambia’ captures the raw, unvarnished essence of the band’s early days. It’s a stripped-down, no-nonsense Cacém-style reimagining of Zamrock classics ‘History of Man’ (Amanaz) and ‘Troublemaker’ (Chrissy Zebby Tembo and Ngozi Family). These were the gritty anthems that echoed through their nascent live shows, the soundtrack to their thirteen-year saga.

This release is a historic artifact, the first recordings laid down in their scrappy rehearsal spot-turned-legendary Zambia Studio. Here, Asimov carved out most of their discography, and ‘Asimov – Zambia’ is the closest you’ll get to their primal live sound—Carlos Ferreira shredding the guitar and belting out vocals, with João Arsénio commanding the drums.

And here’s the kicker—’Asimov – Zambia’ is a unicorn of a release, limited to just 30 hand-numbered lathe cut 7″ singles. Each one is wrapped in handmade covers, accompanied by a unique set of photos from the ever-enigmatic Eyes of Madness—Pedro Roque Photography. Every copy is a bespoke, one-of-a-kind artifact.

Mark your calendars for late September when the next Asimov rarity drops, just in time for the Autumn Asimov 2024 Release edition. But don’t go looking for ‘Asimov – Zambia’ in your local record shops. This gem is only available by hitting up the band through their social media. So, if you want a piece of this history, you better get in touch with the guys directly.

Below is a live clip of Asimov performing both covers at an early gig in 2013. It’s a chance to see how the recorded versions translate to the stage. The live clip credit goes to Helena Fagundes, aka Lena Huracán, a drummer and video artist from São Paulo who has been rocking it in Lisbon for quite some years now.

So who are they, you ask? Asimov are psych-rock sorcerers from Portugal, the sonic equivalent of a cosmic freakout on a rusted rollercoaster. From the moment they crawled out of the primordial ooze in 2011, they’ve been summoning a tempest of fuzz-drenched guitars and hypnotic beats, dragging listeners into a swirling vortex of sound. Their albums like ‘Overseas’ and ‘Truth’ can be described as seismic tremors in the rock landscape, fueled with cranked fuzz and wah-wah to eleven, while ‘Flowers’ encapsulates a decade of head-spinning explorations, experimenting with a different side of their sound as a collaborative project, blending various influences and meticulous craftsmanship resulting in heady shamanic trance music. Asimov’s live shows are nothing short of astral projection sessions, ripping open the fabric of reality and stitching it back with raw, pulsating energy. Their music isn’t just heard; it’s a full-body sensory overload, a dive into the deep end of the psychedelic pool where anything can happen, and often does. As with most bands of their caliber, their presence is appreciated mostly by selected individuals who strive for true underground music, far away from the mainstream circus.

A band that conjures soundscapes, warping the mind and shaking the soul with each new track, opening a portal of thoughts. They blur the lines of reality, taking listeners to another dimension, each song a separate journey into the unknown.

As the late great Mr. Isaac Asimov would say: “Individual science fiction stories may seem as trivial as ever to the blinder critics and philosophers of today, but the core of science fiction, its essence, has become crucial to our salvation if we are to be saved at all.”

Klemen Breznikar

Asimov Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp