“My Night with the Prostitute from Marseille”
from the double EP March of the Zapotec/Holland
2009
iTunes
It’s only been 16 months since Beirut released their sophomore album, The Flying Cup Club, but it seems like their latest release is barely arriving in time for everyone’s gypsy-punk fix. Drawing influence from world music and eastern European tradition, Zach Condon’s 10-piece band has concocted March of the Zapotec/Holland, a double EP that was inspired by the frontman’s ventures into the southern regions of Mexico.
The Jimenez Band, a 17-piece group that Condon met on his travels, will back him and Beirut in the first half of the project. Consisting of five tracks, the latter EP has a heavily electronic sound, replacing the band’s characteristically organic timbre. Although this may come as a shock to the average fan, Condon has recently stated in an interview with Pitchfork Media that he actually spent “years and years doing electronic music,” and that “the acoustic stuff” is actually “a very new thing.” But if an electronic departure doesn’t sound enticing, have no fear: March of the Zapotec is said to sound much more similar to the older albums, with tracks characterized by a dense, rich and brassy sound.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this new double EP is that it comes after a six-month hermitage of Condon and the band. After pulling out of the scheduled summer tour, many skeptics doubted the stellar band’s speedy return. However, it is crystal clear that their retreat into the rural areas of Oaxaca gave them the inspiration they needed to come out with an album that will surely be as superbly executed as the last. Beirut, we’re counting on you.