Zegota (band)
Encyclopedia
Zegota is an American hardcore punk
and post-hardcore
band originally from Greensboro, North Carolina
, formed in 1997.
, the codename for Polish Council to Aid the Jews, which saved the lives of many Europeans during the Holocaust.
After releasing their debut LP, Movement in the Music, and touring heavily, Jackie Lee left the group in 2000. He was replaced by Ard, a resident of Holland. Their second record, Namasté, followed shortly thereafter. In 2002, Jon moved to Sweden
, giving the group a unique international line-up. Two years later, they released their third LP, Reclaim!, whose sound marked a step away from hardcore punk towards post-hardcore
. The final song on Reclaim!, "Sleepwalkers", was featured prominently in the trailer for the DVD release of the CrimethInc. Guerilla Film Series, Vol. 1.
In 2007, Ard left the group. He currently resides in Amsterdam
. Zegota found a new bassist in Mark Dixon, a luthier
, artist and musician active in the Greensboro scene and former member of CrimethInc. labelmates Catharsis
. The group toured the Northeastern US in 2007 and 2008.
In between band activity, Will Ridenour has spent time studying music in Africa
and performing with world music
groups. His African musical influences have appeared in Zegota's music, including his use of the kora
. Jon Ridenour has been living in Sweden
, where he works with the activist group Kulturkampanjen and was deeply involved in the construction and administration of the Cyclops cultural activity center in Stockholm. His short book of memoirs, Fire & Lightning in Greensboro, North Carolina, was published by Ivory Bell Press.
group Dawn Chorus. Jon Ridenour is playing with a noise rock
group out of Stockholm called Mad Earth. Mark Dixon is a central figure of the experimental music
group Invisible, which often features his unique self-made instruments such as the Selectric typewriter/piano interface, and an analog drum machine that play actual drums. Both Will and Mark are members of Greensboro radical marching band and samba bateria Cakalak Thunder.
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
and post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
band originally from Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
, formed in 1997.
History
Zegota formed in Greensboro around brothers Jon and Will Ridenour, respectively the group's guitarist and drummer, bassist Brian (later replaced by Jackie Lee) and singer Eric Moe. Their name comes from ŻegotaZegota
"Żegota" , also known as the "Konrad Żegota Committee", was a codename for the Polish Council to Aid Jews , an underground organization of Polish resistance in German-occupied Poland from 1942 to 1945....
, the codename for Polish Council to Aid the Jews, which saved the lives of many Europeans during the Holocaust.
After releasing their debut LP, Movement in the Music, and touring heavily, Jackie Lee left the group in 2000. He was replaced by Ard, a resident of Holland. Their second record, Namasté, followed shortly thereafter. In 2002, Jon moved to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, giving the group a unique international line-up. Two years later, they released their third LP, Reclaim!, whose sound marked a step away from hardcore punk towards post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
. The final song on Reclaim!, "Sleepwalkers", was featured prominently in the trailer for the DVD release of the CrimethInc. Guerilla Film Series, Vol. 1.
In 2007, Ard left the group. He currently resides in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. Zegota found a new bassist in Mark Dixon, a luthier
Luthier
A luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
, artist and musician active in the Greensboro scene and former member of CrimethInc. labelmates Catharsis
Catharsis (hardcore punk band)
Catharsis was an influential American hardcore punk band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina that was active from 1994 to 2002. They were associated with "Holy Terror", a phenomenon commonly regarded as a form of apocalyptic metallic hardcore that was breeding during the mid-'90s...
. The group toured the Northeastern US in 2007 and 2008.
In between band activity, Will Ridenour has spent time studying music in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and performing with world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
groups. His African musical influences have appeared in Zegota's music, including his use of the kora
Kora (instrument)
The kora is a 21-string bridge-harp used extensively in West Africa.-Description:A kora is built from a large calabash cut in half and covered with cow skin to make a resonator, and has a notched bridge. It does not fit well into any one category of western instruments and would have to be...
. Jon Ridenour has been living in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, where he works with the activist group Kulturkampanjen and was deeply involved in the construction and administration of the Cyclops cultural activity center in Stockholm. His short book of memoirs, Fire & Lightning in Greensboro, North Carolina, was published by Ivory Bell Press.
Related musical projects
Will Ridenour is playing and recording regularly in his home State of North Carolina with a variety of groups, including the world groups Tasuma, Wind and Stars, Zoumana Diabate, the Somnambulist Brain and the indie rockIndie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
group Dawn Chorus. Jon Ridenour is playing with a noise rock
Noise rock
Noise rock describes a style of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. Noise rock makes use of the traditional instrumentation and iconography of rock, but incorporates atonality and especially dissonance, and also frequently discards usual songwriting conventions.-Style:Noise...
group out of Stockholm called Mad Earth. Mark Dixon is a central figure of the experimental music
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
group Invisible, which often features his unique self-made instruments such as the Selectric typewriter/piano interface, and an analog drum machine that play actual drums. Both Will and Mark are members of Greensboro radical marching band and samba bateria Cakalak Thunder.
Current members
- Eric Moe - vocals (1997–present)
- Jon Ridenour - guitar, vocals (1997–present)
- Mark Dixon - bass (2007–present)
- Will Ridenour - drums (1997–present)
Former members
- Brian Pugh - bass (1997–1998)
- Jackie Lee - bass (1998–2000)
- Ard - bass (2000–2007)
Discography
- Movement in the Music - LP (Crimethinc.CrimethInc.CrimethInc., also known as CWC , is a decentralized anarchist collective of autonomous cells. CrimethInc. emerged in the mid-1990s, initially as the hardcore zine Inside Front, and began operating as a collective in 1996...
, 1999; Reflections Records (repress), 2000) and CD (CrimethInc.CrimethInc.CrimethInc., also known as CWC , is a decentralized anarchist collective of autonomous cells. CrimethInc. emerged in the mid-1990s, initially as the hardcore zine Inside Front, and began operating as a collective in 1996...
, 1999) - Namasté - CD (CrimethInc., 2001)
- Reclaim! - LP (Stonehenge (Europe), Amor y Lucha (USA), 2004) and CD (CrimethInc., 2004)
- Zegota - two song 7" (CrimethInc., 2005)