Album Review: Zedd – Telos
3 min read
Even if you haven’t heard of Zedd, you most likely have listened to his work. Working with stars such as Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, and the Black Eyed Peas, the producer and DJ has lent his remixing talents to many artists. Notable for his collaborations, his first album in nine years, Telos, is no exception, with various big-name artists featuring on the diverse and eclectic album.
Every track on the album features different artists with the song produced and mixed by Zedd. The first two tracks stand out as being the only two with a recurring feature, X Factor Star Bea Miller. The first track, and lead single, Out of Time is a high-energy kick-off. The dreamy vocals combined with the rhymic EDM beat and ticking clock sound effects make it a powerful and memorable opener. The second song, Tangerine Rays, is psychedelic with dreamlike imagery in the lyrics as Miller sings about “vermillion streets” and “fading away”. The two songs work well in tandem with Miller’s confident vocals and the dreamlike tone infused with interest from Zedd’s EDM beats.
The rest of the album is a little less coherent. Shanti named after the Sanskrit word for inner peace, uses south-east Asian-inspired sounds and is almost entirely in Bangla. An interesting choice for the German Zedd, and American duo Grey who lead the vocals. Sona is entirely instrumental with an Irish-inspired sound featuring the traditional Irish band the Ollam. It’s a beautiful tune but feels slightly out of place, a slowing of the dance beat style of the album. Dream Brother is an EDM remix of the 1994 Jeff Buckley song, of the same name. The tune is sweet and atmospheric with beautiful vocals that at times are overpowered by Zedds heavy production and remixing.
Despite these more unusual offerings, Zedd does occasionally lean into more traditional pop. Lucky featuring Remi Wolf is a cheerful upbeat song that sounds as if it could be a pop radio hit. The hopeful chorus and positive sound are elevated with synth and EDM production. Automatic yes featuring John Mayer is another example of more traditional pop fare. The mellow vocals and slightly desperate lyrics about wanting to reconnect with an ex are remixed and layered giving it a unique sound, the repeated yes echoed throughout.
All of the album’s variety comes together in the final track, 1685 featuring Muse is a culmination of everything the alum has been. The opening is slow with strange chainsaw sounds, transitioning to a slow plodding melody similar to a music box. The lyrics start in Latin with religious imagery and they build to a powerful ballad style in the chorus. Then the EDM beat kicks in shifting the song to a dance track that still manages to interpolate Johann Sebastian Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in C major. It’s a unique mix of styles which Zedd somehow manages to make not only make sense but be fun and exciting to listen to.
Telos is unlike any other album you will listen to this year. No matter your taste you can find something new and interesting, and while I think it could be hard to find someone who would be a fan of everyone there is certainly much to enjoy. Zedds production style shines when he gets to explore and play with different inspirations, and on this album, he gets that opportunity in spades.
