Zenabi Interview

Interrogation subject: zenabi
Conducted by: VIVIsectVI

Zenabi is a drone/power electronics entity from the drug, crime, and corrupt politician-infested wastelands of Quezon City, Philippines. It started in 2021.

Zenabi will open the Sex Messiah show at 7pm.

In part 1 of our promotional series for the upcoming Sex Messiah concert happening on June 7, 2026, we decided to pick the brain of this anomalous project and why people need to destroy their ears with its slow, churning, power electronics drone and decay sounds.

VVV: I noticed some dungeon synth influences in your sound, especially on your latest recording, 333. Are you trying to rip off Mortiis? Is this a new direction? Your Bandcamp says “AntiCosmic Drone/Dungeon Synth/Power Electronics.” Interesting. Please elaborate.

Z: Zenabi is a mix of drone and power electronics. However, due to limitations in my skills and equipment, that haunting “dungeon synth” sound has become an inescapable part of the so-called “Zenabi sound”.

I use a Roland S-1 synth as my main instrument for creating drone and noise. Unlike many other noise artists, my sound has to start from its default synth tones, before I can shape and layer it to get the extreme noisey stuff. I had no choice, and I incorporated that default synth sound, and it mutated into dungeon synth soundscapes.

In my quest to create heavy drone, I chose the Roland S-1. But it seems the other way around, and the Roland S-1 has chosen (enslaved) me instead. Until I learn to use pedals and other equipment, though, I am stuck in this phase. I’m planning to buy another unit, actually.

That said, I love Mortiis, Neptune Towers, Wongraven, etc, etc. They are minor influences, though.

My main influences really are Beherit (including and especially the dark ambient, drone, and outer space synth insanity of Drawing Down the Moon, H418ov21.C, Electric Doom Synthesis, Messe des morts, and Bardo Exist), SUNN0))), Xasthur, all the Deiphago noise, experimental, & dark ambient interludes in their albums, Japanese noise, European noise/industrial, US noise, Asian noise, and the oppressive atmosphere of the Philippines.

VVV: You’ve been known to create ultra-long and ridiculous, black metal-influenced, anticosmic, almost sci-fi titles and concepts, as seen in your other work with Aetheric Wound. Now your new work is like “333”, with titles also using 333. Have you run out of ideas?

Z: No, and maybe yes. I’m not sure. I just wanted to create more abstract work with no super deep meanings or concepts behind it. I also had a hard time thinking about ideas during that time because I got laid off from work and was depressed (ha).

But really, to answer your question, the number 333 kept appearing everywhere when I was reviewing my recorded output from 2025 early this year. These tracks were supposed to come out last year, but I kept procrastinating and leaving them on the back burner, “yeah, it can wait”.

But I finally uploaded it on Bandcamp and released it last March 3 on my birthday, and the 333 numerical overload stopped, I guess the interdimensional entities were pestering me to release it for some reason, or maybe everything was just coincidences. Slackerism is one of my top life skills.

Track 1, “3” is my live set opening for Kae Takahashi/Anti Itch Cream on January 13, 2025.

Track 2 “33” is an outtake, test track, and unused track I was working on back in mid 2025.

Track 3, “333” is my live set opening the annual Noise Mayhem Festival 2025, in Malaysia, recorded by heavy drone experimental artist _NAEAN_.

(I apologize to the organizers of the gig for going over my time limit. I was superdazed and forgot).

VVV: Your 2nd release was under the notorious underground metal/punk/experimental label, Thresthold Records. Can you tell us about it? Are you sure this is real drone and not some excessive lo-fi wankery shit?

Z: Wormhole Sorcery is a collection of my (yes) super lo-fi work recorded in what I would call “The Morning Star Temple” here in Quezon City.

The basic concept of this is about mastering the creation, maintenance, and regeneration of black holes using occult sorcery and weaponry created in the astral planes, in order to crush the demiurge (The Yaldabaoth) and become the master of the universe, and become free of cosmic enslavement. All set to some lo-fi mumbling drones to clean your ears with while huffing the bong and questioning reality.

Of course, many of these ideas are a bunch of pretentious, stoner mumbo jumbo created by my idle mind. But back then, I was being serious, and I thought it was possible at some point.

Mega Thanks to Chaps for releasing it on his label and taking a chance on my musick!

VVV: No wonder you have haters on your Facebook page. You only have like, 33 followers on it, and you still managed to piss off some Filipino numetal kids, making fun of you, and calling your music “trash”.

Z: Yeah, thanks, yeah, I only have 33 followers on FB, many of whom are already my friends, my mom, and my daughter, and now some Filipino Greyhoundz and Slapshock fans calling me names.

One thing I learned late in life is that bad publicity is still publicity. Having haters is actually great. I’m not paying these kids to hate on me, and my branding is still getting out there, hehe.

JR of Pig Destroyer once said (I am paraphrasing here) ‘I’d rather have haters than my art killed by indifference’. So it’s cool that whatever Zenabi is, it’s getting to them, and pissing them off.

Imagine you Filipino numetal kids hating on me and I’m just chilling in my mom’s basement or wherever, chilling and toking all day playing extremely annoying lo-fi drone.

This interview is also being hosted on my online zine website. Of course, those Greyhoundz-fan haters of mine are gonna be more pissed off, but also excited I’ve finally acknowledged them, thanks to your interview.

VVV: Your new album was supposed to come out on a cool label overseas, however it’s been over a year, and there’s still no sign of it. Are you sure they’re releasing it? Are you bullshitting us, did they lose interest, or did they realize they made a mistake and abandoned the idea? Or is it just delayed (hopefully)?

Z: Nah, it will be released soon enough. I think it’s my best work so far. Just fn wait and see.

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VVV: Zenabi will open the Sex Messiah show at 7 PM along with a killer lineup. Zenabi will make a rare appearance to start things off, so be there, or be square (?).

Sex Messiah Pilipinas Tour will desecrate Davao and Manila, a JOINT effort by THC Zine in hellish fn conspiracy with Davao Hellbangers Production!