"Brooklyn's Zs have always walked a jagged line between 21st Century composers and bratty art-punks; their voluminous, decade-strong output evokes everything from Schoenberg's jagged beep-boops to Glass's hypnotic minimalism to the headbanging abandon of crusty loft-party noiseniks." - Village Voice

“One of the strongest avant-garde bands in New York.” – NY Times

“Zs plunge head first into the murky, amorphous waters where rock, experimental, free jazz, noise, and ambient music meet. You’d be hard pressed to find another group that sounds just like this. The depth of style achieved is remarkable.” – Alarm Magazine

“Zs offer challenging, brain-expanding music that’s both destructive and instructive.” – Portland Mercury

“Zs are a compositional juggernaut, bending their rhythmically rigorous, note-stuffed pieces into thrilling and emotional shapes. They embody the most effective elements of both New Complexity and punk rock, and will truly knock your dick in the dirt.” – The Stranger

“Zs excels with high marks across the board…each member vents ballistic impulses into one giant movement of astounding precision.” – San Francisco Bay Guardian

ZS was founded in 2000 by tenor saxophonist and composer Sam Hillmer. Since the band’s inception ZS has incarnated as everything from a sextet to a duo, most recently featuring Ben Greenberg (electric guitar), and Ian Antonio (drum set), in addition to Hillmer’s signature sax ranting. While ZS' music has been variously categorized as no-wave, noise, post-minimalist, drone, and psych, it is primarily concerned with making music that challenges the physical and mental limitations of both performer and listener. Manipulating extended technique, unique instrumental synthesis, and near telepathic communication, ZS aims to create works that envelop the listener and unfold sonically over time, evoking unspoken past, present, and future rites and ritual. ZS has performed in lofts, galleries, basements, rock clubs, and concert halls across North America and Europe with The Locust, Gang Gang Dance, Animal Collective, Battles, The Dirty Projectors, Dan Deacon, Peter Brotzman and Han Bennick, and Louis Andriessen.