Copenhagen / Cologne-based songwriter (and former student of Jenny Hval) Zola Mennenöh joins Shahzad Ismaily's figureight records for the release of her eloquent debut album Longing for Belonging. Known - and highly in demand - as a session musician in her native Germany and her adoptive second homes in Denmark and Norway, Zola Mennenöh is a singer, guitarist, flautist and sound artist of huge talent. She has toured the world over, specialising in jazz, improvisation and experimental & avant garde choral music, both as a performer and as composer. It is through this experience and years of honing that Longing for Belonging comes into existence. Her debut solo album is a collection of delicate treasures: graceful, expressive and elegantly poised, exploring the great depth of her abilities as a musician and the cultured poetry of her lyrics. Zola's music touches on pastoral alternative folk, while splashes of classical decoration (such as the yearningly beautiful sea of undulating woodwind at the end of "I Will Always Be Yours, Forever") and melodic licks borrowed from jazz help illuminate unexpected corners. There is, in abundance, a songwriting sophistication in the mold of PJ Harvey or Beth Orton, a Southern Gothic shadow comparable to Neko Case and Nina Nastasia, and an omnivorous musical awareness that could stand alongside Cat Power's varied arrangements. Thematically, the album meditates on the search and discovery of personal and emotional unity. "It is an attempt to encounter and ultimately become one's true self," Zola writes. The record is largely performed by a core quartet of Zola, Nicole Hogstrand (viola da gamba), Johanna Borchert (prepared piano) and Szymon Pimpon Gasiorek (drumkit / percussion).
Show more →Release date:
April 23, 2021
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Denon DP-400
Featuring a high-precision, belt-driven mechanism and an adjustable tonearm that ensures optimal tracking and minimal resonance
-
Ortofon 2M Blue Premounted
Mounted on the SH-4 Black Headshell, this setup delivers exceptional clarity, dynamic range, and accurate sound reproduction.
-
Turntables - Top Picks
A selection of reliable record players you can buy today, for every budget
-
Nagaoka MP-110H Cartridge
Features a high-quality elliptical stylus that provides excellent tracking and minimizes distortion, delivering a detailed sound reproduction with an output voltage of 5.0 mV
-
Vinyl Care - Top Picks
A selection of accesories to keep your turntable equipment & vinyl records in the best shape
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Indigo De Souza Precipice
Loma Vista Recordings
July 25, 2025 -
Kathleen Edwards Billionaire
Dualtone Music Group
August 22, 2025 -
Scissor Sisters Scissor Sisters 20th Anniversary [2xLP]
Republic Records
July 18, 2025 -
Strange Boutique Let The Lonely Heart Sing (Transparent Marbled Turquoise & Black)
The Circle Music
August 8, 2025 -
Signs of the Swarm To Rid Myself Of Truth
Century Media
August 22, 2025 -
Putridity MOrbid Ataraxia Random Eco-Mi
Willowtip
June 27, 2025 -
wave to earth play with earth! 0.03
Wavy Seoul Inc.
August 8, 2025 -
Metallica Load (Remastered) [2xLP]
Rhino / Blackened Recordings
June 13, 2025 -
Annahstasia Tether (Red)
Drink Sum Wtr
June 13, 2025 -
Barbra Streisand The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume 2 (Amazon Exclusive)
Columbia Records Group
June 27, 2025 -
The London Suede Antidepressants
Bmg
September 5, 2025 -
Feeder Comfort In Sound 2025 (Transparent Blue Curacao)
Bmg
September 12, 2025 -
Trapper Schoepp Osborne
Blue Elan
September 19, 2025 -
Newton Faulkner OCTOPUS (White)
Cooking Vinyl
September 19, 2025