Zach Hill

Zach Hill
Hill in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Zachary Charles Hill
Born	(1979-12-28) December 28, 1979 (age 45) Sacramento, California, U.S.
Genres	Rock math rock experimental electronic hip hop noise industrial jazz digital hardcore
Occupations	Musician visual artist record producer screenwriter film director
Instruments	Drums vocals piano sampler guitar bass keyboards trumpet cornet
Years active	1995–present
Labels	5 Rue Christine Ache Anticon Deathbomb Arc Epic Ipecac Joyful Noise Kill Rock Stars Narnack Ormolycka Overlap Rodriguez Lopez The Advantage Rock Is Hell Sargent House Sick Room Skin Graft Sub Pop Suicide Squeeze Third Worlds Harvest Toad
Member of	Death Grips Hella The I.L.Y's Undo K From Hot
Formerly of	Bygones Crime in Choir Flössin Nervous Cop Holy Smokes The Ladies Team Sleep Wavves Boredoms Legs on Earth

Zachary Charles Hill (born December 28, 1979) ^[1] is an American multi-instrumentalist and visual artist. He is best known as the drummer and co-producer of the groups Death Grips, and the I.L.Y's, and as the drummer of math rock band Hella.

Early life

Zach Hill was born in Sacramento, California on December 28, 1979. He spent most of his adolescence at his father and uncle's press printing shop, where he was first exposed to classic rock music. ^[2]

Hill claims that he "started hearing voices in his head telling him to play the drums" when he was about 14 or 15 years old, and bought his first drum set with money he raised with a friend from a garage sale. ^[3] He dropped out of high school at age 15 and moved to Nevada City, California, where he started the band Legs on Earth with Julian Imsdahl, Spencer Seim, and cousin Josh Hill. Hill later moved to San Francisco, California where he played drums in the band Crime in Choir before starting Hella in 2001. ^[4]

Art

In addition to music, Hill is also a visual artist. He published a fully illustrated book, Destroying Yourself is Too Accessible, which included the Zach Hill and Holy Smokes album Masculine Drugs released in 2004 on TNI Books and Suicide Squeeze Records.

The Sacramento, California, art space Fools Foundation ran an exhibition of Hill's art, titled "Poltergeist", from April 1 to April 29, 2006. Parts of the exhibit are visible in the photos accompanying Hill's article in the August 2006 issue of Modern Drummer and on the Fools Foundation website. ^[5]

Film

Hill was said to be working on an original feature film in 2013, which was confirmed to feature late actress Karen Black in a leading role. ^[6] However, she had died before the film could come into full fruition. A shortened excerpt of the footage was posted on the Death Grips YouTube account in October 2015 in a 15-minute video entitled "Bottomless Pit". It has been rumored that either Death Grips or Hill's side-project, the I.L.Y's, would be involved with the soundtrack of the film as well. ^[7]

Discography

Solo releases

• Astrological Straits (2008)
• Face Tat (2010)

as Xach Hill

• Lil Scuzzy (2011)

With Hella

Albums

• Hold Your Horse Is (2002)
• The Devil Isn't Red (2004)
• Church Gone Wild/Chirpin' Hard (2005)
• There's No 666 in Outer Space (2007)
• Tripper (2011)

Extended plays

• Leather Diamond (2001)
• Falam Dynasty (2002)
• Bitches Ain't Shit but Good People (2003)
• Total Bugs Bunny on Wild Bass (2003)
• Acoustics (2004)
• Concentration Face & Homeboy (2005)
• Acoustics (2006)
• Santa's Little Hella (2013)

DVDs

• Portals (2008)

Split albums

with Dilute

• Live (2003)

with Four Tet

• Split Seven Inch Divorce Series 1 (2004)

With Flössin

• Lead Singer (2004)
• Live at Overlap 01 (2006)
• Serpents (2009)
• White Anaconda and the Rainbow Boa (2011)

With Holy Smokes

as Zach Hill & Holy Smokes

• Masculine Drugs / Destroying Yourself Is Too Accessible (2004)

as Holy Smokes

• Talk to Your Kids About Gangs (2006)

With Team Sleep

• Team Sleep (2005)

With Mick Barr

• Shred Earthship (2006)
• Volume 2 (2007)
• Volthree (2020) ^[8]

With Marnie Stern

• In Advance of the Broken Arm (2007)
• This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That (2008)
• Marnie Stern (2010)

With Bygones

• By- (2009)
• Spiritual Bankruptcy (2010)

With Wavves

• Babes (2023, recorded 2009)

With Omar Rodríguez-López

• Mantra Hiroshima (2010)
• Telesterion (2011)

as El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez

• Cryptomnesia (2009)

With Death Grips

Main article: Death Grips discography

Hill (right) and MC Ride performing as Death Grips.

Albums

• The Money Store (2012)
• No Love Deep Web (2012)
• Government Plates (2013)
• Fashion Week (2015)
• The Powers That B (2015)
• Bottomless Pit (2016)
• Year of the Snitch (2018)

Mixtapes

• Exmilitary (2011)

Extended plays

• Death Grips (2011)
• Interview 2016 (2016)
• Steroids (Crouching Tiger Hidden Gabber Megamix) (2017)
• Gmail and the Restraining Orders (2019)

With Spoek Mathambo

• Put Some Red on It (2011)
• Father Creeper (2012)

With the I.L.Y's

• I've Always Been Good at True Love (2015)
• Scum With Boundaries (2016)
• Bodyguard (2017)

With Undo K From Hot

• G.A.S. Get a Star (2021) ^[9]
• Dumb Little Fucker (2021) ^[10]
• Remnants of Chris (2022) ^[11]

Other bands and collaborations

Release details	Release	Artist	Additional information
Released: 1999 Label: Para-Sight Formats: CD	Lasers and Saviors	Legs on Earth
Released: January 1, 2001 Label: Perishable Formats: CD, LP	10 Songs	Friend/Enemy
Released: June 25, 2002 Label: Omnibus Formats: CD, LP	Crime in Choir	Crime in Choir
Released: July 30, 2002 Label: Absolutely Kosher/Nail in the Coffin Formats: CD, 12"	Chapel of the Chimes	Xiu Xiu
Released: November 4, 2003 Label: 5 Rue Christine Formats: CD	Nervous Cop	Nervous Cop
Released: November 18, 2003 Label: Jade Tree Formats: CD	Maryland Mansions	Cex
Released: 2005 Label: Mash Down Babylon Formats: CD	Apotheke	Apotheke
Released: January 17, 2005 Label: Frenetic Formats: 2CD	Thank Gods It's Friday/Louisiana Purchase	Toughguy Fantasy/Arctic Boys
Released: May 3, 2005 Label: Temporary Residence Limited Formats: CD	Howard Hello	Howard Hello
Released: February 21, 2006 Label: Temporary Residence Limited Formats: CD, LP	They Mean Us	The Ladies
Released: October 24, 2010 Label: Temporary Residence Limited Formats: CD, LP	Distressed	Damsel
Released: 2007 Label: self-released Formats: CD-R	Flannel Graduate	with No Age
Released: August 14, 2007 Label: self-released Formats: CD-R	Greener Grassing	Them Hills
Released: August 31, 2007 Label: self-released Formats: Digital	"Untitled"	with Ben Weinman
Released: 2008 Label: aRCHIVE Formats: 2DVD	Mick Barr	Mick Barr
Released: April 14, 2009 Label: Warp Formats: CD/2LP	Everything She Touched Turned Ampexian	Prefuse 73
Released: May 4, 2009 Label: Warp Formats: CD	Ice Capped at Both Ends	Diamond Watch Wrists
Released: October 20, 2009 Label: Porter Formats: CD, LP	Aggressively Humble	Chll Pll
Released: October 28, 2009 Label: Important Formats: CD, LP	Non Meters Volume One	Risil
Released: April 11, 2010 Label: Sundial Formats: Digital	eclecticraft	Aaron Molho
Released: June 15, 2010 Label: Porter Formats: CD, LP	Who Do You Think You Aren't?	with Robby Moncrieff
Released: October 10, 2010 Label: Life's Blood Formats: 2x7"	Split	Mason Lindahl/Ellie Fortune/Raleigh Moncrief/Zach Hill
Released: October 10, 2010 Label: Lex Formats: 3LP+3CD	Unearthing	Alan Moore & Mitch Jenkins
Released: February 7, 2011 Label: Joyful Noise Formats: 2LP	Oh Brother	Joan of Arc
Released: July 5, 2011 Label: self-released Formats: Digital	Many Moods	with Delicate Steve
Released: August 6, 2011 Label: Altered Beats Formats: Digital	Initium	Sol Invicto
Released: August 27, 2013 Label: Jackpot Formats: LP	Drumgasm	Weiss/Cameron/Hill
Released: October 14, 2016 Label: Party Smasher, Cooking Vinyl Formats: CD, LP, DL	Dissociation	The Dillinger Escape Plan	additional drums on "Dissociation" [13]
Released: May 5, 2017 Label: Joyful Noise Formats: LP, Digital	Nervous Cop (EP)	Nervous Cop
Released: February 11, 2022 Label: Sargeant House Formats: DL	Alto Arc EP	Alto Arc (George Clarke, Isamaya Ffrench, Danny L Harle & Trayer Tryon)	additional production on "Yeva's Lullaby"
Released: September 1, 2023 Label: self-released Formats: Digital, 7"	Never (EP)	with Lucas Abela	sequencing and envelope generation

Other appearances

• Various Artists (Hella) – If the Twenty-First Century Didn't Exist It Would Be Necessary to Invent It (2002)
• Various Artists (Team Sleep) – The Matrix Reloaded (Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture) (2003)
• Various Artists (Hella) – You've Got Your Orders – Volume One (2003)
• Various Artists (Les Claypool) – Under the Influence: A Jam Band Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd (2004)
• Various Artists (Hella) – Slaying Since 1996 (2006)
• Various Artists (The Ladies) – Thankful CD (2006)
• Various Artists (Diamond Watch Wrists) – Warp20 (Recreated) (2009)
• Various Artists – Revival Drum Comp (2010)
• Various Artists – Zum Audio Vol 4 Digital (2021)

References

1. "ZODIAC DRUM KILLER Zach Hill on Blurt Online". Blurt-online.com. December 9, 2008. Archived from the original on March 27, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
2. Lara, Coco. "Zach Hill". Coco's OCD.
3. Dawson, Michael (August 2006). "Earthship Shreddin' To Hella And Back" (PDF). Modern Drummer: 62–75.
4. King, Tony. "Midtown Monthly: Interview with Zach Hill". Sargent House.
5. "April 2006". Foolsfoundation.org. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
6. "Bottomless Pit - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
7. Pelly, Jenn (May 10, 2013). "Death Grips to Soundtrack Feature Film Directed and Written by Zach Hill, Working on New Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
8. "Volthree, by SHRED EARTHSHIP". Hathenter. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
9. Yoo, Noah (May 1, 2021). "Death Grips' Zach Hill Shares Debut Single from New Band Undo K From Hot". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
10. "Dumb Little Fucker". Bandcamp. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
11. "Remnants Of Chris, by Undo K From Hot". Undo K From Hot. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
13. "Dissociation, by Dillinger Escape Plan". Dillinger Escape Plan. Retrieved December 26, 2016.

External links

• Official Myspace page
• The Zach Hill Archive
• Pitchfork interview Zach Hill on Death Grips
• Fools Foundation Art Exhibit April 2006
• Zach Hill at exclaim!