ZHU delivers ‘Fatal (Mortal Kombat 1)’ for new video game: Listen

When it comes to personalities for producers and artists in the dance scene, ZHU has certainly curated one of the most unique and mysterious personas, keeping his identity a secret for years at the start of his career and even today, continuing an aura that is all his own.  Now the California producer has returned with a dark and beautiful new single in conjunction with one of the most popular video game franchises of all time.

With a long history of iconic characters and next-level gameplay, as well as a few movies produced around the franchise, Mortal Kombat is one of the most recognized games on the planet.  As the video game franchise prepares to release the latest edition of its iconic game, Mortal Kombat 1, they have tapped ZHU to create a single for the game, the aptly titled Fatal (Mortal Kombat 1).  This is not the first time that the Mortal Kombat team has enlisted an electronic music producer to create a soundtrack for their gameplay.  The 2011 album Mortal Kombat (Songs Inspired By The Warriors) featured music from TOKiMONSTA and Skrillex.

For the new production from ZHU, he leans into a more streamlined production, defined by simple percussive rhythms and pulsing synths throughout.  The track begins with an ominous layer of synths, all building until he delivers a simple vocal line before the infamous “fight” sample from the Mortal Kombat series hits, bringing in the drums and piercing synths.  The track continues to ebb, showcasing a sputtering lead while dividing sections of the track up with familiar refrains from the gameplay, inserting the ‘finish him” line before once again diving into a half-time drop section full of stutters and ominous tones.

While Fatal (Mortal Kombat 1) is a bit of an outlier in ZHU’s catalog, it’s a great reminder of the versatility and boundless creativity that he is willing to exhibit throughout his career.

Image Credit: Mortal Kombat / FifthLegend via Wikimedia Commons / Flickr | License: Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)