Unmasking Music by Zara
Unmasking Music is a fearless exploration of the beautiful, terrifying, disorienting, messy, and overwhelming experience of moving through gender transition. It’s an album born from a place of radical honesty, one that navigates the shedding of old identities, the painful and ecstatic process of rebirth, and the staggering vulnerability and integrity that transformation demands. With soaring symphonic textures, raw lyrical intensity, and moments of both quiet introspection and symphonic crescendo, the album captures a deeply human metamorphosis.
"This is an album about unmasking—about discarding the layers we often perform for others in order to avoid being seen. It’s about becoming metamorphic, and shedding the parts of ourselves that lack integrity," says Zara. "It’s about the experience of gender transition, yes—but more broadly, it's about what it means to change, to be seen, and to reclaim one’s genuineness through unapologetically stepping into one’s potency, through the power of vulnerability and visibility.”
Blending elements of art rock, baroque-pop, grunge, and alternative genres, Unmasking Music is an album as layered as its subjects. From string-drenched ballads that ache with vulnerability to explosive anthems that radiate defiance and grace, Zara continues to evolve their unique sound into something utterly their own—and utterly unforgettable. This is an album that doesn’t shy away from the space that it occupies, and instead demands singular attention from its listeners.
Tracklist
| 1. | Haunted | 7:50 |
| 2. | Mirrors | 4:36 |
| 3. | Grace | 5:27 |
| 4. | Chaos | 3:06 |
| 5. | Frogs (Intermission) | 5:30 |
| 6. | Unmasking | 6:28 |
| 7. | Zygomaticus | 6:10 |
| 8. | Free Fall | 6:38 |
| 9. | To The Shore | 6:13 |
Credits
Unmasking Music Credits
All songs, written, arranged, and produced by Max Zara Bernstein
Musicians
-William Abt - trombone (mirrors, unmasking, zygomaticus, and free fall)
-Gary Bernstein - percussion (grace)
-Max Zara Bernstein - guitars, vocals, synths, electric drums, and uke (all songs), acoustic drums (mirrors, zygomaticus, and free fall)
-Andrew Borkowski - cellos (haunted, unmasking, zygomaticus, free fall, and to the shore)
-David Braun - acoustic drums (haunted, grace, chaos, unmasking, and to the shore)
-Jorge Costa - bass guitar (zygomaticus and free fall), background vocals (mirrors)
-Ann Ellsworth - french horn (mirrors)
-Julz - viola (haunted, mirrors, grace, chaos, unmasking, and to the shore), and violin (grace)
-Peter Nelson-King - trumpets and baritone horns (haunted, chaos, unmasking, and to the shore)
-Jessica Kitzman - cello (haunted, chaos, unmasking, and to the shore)
-Shelby Mass - violin (haunted, chaos, unmasking, and to the shore)
-Mal Mcdowall- bass guitar (haunted, mirrors, grace, chaos, unmasking, and to the shore)
-AJ Neubert - bassoon (mirrors, unmasking, zygomaticus, and free fall)
-Aaron Smith - trumpet (haunted and unmasking)
-Nikhita Sheller - saxophones (haunted, mirrors, grace, chaos, unmasking, and to the shore)
-John Aaron Troy - baritone sax, tenor sax, flutes, and clarinets (grace, unmasking, zygomaticus, and free fall)
-Seattle Trans and Non-Binary Choir (stance) choir - (haunted, grace, chaos, unmasking, and to the shore)
Additional production, and recording by Jorge Costa at Gato Volador Studios, Mesa Arizona.
Acoustic drums, Bass, and Guitars recorded at London Bridge Studios, Seattle, WA with Jonathan Plum.
STANCE Choir was recorded at London Bridge Studios, Seattle, WA with Lillian Blair.
Various Portions of this album were recorded at Tribal Studios, Clarence, NY with Gary Bernstein.
Various Portions of this album were recorded in bedrooms, hotel rooms, airports, stairwells, cars, and dance studios here and there.
Mastering by Mark Fuller Mastering, Sebastopol, CA.
Album Artwork
Max Zara Bernstein - art direction, costumes, post-production, and layout
Bruce Clayton Tom - photography
Alayna Cushing - latex prosthetics and make-up
Brooklyn Littell - additional layout and alternate Dave
License
All rights reserved.Tags
Based in Seattle, Zara is an art rock/alt-rock/baroque-pop project known for cinematic, symphonic arrangements and emotionally powerful performances. Zara was founded by Seattle-based musician and visual artist Max Zara Bernstein (she/they). While Bernstein is the primary composer, arranger, producer and designer for Zara, Zara’s live ensemble has had several iterations.