words: Noah Rubin photos: Leonard Greco
Get your face out of that sweet cherry pie ’cause sticky red goo blinds your third eye. Plus, skipping straight to dessert is against the rules. The Dragons of Zynth serve up a hearty-ass meal that will build your body, melt your mind and satisfy your soul. Similarly, their forthcoming debut, Coronation Thieves, blends dreamy vocals, hard guitars, and well-tweaked drum machines, creating atmospheres of universal appeal. Produced alongside brethren from TV on the Radio, the album proves they can bring it when it needs to get brought.
The founding brothers of Zynth are Aku and Akwetey Orraca-Tetteh and alongside Autry Fulbright on bass and Jason Lucas AKA Bizza on drums they are among New York’s most engaging musical newcomers. Though the Bronx-born twins took a circuitous route through Ohio and Massachusetts before landing back in NYC several years ago, they are here to stay…at least until they lift off toward the galaxy (or kitchen) that beckons them next.
Akwetey is the older of the twins and the 27-year-old guitarist begins this otherwise sweet cooking experience on a sour note. “My original recipe was month-old plantains fried with cinnamon, crushed red pepper and peanut butter,” he says, eliciting a nod of approval from all present. “But it doesn’t go with seafood.” There’s no use crying over spilt milk, however, especially since we’ll all need a big glass of the creamy white stuff to enjoy his “plan B” dessert, Apple Cinnamon Cobbler.
Though rhythm section men sometimes just follow the leader, tonight Autry, 26, is taking the lead with his main course delight, Twice Cooked Seafood Pasta. Autry reveals his culinary ethos as he strikes a match and lights the front burner on the stove. “I was taught as a child to just do everything till it feels right,” he says with smile. “And that includes cooking.”
Standing side-by-side, Akwetey and Autry get down to business. Autry eyes the gradually boiling water, peels the plastic wrap off his frozen shrimp, and places several leaves of basil in the sink for washing. To his left, Akwetey preps his batter, throwing together flour, baking soda, and a handful of nuts in a medium-sized glass mixing bowl. He completes the concoction with a generous amount of dark brown sugar. “Dark brown sugar leaves a long-lasting residue in the top of your mouth,” Akwetey explains while he throws a dismissive glance toward the lonely box of light brown sugar sitting unused on the countertop. He then concludes, “It has more presence.”
While Akwetey explains his brown sugar theory, Autry puts his own ideas into action, freestyling his pasta and its topping guided only by his instincts. “I’m simmering shrimps and basil in a separate pot of water with salt and red pepper,” he says, executing a culinary ménage a trois with the two pots in front of him. “Everything’s got a level, but eventually they’re all going to Voltron together.”
Japanese robotic cooking isn’t easy, and even though his gut guides him, he puts on some Steely Dan and says, “If my timing is correct I should be done by the time these Steely Dan songs stop playing,” then revealing, “I measure everything by Steely Dan.” Reeling in years of experience makes Autry confident to do it again and peg down the timing of his meal based on America’s favorite funky white audio geniuses.
Autry’s precise maneuvers inspire Akwetey to make some precise moves of his own. First, he gently twists the oven’s knob to get it fired up to 375 degrees. Then, he grabs the sharpest knife in the kitchen and moves slowly toward a pile of Granny Smith and Macintosh apples that sit before him on a plate. “Equal opportunity apples—that’s what we’re all about,” Akwetey replies when asked about his liberal mixing of apple breeds. Then he slices the apples, leaving the peels intact.
After he cuts up the apples he looks at his casserole dish and ponders his next move. “They could be stacked or layered,” he muses. “But to get the maximum amount of crust I’m gonna put all the batter on top.” And put the batter on top he does, drenching the apples in his nutty paste. Then, with the apples fully slathered and the oven optimally warm, he slides his concoction into the glowing box.
Akwetey steps back as Autry fine-tunes several details of his dish. First, on top of each tender shrimp he squirts one drop of fiery Tabasco sauce. Next, he opens a tightly sealed can of clams, exposing the shellfish in their briny bath. “I’m gonna add this clam juice to both pots,” he says. But when does he feel clam juice is unacceptable? “One night stands,” he simply responds. “Clam juice is forever so it should be part of a very committed relationship.”
Just as the clam juice conversation climaxes a subtle but familiar ding signifies that the apple cobbler is complete. Moving both main course and dessert over to the dining room table and grabbing a chilled bottle of white wine from the fridge, the Dragons prepare to dig in. Sparsely sprinkling grated Parmesan on the pasta, Autry and Akwetey take a bite. Pleased by tenderly broiled seafood and perfect pasta on their plate, they anxiously eat. After completing their main course, they move on to the cobbler that Akwetey attractively garnished with walnuts and almonds. Cutting through the crust, it releases a puff of hot steam. Cinnamonalicous.
Leaning back in his chair and pondering the tasty meal, Autry offers an afterthought. “It’s easy to cook, any stoner drunkard can do it. The secret is not doing stupid things as opposed to being able to do a lot of amazing things.” He then concludes, “That’s also the thing with success with in life, it’s not about doing amazing things, it’s about not doing stupid things.” Mmm. Steamy apples.
DOZ meals cause heightened vision and feelings of euphoria…
