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Zero 7 w/ Jose Gonzalez
When I first heard Zero 7′s now-classic EP 2 in March, 2000, little did I know that nearly 6 months later, after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, that I’d revisit the record with much more necessity, using it to buffer a lot of what was happening in the world around Brooklyn. The mood was as you could expect it then — tense, frightening, nervous, melancholy — and people were collectively on edge. Music is often panacea but it was never as needed as it was after a life-altering event like that.
Maybe that’s why I overlooked the studio sheen of UK producers Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker, normally shying away from such studied sonic perfection. After all, I like my beats like my lady loves her martinis: really fucking dirty. 5 years later, I’m still singing the duo’s praises however, as they forge ahead and make some of the finest, most enduring downtempo soul in the past decade (even Zack Braff knows about the magic!). People love to dog downtempo for its smooth edges and its seemingly nouveau-riche apathy, but fuck that. The fact is that there are simply times when Slayer, Aphex Twin or Biggie just doesn’t fit. And Zero 7, more than the hundreds of acts that came before and after, have figured out exactly just how much foreground they need in their background music. That’s when they fit.
Today’s post features the vocals/guitar of Swedish man-of-the-hour Jose Gonzales and I also included a remix from the celebrated party rockers Rub-n-Tug.
RIYL: Air, Kings of Convenience, Tommy Guerrero, Koushik, Neil Halstead, Syd Matters
i heard these mates were quite the cheeky bastards to come from the way under. ain’t no blaggerty or slap heads either, mate! what then!
What the fuck does this mean? This is an American blog. We speak American around here! Just kidding. Seriously, just kidding.
But I’d love to know what the fuck “ain’t no blaggerty or slap heads” means.
Saw Zero 7 last night with Sia and Jose Gonzales and it was amazing!
My favorite of the day by a long sight. The first three quarters was like an homage to the best elements of late-seventies Steely Dan, and the last quarter of it was… Philip Glass, a bit? Very very good music.
Just saw zero 7 last night in toronto.So good.Best at what they do.A night to remember.
Saw them in NYC where outstanding. Stay in the states please!!
seen ZERO 7 at the fillmore , san francisco … amazing . this is the second time i have seen them , the first being in good ole Dublin Ireland . Sia is a shining light and has progressed fantastically uinder the influence of these talented men … ZERO 7 I salute thee