Zero 7

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Zero 7
Background information
Origin United Kingdom
Genre(s) Downtempo, Ambient music, Acid jazz, Trip-hop
Years active 1999–present
Associated
acts		 Sia Furler, Mozez, José González, Tina Dico, Sophie Barker
Website http://www.zero7.co.uk/
Members
Henry Binns
Sam Hardaker

Zero 7 is a Grammy nominated downtempo styled musical duo comprising Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker from the United Kingdom. The band's songs feature vocals from Mozez, Sia Furler, Tina Dico, Sophie Barker, José González, and for the first time, Henry Binns providing backing vocals on the third album, The Garden. Zero 7 are sometimes viewed as the British counterpart to the French downtempo group Air.

Contents

[edit] Biography

After studying sound engineering, Binns and Hardaker began their careers in the music industry in the 1990s at a Mickie Most's RAK recording studio in London, engineering music for British musicians including Pet Shop Boys, Young Disciples and Robert Plant. They contacted their friend and former college-mate Nigel Godrich, who was the producer for the band Radiohead, asking if he could give them some of the band's music to hone their skills with. The result was a remix of "Climbing Up the Walls" that appeared as a B-side of Radiohead's single "Karma Police".

That remix was played on Gilles Peterson's show on BBC Radio 1, leading to further remixing duties, beginning with Terry Callier's "Love Theme From Spartacus", followed by mixes for artists including Lenny Kravitz, Sneaker Pimps and Lambchop. In 1999, they went on to release an EP of original material called "EP1", under the name Zero 7 (named after a Honduran nightclub called Zero Siete). In 2001, they released their debut album, Simple Things, to wide acclaim. The album featured collaborations with vocalists Mozez, Sia Furler, and Sophie Barker.

The album was nominated for several awards including the Mercury Music Prize. They won the "Best Newcomer" award at the Muzik Awards. The album sold sufficient copies to become a gold record. When they toured the album, including appearances at a number of music festivals, the live band consisted of Binns and Hardaker, their three vocalists and a host of other musicians (many of whom appeared on the album), sometimes numbering up to 20 performers on stage at once. In 2002, Zero 7 released a DJ mix album for Azuli Records' Another Late Night series, which features various hip hop and chill out artists and also included a new track by the band, a cover of Johnny Osbourne's "Truth & Rights".

In 2004, they released their second album, When It Falls. In addition to the three vocalists from their first album, it also featured a collaboration with Tina Dico. In the same year, Binns also co-wrote the Emma Bunton track "Breathing" from her second solo album, Free Me. Binns and former Spice Girl Bunton will renew their working relationship for her forthcoming third album, due out in 2006.

Zero 7 released their third album, The Garden, on May 22, 2006. Vocalists on the new LP include the returning Sia Furler, newcomer José González and Zero 7's own Henry Binns on his singing debut. "Futures" featuring José González, was released on March 13 in Limited Edition 12" and 7" formats along with digital download formats as the first single taken from the album, which included brand new b-sides - "Seeing Things" instrumental (12"), and "Dreaming" with vocals from Sia (7"). The second single released off "The Garden" was "Throw It All Away", an uptempo track featuring a duet with Sia and Henry Binns, which was released on May 8, and included the tracks "Thistles" featuring long-time cohort Sia Furler on vocals and the instrumental "Inaminute" as B-sides. In July 2006 they released their third single from The Garden entitled "You're My Flame" which was available on 7", 12" and CD.

[edit] Influence

Zero 7 have also been popularly featured in various film and TV soundtracks, as well as lounge music compilations such as The Chillout Project by Filipino DJ Anton Ramos, and the Hôtel Costes compilation CDs. Their track "Lo" was featured on a mix CD by Layo and Bushwacka!, and is the reason behind the common mistake of people thinking that Layo and Bushwacka! had remixed the track. It is one of the few times the track has actually appeared on CD (or in digital form), as the only Zero 7 release it has been featured on is EP1 which was only available on vinyl. Their music appearances in movies and television are also apparent, most notably their songs "Destiny" (featured in Blue Crush, Raising Helen as well as on Episode 60, "Four Aliens and A Baby", in the third season of Roswell), "Give It Away" (featured on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - track 5 on the official soundtrack), and "In The Waiting Line" (featured on the Grammy-winning Garden State soundtrack as well as on Episode 85, "The Domino Effect", in the sixth season of Sex and the City on HBO, and also on episode 59, "Needle in a Haystack", in the third season of House on Fox). Currently "Destiny" is featured on the Lacoste website. For SkyTV's broadcast of the Star Wars Saga (Episodes 1-6), "Destiny" was used as the background music in the 'romance' version of the full length commercial. In early 2006, HBO used "In The Waiting Line" for a promotional for the network's upcoming season of shows. The 96-second trailer featured clips of the shows moving in backwards fashion.

[edit] Discography

[edit] EPs

[edit] Albums

[edit] Singles

  • "I Have Seen" - (June, 2001) #76 UK
  • "Destiny" - (September, 2001) #30 UK
  • "End Theme" - (November, 2001) #117 UK
  • "In the Waiting Line" - (November, 2001) #47 UK
  • "Distractions" - (March, 2002) #45 UK
  • "I Have Seen" (re-issue) - (January, 2002)
  • "Home" - (February, 2004)
  • "Somersault" - (June, 2004) #56 UK
  • "In Time" - (August, 2004) (released as a download-only single)
  • "Warm Sound" - (May, 2005)
  • "Futures" - (March, 2006)
  • "Throw It All Away" - (May, 2006)
  • "You're My Flame" - (July, 2006)
  • "Futures" (re-issue) - (September, 2006)
  • "If I Can't Have You" - (October, 2006)

[edit] B-sides, non-album tracks & rarities

  • "Low" - EP 1
  • "One Arm Break" - EP 1
  • "Monday Night" - EP 2 (CD)
  • "Spinning Dub" - EP 2 (12")
  • "Spinning" - B-side from "I Have Seen" (12"/CD)
  • "Salt Water Sound" - B-side from "I Have Seen" (12"/CD)
  • "Truth & Rights" - Another Late Night: Zero 7 (CD/Vinyl)
  • "Milton At Midnight" - iTunes download-only EP
  • "Light Blue Movers" - B-side from "Somersault" (12"/CD)
  • "E.V." - Extremely rare promo track
  • "Planets" - Extremely rare promo track
  • "Dreaming" - B-side from "Futures" (7")
  • "Thistles" - B-side from "Throw It All Away" (CD)
  • "Inaminute" - B-side from "Throw It All Away" (7"/CD)

There is also an as-yet unreleased Zero 7 track, "Weep Away", written by singer/songwriter and long-time band cohort Dedi Madden

[edit] Soundtracks & compilations

[edit] Remixes [by Zero 7 and various artists]

  • Distractions (Bugz in the Attic Remix)
  • Distractions (Bugz Cooperative Dub)
  • Distractions (DJ Spinna Remix)
  • Distractions (Version Idjut)
  • Distractions (Madlib's YNQ Remix)
  • Distractions (Block 16 Remix)
  • Destiny (Photek Remix)
  • Destiny (Hefner's Destiny's Chill)
  • Destiny (Simian Remix)
  • Destiny (Acoustic Mix)
  • End Theme (Roni Size's Tear It Up Remix)
  • End Theme (Roni Size's Tear It Down Remix)
  • End Theme (Herbert's Unrealised Remix)
  • In the Waiting Line (Aquanote's Naked Adaptation)
  • In the Waiting Line (Diaspora Mix, Osunlade Instrumental)
  • In the Waiting Line (Slide Remix)
  • In the Waiting Line (Dorfmeister Con Madrid De Los Austrias Dub)
  • In the Waiting Line (Koop Remix)
  • Home (Stereolab Remix)
  • Home (Ben Watt Remix)
  • Somersault (Yam Who? Mix)
  • Somersault (Danger Mouse Remix)
  • Warm Sound (Remystify Mix)
  • Warm Sound (Justin Haylock Mix)
  • Warm Sound (Input Junkie Remix)
  • To Ulrike M. - Doris Days
  • Up With People - Lambchop
  • If You Can't Say No - Lenny Kravitz
  • Climbing Up The Walls - Radiohead
  • Twisty Bass - Neil Finn
  • Umi Says - Mos Def
  • Low 5 - Sneaker Pimps
  • Provider - N.E.R.D.
  • Love Theme From Spartacus - Terry Callier

[edit] Awards

  • Nominated for a 2007 Grammy Award for The Garden in the category Best Electronic/Dance Album

[edit] References

Some of the biographical information in this article was derived from [1] and [2].

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../z/e/r/Zero_7.html"