007 Minus One of the 0's. Zero 7...

Zero 7

British producers Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker studied sound engineering and basically worked their way from the ground up in the music industry working alongside artists such as The Pet Shop Boys and Robert Plant, and gradually they began releasing their own stuff. Their good buddy Nigel Godrich (him again), helped them get their foot in the door. Their first EP was released in 1999 and it was called, get this, EP1. Yeah. Those witty Brits. EP1 featured remixes of songs by Sneaker Pimps, Lenny Kravitz, Lambchop, and Radiohead. Few copies were made, but they were snatched up almost as quickly as they were released. They subsequently released a second EP entitled ... are you ready for this .... EP2.

In 2001 the released their first album called Simple Things on which they collaborated with Sia Furler and Sophia Baker. Critics were ga-ga for the release, and it was nominated for multiple awards including the Mercury Music Prize. Their sophomore effort, When It Falls, was released in 2004 and saw the duo collaborating with the same vocalists as on Simple Things with the addition of Danish singer Tina Dico. 

For their third album, Binns and Hardaker told all their previous collaborators to hit the road so they could get back to basics as a duo. So on The Garden, they only worked with Furler, and brought on some new guy named Jose Gonzalez (who's he?).  Then in 2007 they released Yeah Ghost with a similar sound to The Garden but with a decidedly more upbeat sound.

Their stuff has been featured on television shows like House, CSI, and Sex and the City, as well as movies such as Garden State, and Blue Crush.

I think they are pretty amazing. Their sound says "I want to get my groove on" but "I don't want to get off the couch to do so." It's a mellow laid back blend of acid-jazz and trip-hop that creates a unique soundscape that also could easily be classified in the "shoegazer" aisle. Binns and Hardaker rarely provide vocals as they rely on other artists for this mundane task, and they also have several instrumental tracks in case vocals aren't your thing. Oh and by the way, they got the name from some bar in Honduras. 

So the next time your list of things to do includes chilling out and listening to soothing music, or you are in need of some nice background soundscape music, spin some zero 7.

Here's a clip from Garden State that features the song "In The Waiting Line" (This song will seep into your pores). Please don't watch if drugs and make-out scenes get your panties in a wad...

Here's a G-rated version of the entire  song..




And this song is called "Give IT Away" and will mellow yo tense-ass out





What do you listen to to chill?