| B i o g r a p h y |
The men behind the European downtempo outfit
Zero 7 - producers Henry Binns
and Sam Hardaker - launched
their careers in the music industry as tea boys at a London recording
studio. Shortly thereafter, however, both were in the thick of action,
working alongside a string of well-known British musicians such as the
Pet Shop Boys and Robert Plant. They spent the best part of the '90s
honing their production skills behind the scenes. Then, after taking on
the name of a nightclub in Honduras, the duo gradually began unleashing
their own ideas onto an unsuspecting public.
First came a handful of remixes, including Radiohead's "Climbing Up the
Walls" and Terry Callier's "Love Theme from Spartacus." In 1999, Zero 7
released their first EP, the suitably titled EP 1. Only a handful of
copies were made and they sold out in a matter of days, a feat that was
repeated with Zero 7's second release, EP 2. Their first full-length
album, Simple Things, came out amid much salivating from the media in
mid-2001. A collection of laid-back soul, acid jazz, and funk tracks,
the album carried collaborations with respected vocalists Mozez, Sia
Furler, and Sophie Barker. A sophomore effort, When It Falls, appeared
in March 2004, followed two years later by the Grammy-nominated Garden,
which included contributions from longtime partner Sia as well as
Swedish star José González. Meanwhile, Zero 7's presence on the popular
Garden State soundtrack helped attract a wider audience, and the band
returned in 2009 with Yeah Ghost.
David Peter Wesolowski - All Music Guide