Zero 7 has been a favorite of mine ever since I first discovered their work through a free download via Amazon.com with their song Destiny and later through the use of their song In the Waiting Line in the movie Garden State. Zero 7 is the name for two musicians, Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker, although they frequently collaborate with a number of other musicians for their work. Their first song was a remix of Radiohead's Climbing Up the Walls, which was a b-side for Karma Police. This led to several collaborations and soon, an EP called EP1, when they first used the name Zero 7, in 1999.
Climbing Up the Walls (Zero 7 Remix) - Radiohead
Two years later, the duo released their first album, Simple Things, a down-tempo album that would eventually become a gold record. On the album, they collaborated with Mozez, Sia Furler, and Sophie Barker. Simple Things brought the band out into the limelight, with a number of critical praises. The album is probably my favorite of the group, with it's low-key sound and number of outstanding songs.
End Theme - Zero 7
2004 marked the band's second album, called When It Falls, where the duo collaborated once again with Mozez, Sia Furler, and Sophie Barker, with Tina Dico joining the ensamble. While the album retained a similar feel to Simple Things, I never got the same feel that I did with their first album.
Speed Dial No. 2 - Zero 7
The Garden, the band's third album, was released last year, with only Sia returning for the album, but with Swedish singer José González joining her for several songs. Henry Binns also contributed vocals to the album. This album was a little more upbeat than the prior two, with a slightly different sound and tone to the whole thing. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award in 2007.
Throw It All Away - Zero 7
Over the past couple of years, Zero 7 has had their music used in a number of television and movie projects, ranging from the Garden State soundtrack to CSI, Veronica Mars, House MD and a couple others. I'm hoping that we'll be seeing more from these guys within the next couple of years, because I can't get enough of their music. The band is currently working on a Ingrid Eto, an insturmental project.
