First off, don’t let the title of this 2CD compilation put you off as the 23 tracks are not in any way second rate – this is Zero dB after all!
It’s been a while since fans of Zero dB could revel in their last album Bongos, Bleeps and Basslines that came out in 2006. Even though the Heavyweight Gringos remixes (including our mates Daedelus and Tony Nwachukwu) a couple of years later, possibly due to the super human effort that Chris Vogado put into the Fluid Ounce Presents compilation and Neil Combstock DJing around the world, we’ve heard nowt since.
Now that might be OK for Ninja Tune but Robert Luis‘ Tru-Thoughts wasn’t having any of this malarkey any longer, so for once, Ninja Tune have let them out on loan for a one-off compilation release of all sorts pioneering dancefloor heavy Latin jazz, electro, hip-hop and house beats.
And it’s not all about bigger beats and deeper basslines when it comes to their remixes that mostly populate the double CD. There’s been absolutely loads over the years and mere mention of some of the labels that have demanded a Zero dB track/remix indicates just how good they are; as an idea there’s been BBE, Compost Records, Ubiquity Records, Ecco.Chamber, Far Out Recordings, Talkin’ Loud, Mo’Smog Records, Schema, Studio !K7 and many more.
With such a set of labels One Offs, Remixes And B-Sides is just the set you need to get all their previously hard to find gems in one place as there’s the remixes by underground elite such as Moonstarr, Aaron Jerome (last seen on the Laroca Unit 125 EP) and Seiji for starters.
And then there’s the ‘DJ only allowed’ tracks like Hextatic‘s Distorted Minds (Zero dB mix), the Dave Da Gato Mix of ‘Seven By Seven’ by Inverse Cinematics and the rediculously good and previously criminally only available on limited vinyl, the almighty Zero dB classic ‘The Snare’.
Not only that Tru-Thoughts go that one step further with brand new tracks like Dave Da Gato’s ‘F_ck-Up The Festivals Bounce’ version of ‘Universe’ by Alice Russell (and it’s good to hear Alice in a non-normal Alice setting so to speak), Ninja Tune’s Bonobo (unrecognisable save for the vocals of Bajka) and Quantic.
Eessential listen for existing fans of Zero dB’s unique concoction of Latin heat, jazz colour, startling beats and pure bassline filth, but for anyone who has been remotely moved by dance music in the last half decade.
And there’s still loads of excellent back catalogue that didn’t make it like remixes by Nery Bauer, the Suba’s ‘Samba Do Gringo Paulista’ remix excellence (for more on Suba with BiggaBush click HERE) or Daisuke Tanabe but you can’t have everyting and when there’s massive tracks like Dave Da Gato ‘El Diablo’ and ‘El Fantasma Del Liberdad’, that’d be enough for most?
What with all this new material, sort of makes wonder if their best ever track (the classic remix of Grupo Batuque ‘E Ruim‘) could ever be challenged? Well, if you love that, wait ’til you hear ‘That Drum Track’! Yep it’s a drum track – Wow!
This one is a must.
Reviewed: Zero dB – One Offs, Remixes And B-Sides (Tru-Thoughts) Cat. No. TRUCD209 Release Date: 22nd February, 2010
Tracklisting:
1. Zero dB – Come Party (7:39)
2. Alice Russell – Universe (Dave Da Gato’s ‘F_ck-up THe Festival Bounce’) (4:54)
3. Zero dB – A Pomba De Girou (Moonstarr Remix) (7:20)
4. Zero dB – Click (6:12)
5. The Vogado Projects – Mas Fuerte Que El Sol (9:32)
6. Javi P3z Orchestra – El Pinball (Dave Da Gato Una Mas Mix) (8:01)
7. Inverse Cinematics – 7×7 (Dave Da Gato’s Baad Ass Tapas Remix) (8:52)
8. Zero dB – On The 1 & 3 Vs. Know What I’m Saying (Aaron Jerome Remix) (3:53)
9. Quantic – Life In The Rain (Dave Da Gato’s Ferile Touch) (5:44)
10. Frank De JoJo – Turn Off The Lights (7:27)
11. Brighter Days – Toufe Yen Yen (Dave Da Gato Remix) (7:17)
CD2
1. Zero dB – The Snare (6:39)
2. John Kong & Moonstarr – Future Vision (Zero Db Reconstruction) (6:11)
3. Zero dB – Conga Madness (Seiji Remix) (6:02)
4. DJ Kentaro – Beep On (Zero Db Reconstruction)(4:32)
5. Grupo Batuque – E Ruim (Zero Db Reconstruction) (7:36)
6. Hexstatic – Distorted Minds (Zero Db Mix) (5:32)
7. Zzouf – That Drum Track (4:07)
8. Zzouf – You Not Been Drinkin’ (4:06)
9. Dave Da Gato – El Diablo (6:15)
10. Raphael Sebbag – El Fantasma Del Liberdad (Featuring Telmary) (Zero Db Reconstruction) (6:19)
11. Rosalia De Souza – Maria Moita (Zero Db Mix) (6:37)
12. Bonobo – Nightlite (Zero Db Reconstruction) (7:23)
Links:
zero-db.com
www.ninjatune.net
www.fluidounce.com
myspace.com/tonynwachukwu
www.myspace.com/bajkamusic
tru-thoughts.co.uk
myspace.com/truthoughtsrecords
youtube.com/user/truthoughtsrecords
facebook.com/truthoughts
twitter.com/tru_thoughts
