Review: Man like Zero T lays down a love letter to the foundations on the forever check-on-sight Sofa Sound. Five cuts in total, complete with collabs with fellow kindred jungle spirits Molecular and DLR and a VIP of the already massive 'Jazz Tone', it's yet another near-perfect workout from an artist who can genuinely do no wrong. From the opening (and highly infectious) Zinc-style bongo roll-out title track to the last gully croaks of the finale 'Drop With Me', Zero T has nailed it.
Review: Once again, the crew behind The Sauce Recordings have decided to deliver us a box of festival ready selections, welcoming five D&B heavyweights inside for a sumptuous display of original high tempo energy. We open up with the chilling horn sweeps and big room bass drops of Zero-T's 'On The M.I.C', a fragrant explosion of junglist juice, followed by both the unusual rhythmic switch ups of 'Sweet Chilli'. From Genic & Tracker, and the system-rumbling sub designs of 'Burnt Toast' from Objectiv. The high octane adventure then comes to a close with a look at 'Your Style', a bulbous roller, taking minimal percussion and lethal bass booms to round off the project in style.
Review: Oh gosh. Total Science ante up for the summer with this exceptional V/A EP on their CIA imprint. Kicking off with a crucial new remix of their classic "Nosher" by their new hybrid gang comprising themselves, DLR and Hydro, full breadth and variation abounds as we dip into the gilded soul of Zero T & Phase's "Talk To Me", the gnarled grizzles and dubby danger of their own "Devil's Gate" with Scar member Script and the grand finale; a heavyweight purring roller from two of the most respected newcomers in the game right now: Ill Truth and SATL. Each one a persy for different chapters of the night, any further information is classified.
Review: Everybody needs good neighbours... And they don't come much better than Zero T and his pianist neighbour Onj. The pair had been living next door to each other for years without even knowing each other, now, thanks to a local situation, they're writing whole albums together. As always with Zero T, the vibes are set at the highest possible flavours and range from soulful to savage at the flick of a switch. Blind pianist Onj is new to D&B production but clearly knows the vibe and articulates his musicianship over the breaks tastefully, skilfully and perfectly. Featuring vocalists such as the legendary Ursula Rucker, Steo and T-Man (to name but a few), this is a class body of work delivered in that elegant way that only The North Quarter knows how.
Review: Zero T has returned to Lenzman's The North Quarter imprint for his second full release on the label following Baby Grand several years ago, and he's doing so with a serious sense of purpose. Made up of five tracks that he wrote in order to capture the breadth of sounds he loves in the genre, Former Self starts off on a liquid tip with another gorgeous Steo collaboration, followed by a melancholic yet hopeful remix of Lonely Night by Mango x Mathman. Things then take a turn into tougher territory, as the Irish producer lays out an almost-jump up slew of force on 'I Want More', before rounding things out in true Bristol style with 'Clash' featuring Myth. Exceptional.
Review: Zero T is back on CIA, a label he's worked with frequently over the years and an imprint which is well suited to his blend of light and dark sounds. MYWRLD is exactly that, and contained within are pointed breaks, rolling basslines and luscious atmospherics, the full Zero T package that we know and expect. The title tune is a dagger of a jungle cut, with expertly crafted drums which chop and change, flipping the momentum over and over to create a superb percussive basis. 'One More Chance' is more rolling, with an excellent diving bassline that goosebump-raising in its subtle low frequencies, and 'Radical Step' is an inch-perfect stepper with crispness at its core. A wicked three-tracker from the Irish master.
Review: Zero T, LSB, FD and Tokyo Prose... Talk about soulful heavyweights! Each player representing with a sublime slice of rolling gold, this is - without question - one of the best "Fourfit" EPs we've seen to date (and, let's face it, they've all been amazing) Zero T brings the shimmering ivories, Tokyo Prose gets dreamy, FD unites the dusky vocals of Collette with the rusty dynamics of amens while LSB gets his timeless jazz on. When it comes to authentic deep, rolling, soulful D&B, this EP is a gnat's nads from perfection.
Review: They just keep on coming... Zero T and Fierce are smashing out some of the most concentrated, thoroughbred drum & bass this year. But then what did you expect from two legends of this calibre? Both bringing out contrasting sides to each other (Zero T highlights Fierce's funk while Fierce encourages Zero T's darker side) each track has been a guaranteed killer. "Scatter" punches with sky-scraping drums, classic FX and a stretched MC vocal. "Inhibitor" plays the perfect foil as the wasp nest bass takes the lead role and the drums roll gently in the background. Timeless.
Review: Cold, slick and fiercely rolling, Zero T and Fierce have absolutely nailed it with "Intrinsic". Following the path of old school sounds with towering atmospheres, this tune is the sound of 1am. Head down, eyes closed, sway to the groove. It's every good night you've ever had. "Second nature" rattles off on similar rails as the rolling masterpiece before it, however it takes a swift detour with syncopated drums and unexpected breaks that drag you out of the fog, only to get sucked back in by the deep, subby bass.
Review: Zero T and Fierce on Metalheadz: Few words are required, we all know we're dealing with uncut premium kit here. "Bonesmen" is all about the dark tech groove, the way the drums switch with subtlety, the persistent sub and classic Headz FX rotate through the spectrum. "In Circles" flips the vibe with a lighter tone in the pads, a sweet deep dream atmosphere on the blink-and-miss breakdown and chirpier, looser, funkier drums. Two cuts, both true to the craft.
Review: After a few years away from the scene, Zero T has returned to remind us who's the boss. Up there with Calibre and Break, his productions rattle with effortless funk and soul while exposing enough dark underbelly to appeal to fans of the harder sound. Hence this appearance on Metalheadz with Beta 2. "Election" is a growling, grunting roller with a simple-but-deadly bass lick while "What's Wrong" flips for a slower tempo halftime slinky session that nods deftly at the very early days of dubstep when UKG took a turn for the dark. For balance Beta 2 goes solo "The Edge". A bulbous roller a la late 90s Moving Fusion, watch out for those strings - when they come in, they'll sweep you off your feet.
Review: Cor blimey governors! Zero T and Beta 2 don't muck around when they get together, do they? Last spotted on a collab flex on Dispatch last year, here the pair lay the foundation smack down on Headz with this massive six track EP. Tapping right back on the classic deep jazz sound the label has always celebrated and championed as the much as heavier stuff (think Hidden Agenda, Sci-Clone, J Majik) each of these cuts will whisk you away to places you didn't even know existed. The gilded Rhodes on "In My Head", the slinky, lithe bassline of "Misdemeanour", the star-gazing poignancy of "Stacks", the list goes on. Yet another exceptional EP from the mothership.
Review: Calling all DJs and getaway drivers alike! Prolific groove wizard Zero T continues his rich vein of form with 'Off Broadway' and there's a strong twang of 70s New York underworld to a few of the tracks. 'Drama' set the scene with little jazzy echoes and a groove grubbier than Giuliani. It's backed by plenty more dramatic moments; 'You're The One' is a sultry lesson in restraint, 'Something Got Me' tickles the 4 Hero spot with its slinky double bassline and dubby beat effects, 'She Moves' is pure summertime spring while 'This Condition' is a whirling cosmic dervish. And that's not even the whole EP. What happens 'Off Broadway' stays 'Off Broadway.'
Right Stuff (feat Need For Mirrors) - (5:00) 174 BPM
Let It Rain (feat DRS) - (4:53) 174 BPM
Feel The Need (feat Colonel Red) - (5:01) 66 BPM
Lazybones (feat Lenzman) - (5:15) 174 BPM
Tears (instrumental) - (5:18) 174 BPM
Let It Rain (instrumental) - (4:52) 174 BPM
Review: For this one, drum and bass revelations Zero T and Unitsouled join forces on a smooth, liquified composition entitled 'Baby Grand'. The guys at The North Quarter have struck gold with this one as luscious chords are dual wielded with precisely layered subs to form a perfect high energy harmony.
Review: Following the release 'Kilburn' last summer, Zero T and his piano virtuoso neighbour Onj continue to soundtrack and document the vibes and history of their north west London cultural melting pot with 'Kilburn Park'. Album in size, and a feast in terms of scope and range, the flavours range from high grade neo soul and jazzy broken beat to the finale D&B slappers and smoulder sessions. With remixes from various Co-Op members such as newcomer James Rudie and bruk OG Mark Force (from Bugz In The Attic) this is an exciting development for Lenzman's label as he is now highlighting and nurturing the type of influences that The North Quarter has always been inspired by... Exceptional, organic and deeply soulful. Zero T and Onj have created something truly special here.
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