Big Chill Bar, London - Wednesday 10th march 2001

PETE FOWLER - MONSTERISM / JON TYE - LO RECORDINGS / LEO ZERO

We salute the 'Big West Coast 70's Studio Sound. 

"I've got this image of a pipe smoking guy in a cable knit sweater carefully adjusting a Fairchild compressor worth tens of thousands of dollars....or a shot from the back of a Steely Dan album where they've just recorded the 50th different guitar solo take for Peg and have finally struck gold."

 It's like sonic perfection was finally accomplished sometime in 1974 in a gargantuan studio in California called something like "Sea Haze" and ever since we've been marvelling at how and why nothing has ever sounded quite so syrupy-rich and gorgeous ever again....

 One part BBC stereophonic workshop, and one part George Lucas's Industrial Light and Magic, these places were the epicentre of all things Soft Rock, Yacht Rock, decadent and overblown.

The sonic elves & wizards who inhabited these realms where the cooler, hairier Californinan cousins of our open university type. With their original 'nerd chic' these 70's techies were like their chocolate corduroy clad European counterparts, but covered in a technicolour LA / Frisco glow. Just like that Fast Show guy, but with valve amps instead of test tubes.

These Studios offered up A decades worth of incredibly lush headphone treats before slowly going a bit pear-shaped by the mid eighties. Just like Dirk Diggler's painful Boogie Nights recording session. It was all over by 1985 - all the drums had nasty gated plate reverb and the haircuts we're more memorable than the music. But for a while these places, and 'The Dan', 'The Mac', 'The Doobie's, and all their contemporaries had hit musical perfection, with an audio mastering and vinyl production zenith at the time to match.

To anyone with a decent pair of ears, these slabs of vinyl history make todays mp3s sound like a serious step backward... So tonight we'll be focusing on big, daft, 70's rock records that hit you like being tango'ed with a thick creamy wodge of Rhodes Piano and vocal harmony - So tonight it's all about a "rich tapestry of sound / sonic landscapes / analogue warmth / dynamic range" - man.

Leo Zero, 2010.

This is a bit of a weird one - not your obvious choice of track or style of re-edit... but's that kinda why I like it. I was inspired by all the early 90's funk productions coming out of Italy on labels like PCN and Irma...( The backing track I built under the acapella is what turned into my track 'Get Nice' ) I went to Peter Pan in Rimini back in about 1990 and the 6am early morning afro funky set by the locals was what really got me.... for a quick dip into this sound check anything by the masters of the scene: Jestofunk.

Ce Ce Penniston - Finally Leo Zero '1990 Rimini Funk' Remix by Leo Zero

Here's a slice of late night deep house I wacked a Bloc Party acapella over - I just love the song, such amazing lyrics: All about life when you've been in love with a special someone for many years and it just gets better and better. The backing track was a return to working in Logic after having a few projects on the go in Ableton and I was craving a bit of prescision drum programming in a Mood 2 Swing stylee that only Logic can deliver - and a nice deep deep bassline..... this one's for the 'headphone housers' out there. hope you like it.

Bloc Party 'Ion Square' (Leo Zero Remix) by Leo Zero

This remix has really grown on me since I did it - Kenneth's parts were so beautifully recorded and there was a lot to play with, including some amazing Hi-life style guitar which reminded me of Herbie Hancock's v balearic Soundsystem album. Anyone who knows New Jersey House classic 'Let the rain Come Down' by Intense will know where I stole the idea for the rain sound fx! And I had lot's of fun programming the 707 drum parts on this which are a big nod to the master Mr Larry Heard. Enjoy!

Kenneth Bager - 'I Can't Wait' ( Leo Zero Remix ) by Leo Zero

Here's another Illustration for RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY - check out their 'Daily Note' newspaper - it's given away at London tube stations during the academy - but you can also download it as a pdf from their site.

An early Chicago vibe on this recent remix for Tim Simenon's ace outfit Bomb The Bass - I've been a big fan since 'Beat Dis' & Megablast' in 87-88....also check 'Sandcastles' and 'Bug Powder Dust' for another pair of killers from Tim. THIS IS OUT NOW ON !K7

Bomb The Bass - Boy Girl (Leo Zero Dub) by Leo Zero

A remix for Paul Weller / Island records that was a real honour ( and a lot of fun) to do. I think of this sound as what was going on at Blackpool's Mecca Ballroom on the Northern Soul scene - slightly disco-fied.... but this track also reminds me of Neil Diamond and Glen Campbell - it's a truly great song, and I was literally jumping round the studio with excitement when I first heard it! It was one thing to land a Paul Weller mix after being a fan for so long, but then to find out it was for such a belter of a song was mindblowing.

Paul Weller - 'No Tears To Cry' ( Leo Zero Remix ) by Leo Zero

Here's the first of my Illustrations for 2 articles by top music writer Jon Savage which appear in Red Bull music Academy's DAILY NOTE Newspaper....You can download the pdf's of THE DAILY NOTE from redbullmusicacademy.com

'Get Deep' (a Leo Zero re-edit) by Leo Zero

This one's been doing the rounds for a good few years, but people still keep asking for it when I DJ - The Roland Clark acapella is just killer, and i couldn't help doing a re-rub with some of my favourite NYC classics thrown in.

'Blind Chaz' A LEO ZERO EDIT by Leo Zero

This mash up is an instrumental re-edit of Chaz Jankel's amazing 'Feel Alone' with Hercules & Love Affair's 'Blind' acapella over the top... Chaz is one of my all time fave musicians - go and check his best of: 'My Occupation' or the classic  'Glad To Know You' for proof of a stone cold genius.... oh and he co-wrote 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick - what a dude.

Leo Zero Radio1 Minimix by Leo Zero

Back in the day these things were called megamixes - but now they are mini-mixes? why do they have to keep on changing everything..... walks off muttering in grumpy old git fashion....

1.Intro : WIGWAM MC - TROY FORTRESS / 2.Candido - 'Jingo' Original / 3.Candido - 'Jingo' (Leo Zero WIGWAM remix) / 4.M.I.A - 'Boyz' / 5.Gorilaz - 'Feel Good inc.' / 6.Masters At work - 'Work' / 7.CeCe Rogers - 'Someday' / 8.New Order - 'Crystal' / 9.Lady Saw - 'Up For this' / 10.The Chemical Brothers - 'Push The Button' / 11.Odyssey - 'Going Back To my Roots' / 12.The Clash - 'Should I Stay or Should I Go?' / 13.Euro Funk - 'Dynomite' / 14.Basement Jaxx - 'Where's Your Head At?' / 15.Willie Mitchell - 'The Champion / 16. Noisettes - Don't Upset The Rhythm (Leo Zero WIGWAM remix) 

GET IT HERE

There's so much amazing music around at the moment - here's a mixtape of recent internet finds and purchases on Juno... Brendan Lynch on the mix of the new Findlay Brown is pure genius, the Graham Coxon is so CAN-tastic on the drum groove, and Glow sound like Orange Juice, Mike Oldfiled & Temper Trap in a blender! delicious! and the mix of Toot & The Maytals into Patti Smith was a lot of fun....Also check the new slice of cheesey Italian Pop by Richy B Melodia - sounds to these ears like some lost Balearic chestnut. Enjoy!

LEO ZERO Black Smoke Mixtape 1. tracklist:

1. Alec Burton & Shelter - 'Strike Back Riddim'

1a. Dinosaur Jr. -'Feel The Pain'_(acapella)

2. Findlay Brown - 'Nobody Cared' (Lynchmob_version)

3. Pomegranates - 'Sleep Over' EDIT 

4. Dan Arborise - 'Another Side Of The Sky'

5. Graham Coxon - 'Dead Bees'

6. Richy B Melodia - 'Keep It Moving On'

7. Royal Bangs - War Bells

8. Glow - Open Your Heart

9. JJ - From Africa To Málaga

10. Toots & The Maytals - Time Tough

11. Patti Smith - Redondo Beach

12. Tame Impala - H.F.G.W (Canyons Drunken Rage)

13. Badly Drawn Boy - Disillusion

14. Devendra Banhart - Baby

Download here

DOWNLOAD HERE

I did this little edit for Lovebox - and it went down a treat.

Empire of The Sun vs Stevie wonder - Enjoy!

Jammin' On A Dream by Leo Zero

The Popular People's front are back again - nothing from me on the new 12" but I have supplied some new artwork, I always love doing these sleeves....a CD is on the way soon from the PPF too - the latest twelve is a solid boogie 4 tracker with nice cosmic twists, and as ever totally dancefloor friendly... as Robin Lee from Faze Action said to me recently "Those PPF 12"s always get me out of a tight spot when the crowd needs perking up"....too right!   Hat's off to the Duck once again for another top selection.

I'm off down the road to Camden on Saturday 8th Aug for a return visit to one of my fave gigs...Asbo at the Lock Tavern with Alvin C from Wall of Sound Records and Pete & Boggy (Riotous Rockers) I thought I'd knock up a flyer with some new 3D cut and paste stuff I've been experimenting with, and an ace new 3D type program called 'art text' - hope you like it - And if you are in London come and say hello - it's a great night, and it's free! - Last time it was unusually packed with sexy women down there - which can't be anything to do with the resident Dj's good looks (he he) check it out here www.myspace.com/asborave

Here's some new artwork for the mysterious  Poplular People's Front who I've been collaborating with for a while now doing collage sleeves for their re-edit series, and contributing various edits and mixes. the Front plan to step up their campaign this year with a DJ assault on festivals and clubs as a full soundsystem - expect beefed up hi-tech boogie mixed tight like those noizey new raver/fidgit DJs but with an altogether more soulful feel.... perfect festival gear.

The beats were inspired by Buraka Som Sistema and all that Kuduro stuff - then I found the Flo-Rida acca online and it all came together... add some Glock shots and away we go! I was imagining this coming out of those lovely speakers in room 1 at Fabric for Switch & Sinden's Get Familiar night - I always imagine a club or a Dj playing the track when I'm making it.... of course we then needed some nice afro/digital/quantel paintbox stylee collage artwork to finish things off.... I love how colour schemes have got so wrong these days.....reminds me of BMX circa 1985 - turquoise pink and lime green.....mmmmmm...lovely!

LEO ZERO 'Drop Drop'