The men behind U.K. soul outfit Zero 7 -- producers Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker -- launched their careers in the music industry as tea boys at a London recording studio. Soon after, 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 1990s 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 couple of remixes; 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 similar fate awaited their second release, EP 2. Their first 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. Their sophomore effort, When It Falls, appeared in March 2004, and it was followed two years later by Garden, which included contributions from longtime favorite Sia as well as Swedish star José González. ~ David Peter Wesolowski, All Music Guide
