Another Late Night - Zero 7

by John Bush Following volumes helmed by Fila Brazillia, Howie B, and Rae & Christian, Kinetic's downtempo mix series Another Late Night turned to Zero 7, another electronica production act sympathetic to the idea of a soulful chill-out session. And though the racks are already straining from the weight of laid-back mix albums, Zero 7's is another solid edition. The duo begins on a high note, culling half a dozen great tracks from the rap underground like "Real Eyes" by freak-out auteur Quasimoto and an excellent postmodern dub deconstruction of "Witness" by Roots Manuva. Farther on, Zero 7 tightly navigates the common ground between France and Brazil, courtesy of the heart-stopping transition between new-school Brazilian group Da Lata and a remix (by Matthew Herbert) of the Serge Gainsbourg/Brigitte Bardot classic "Bonnie & Clyde." They also flaunt their knowledge of soul by seeking out specialist heroes Leroy Hutson and Sylvia Striplin, and contribute their own remake of "Truth and Rights," a 1980 cut from reggae rocker Johnny Osbourne. Yes, Another Late Night does display yet another electronica act trying to prove they know their music history, but even if it is rather poised, it's also very good.