Leo Zero has compiled and mixed the inaugural Disconnect release, a new series of mixes from one of our favourite labels Strut Records.
The past 18 months have seen Leo Zero’s name become synonymous with the phrase “good remix that” as artists disparate as the Modfather, Florence & the Machine and Metronomy have called on him for typically unique reimaginations. Couple this with the veteran producer’s prodigious output of illicit edits which have impressed on the dancefloor and the internet in equal measures and it’s not hard to conceive why his forthcoming album Acid Life is so eagerly awaited.
Ahead of that impending release Leo rounds up some of his most highly sought after edits across two CDs here. On the first, Mr Zero showcases his respected skills as a DJ weaving between twelve edits which sometimes bridge the gap between old and new with aplomb (Stevie Wonder vs Empire Of The Sun for example) and keeps the groove consistent throughout.
Budding mutant disco DJs will be more interested in the second CD which is unmixed and gathers nine of the aforementioned rarities in newly remastered form. Starting off with the midnight sax shuffle of his re work of The Police you get the killer Prefab Sprout edit (An end of night standard at Disco Bloodbath) interspersed the low slung psychedelic chug of his Rat Salad “Clapping Song” and perhaps the pièce de résistance that is “Message Of Love” featuring the distinct tones of one Freddie Mercury. A strictly limited one off pressing which comes housed in the distinctive artwork of Leo Zero himself makes this a worthy purchase.
Tony Poland