Leo Zero is a man with as many names as he has talents: he's a producer, DJ, graphic artist and naturally talented beer-balancer. The UK dance veteran is coming to Australia for the first time for People Must Jam's warehouse party next weekend, and in anticipation he has given us a taste of his favourite electro and house music, including remixes of The Temper Trap and Azealia Banks. He also told us ten fun facts bit about himself:
1. My real name is Leo Elstob. Some people think this sounds like an anagram. Leo Elstob is not a 'catchy DJ name'. Some people call me Les Bootle which is an anagram. Confused?
2. I used to run club nights pretty much every week all through the 90s. I've got the scars to prove it — in some cases real scars!
3. I can balance a beer on the back of my head, which is strangely flat (at school my nickname was Herman as in Herman Munster).
4. The top ten people I'd would like to work with right now are:
Canyons, Bat For Lashes,
Fleetwood Mac, Daft Punk, John Cale, Kate Bush, Bruce Cockburn, Leroy Burgess, Larry Heard, Matt Johnson of The The.
5. I meditate every day
— you should try it, it not some hippie thing
— it's the best way to be calm and creative. David Lynch and the boss of Def Jam records do it too. Here's a
quick guide.
6. I trained as a graphic artist and do collage and screen printing when I'm not doing music stuff. Last year I had art shows in London and Berlin with my friends Dave Little and Luke Insect.
7. I have a new record label called
Wigwam — post punk, new wave funk, industrial and classic Balearic beats are on the menu.
8. Wigwam's first release is an official remix package of the 1986 Balearic classic 'Masimbabele' by The Unknown Cases, featuring myself and Headman at the remix controls.
9. My favourite desert is trifle. Hopefully they have trifle in Australia.
10. I'm currently working on a disco album which features the drummer from Bow Wow Wow/Adam And The Ants. Vocals are by his five-year-old daughter and a singer who is a judge on the Slovenian version of X Factor — strange but true.
Tracklist:
1. Band Aid — A Tour In Italy (Dub Version)
2. Manu Dibango — Sun Explosion (The Reflex Re-Edit)
3. Switchblade Sisters — U Love My Music
4. The Temper Trap — Sweet Disposition (Carnatt B Remix)
5. Gazebo Edits No.17 — The Queen is Dubbed
6. Eric Clapton & Sting — It´s Probably Me (Rayko Edit)
7. Jay West — Walk The Night
8. Lup Ino — Funsick (Ron Basejam Remix)
9. Azealia Banks — Fierce
10. Iz & Diz — Mouth (Pepe Bradock Remix)
11. Gramme — Too High (Leo Zero Remix)
12. Jutty Ranx — Don't let Me Down (Leo Zero Remix)
13. Boy — Little Numbers (Leo Zero Remix)
Dijana Kumurdian
