Zambient One

ZTT. What does that mean to you? Do you remember that it stood for Zang Tumb Tuum? Did you remember that this was named after Italian futurist FT Marinetti’s “Zang Tumb Tuum”, a book describing war where zang tumb tuum is an onomatopoeic description of the sound of a machine gun? Do you remember that Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Art of Noise were on ZTT? I did. I also remembered  the big shiny production work by Trevor Horn so capturing that slightly tinny 80s sound. But most of all I remembered reams and reams of pretentious twaddle written by Paul Morley. I had consigned the label to the dustbin of my memory. Perhaps I had done so prematurely.

ZTT is still active, mostly as a heritage label recycling its past. And they’ve a new album out this week called Zambient One which takes a load of slightly offbeat past remixes into a single album. This reminded me that I do have a number of ZTT releases in my collection, not least because 808 State signed to them. This new album is rather well put together. It takes a load of essentially downtempo dance mixes, not all of which you’d think would sit easily together into what they call a “very personal collection of modern day lullabies (and wake up calls). The  soundtrack to an imaginary road movie that heads off from Sarm Studios in West London on a torrential Friday night and arrives at the burning embers of Studio Mediterraneo in Ibiza just in time for sunrise on Sunday.” This proves they can still do an album, they can still do hyperbole and that their travel agent needs replacing if it takes them 36hrs to get from London to Ibiza.

In the meantime, here’s Justin Strauss’ remix of the classic 808 State track Pacific (free download):

Track Listings:

01 – Art Of Noise – Moments of Love (Beating Hart’s Mix)

02 – Hoodlum Priest – Sex Spirit

03 – 808 State – Pacific (Justin Strauss Mix)

04 – L.A.Z.Y. – When We Were Young (Starfish Mix)

05 – Tracey Ullman – I Know What Boys Are Like

06 – Jona Lewie – Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties (Alkalino’s Rework)

07 – Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Relax (Sex Mix Edition 2)

08 – Instinct – Sleepwalking (12” Extended Mix)

09 – Novecento – Day and Night (David Morales’ Def Mix)

10 – Propaganda – Dream Within A Dream (Within A Dream)

11 – Kirsty MacColl – Walking Down Madison (6am Ambient Mix)

12 – Heights of Abraham – Dolphins

13 – Mint Juleps – Only Love Can Break Your Heart

~ by acidted on June 1, 2013.