Zero 7 SIMPLE THINGS: REMIXES (PALM)

Simple Things, Zero 7’s 2001 debut, found critics lumping this London duo of Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker in with the French duo Air. But the Zero 7’s æsthetic is actually more in tune with Nightmares on Wax soul than with the easy-listening daydreams of Moon Safari. This disc of six remixes marks time between proper studio albums by offering smartly reconfigured versions of four of the album’s cuts (two being served up in two very different forms) by an eclectic bunch of studio mixmasters. In the hands of Bugz in the Attic, the brooding "Distractions" mutates into a big-beat romp dominated by cracking drums and groovy synths, Madlibs’ "YNQ Remix" of the same song is dressed up bossa nova style with vibes and Fender-Rhodes piano chords. Richard Dorfmeister puts a Latin spin on "In the Waiting Line"; Roni Size turns the elegantly mellow "End Theme" into a drum ’n’ bass workout. Fortunately, nobody undermines the melodic hooks, so everything here is easily recognizable as a Zero 7 creation.