Zero 7

Known for its eminently chill grooves and impeccable cool, the duo known as Zero 7 has taken a similarly low-key approach to its decades-long career as downtempo royalty. Friends since they first met at age 18 in London, Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker began their careers in the early '90s as studio engineers working with acts like Robert Plant and Scott Walker. In 1997, their closeness with Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich led to a gorgeously hazy, exotica-influenced remix of "Climbing Up the Walls" from OK Computer, the first track credited to Zero 7. After a series of equally striking remixes for other artists and its own EPs, Zero 7 produced one of the era's most acclaimed debut albums with 2001's Simple Things, a confident fusion of trip-hop, acid jazz, and vintage soul. Along with matchups with regular guest vocalists like Sia and José González, 2004's When It Falls and 2006's The Garden saw Zero 7 continue to expand its music's parameters while preserving its fundamental elegance. Though its releases as Zero 7 grew more sporadic after 2009's Yeah Ghost, a reunion with González on the 2019 single "Aurora" and Shadows, its 2020 EP with British singer Lou Stone, yielded further riches.