Veteran DJ/producer/remixer John Andersson (a.k.a. Zoo Brazil) has been bringing unique musical ideas to the dance floor since the ’90s. To date, the Grammy and Brit Award-nominated Andersson has released over 160 singles and eight albums under various monikers during his career.
2020 is proving to be an exceptionally active one so far. In February, he returned to Norman “Fatboy Slim” Cook’s Skint label with his righteous house anthem “Your Love.” Previously, he dropped Lost In Waves, a diverse six-track EP, on John Digweed’s Bedrock in January.
With a new album and other releases in the pipeline, you’ll be hearing a lot more from Andersson in the coming months. In the meantime, we checked in with the Swedish master and asked him to share his five tracks of the moment.
1. Zoo Brazil – Your Love (Skint Records)
I could not help myself to put this record on the list. I had it as a DJ tool for some time and played around with it during my DJ sets and always had someone coming up asking what it was. So I added more sound and did a full arrangement and happy to have it now as a full release on Skint, a label which I have some good old history with since late ’90-ish, so feels like coming back home.
The hypnotic feel in the song and the disco vibe makes it work in any set at any time. I played it in summer daytime parties and in dark clubs, and I’m super happy with it. The release date worldwide was on February 14, 2020. Valentine’s Day, of course!
2. Eagles & Butterflies feat Coloray – Can’t Stop (Art Imitating Life)
I love the melancholic and haunting feeling in this track from Eagles & Butterflies, who funnily enough used to be my tour manager a long time ago. Funny stories and good times. This track played at the right time and place is magical, and I usually play a small tool underneath it to make any club move, even clubs that you perhaps normally don’t play vocal cuts in. For me, it’s a very fine line for this kind of track not to sound like a cheesy synth-pop record, especially with a male vocal. Here it’s just magical and haunting. Love this one!
3. Nick Curly – The Voodoo (Audiojack Remix) (8bit Records)
I used to play the original some years ago, and glad to see this new remix by my old buddies Audiojack doing amazing work on an already amazing original song which is always hard to do. I’ve known Nick Curly for some time now and he’s a producer and DJ you can always trust. He made a superb remix on my track “Slob” on Dubfire’s Sci+Tec label about nine years ago I still play that one, and this release will stay in my box for some good time for sure.
4. Tunnelvisions – Rain Dance (Super Flu’s ACJ Remix) (Atomnation)
Feels like I only pick friends’ records, but it just ended up that way – promise no hidden agenda or sponsorship here! It’s a small world and the remixer on this record Super Flu and I have the same label manager. My label has not been active for some time. Perhaps it’s time to wake it up.
Super Flu’s label Monaberry is alive and kicking and one of my favorite labels at the moment. I’ve done some work for the label and become friends, so after saying that and trying to sound as cool as them, I just wanna say this record and other records by Tunnelvisions and Super Flu is something I more or less always play in my sets. Great record and that playfulness I love with Super Flu’s sound.
5. Radio Slave – Don’t Stop No Sleep (Robert Hood Remix) (Rekids)
Love this soulful, loopy, moody, jacking, groovy techno. I have been a fan of Robert Hood’s work and his label M-Plant for a million years and the same with Radio Slave’s Rekids label and music – two producers I admire in the house/techno field. This is a record that feels timeless.