ZEROING IN ON A NEW SOUND.

Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer

Zero 7 is more than the sum of its parts.

The U.K.-based duo, which started life making chilled-out electronica with a revolving cast of collaborators, now embraces songs over icy grooves -- and reactions have been unanimously warm.

Ever since the 2001 release of ``Simple Things,'' Sam Hardaker and Henry Binns, the core of Zero 7, apparently struggled to find a sound. Although that debut is considered among the best trip-hop records since the heyday of Massive Attack, Portishead and Air, Hardaker and Binns now say they were resisting their poppier impulses at the time.

``We've never been completely confident doing records, and that's probably why we always surrounded ourselves with lots of people during the process,'' says Binns. ``It was kind of an accident that we went in an acoustic direction -- and it was the best thing that could've happpened to us.''

Binns is talking about Zero 7's acclaimed third album, ``The Garden,'' recorded mainly in the Somerset countryside, in his home studio. The band's sunny, optimistic new music consists of a lush, textured sound that Entertainment Weekly was driven to call ``an optimistic vision that, as the title suggests, aims to conjure its own Eden.''

Zero 7 appears Sunday at the Hollywood Bowl on a bill with Argentina-born Swedish troubadour Jose Gonzalez (who appears on ``The Garden'' and will perform a handful of songs with the group on stage, following his own solo set), electronica/tango outfit Gotan Project and electro-composer Matthew Herbert.

``This tour has just been a pleasure because we have (vocalist) Sia, who adds this incredibly luxurious element, and Jose, who just has this down-tempo delivery that goes right through you,'' Binns said. ``The songs sound different every night because there's so much life up there.''

Gonzalez is one to watch. His vocals -- part Joao Gilberto, part Nick Drake -- poetic finger-picked acoustic guitar and mournful melodies are simply beguiling, as the growing legion of fans of ``Veneer,'' his debut album, can attest. On ``The Garden,'' Gonzalez's small, intimate cult hit ``Crosses'' gets a Zero 7 remake and is stretched to nearly three times its original length.

``When we were writing the album, we just started talking about how much we liked Jose's voice and how perfect it would be on these songs,'' Binns said. ``So, we got in touch with him, and he was so into it. He was such a cool guy when we met. We all had a good feeling this was going to work. Everyone at home thinks we cashed in on his coolness factor, but really, we just gave him a ring and it worked out easily.''

Also joining Zero 7 on stage Sunday is Australian ice queen Sia Furler, whose languorous voice is probably most familiar for her song ``Breathe Me,'' which was featured in the final scene of the ``Six Feet Under'' series finale, and on the ``Six Feet Under: Everything Ends'' soundtrack album. She first surfaced with Zero 7 on two haunting tracks on the ``Simple Things'' disc and illuminates four tracks on ``The Garden.'' She issued her own well-received solo disc, ``Colour the Small One,'' earlier this year.

Binns says his move away from London to bucolic Somerset played a role in the band focusing on its softer side while finding harmony in the studio.

``I think we really reached the end of that trip-hoppy thing where we used samples and loops and drum programs,'' Binns said. ``We fancied a change. It's just brighter moving out of the city. It really made a difference -- but we've always been into folky, hippie stuff like David Crosby's first solo album and John Martyn and Joni Mitchell.''

Binns and Hardaker are well grounded in the art of recording. Years ago, before Zero 7 started, the duo studied audio engineering with Nigel Godrich, who produced Radiohead, Beck and Travis, among others. Working as assistant engineers in the studio where Radiohead was making the groundbreaking ``OK Computer,'' Binns and Hardaker were given the chance to deconstruct an early version of Radiohead's ``Climbing Up the Walls.''

The moody, atmospheric result made its way to Gilles Peterson, the influential BBC radio DJ, who subsequently gave Zero 7 a remix gig for folk-jazz singer Terry Callier's take on the ``Love Theme From Spartacus.'' The making and release of ``Simple Things'' (which utilized Furler and two other soulful vocalists) quickly followed.

Hypnotic tracks like ``Polaris,'' ``Destiny,'' ``The Waiting Line'' and ``Distractions'' became part of the fabric at fashion shows, boutiques, trendy watering holes and clubs across the globe.

``We loved the exposure -- it was constantly surprising where our music would turn up,'' Binns said. ``We've always felt once it's out there, it belongs to everyone. But I remember conversations after a few pints where we debated if the meaning of the music changed depending on where it's played and how it's used.

``We never got to the bottom of that one.''

Fred Shuster, [phone]

fred.shuster(at)dailynews.com

ZERO 7

Where: Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood.

When: 7 p.m. Sunday (with Jose Gonzalez, Gotan Project and Matthew Herbert).

Tickets: Sold out, try brokers. [phone]; ticketmaster.com.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

Sam Hardaker and Henry Binns are the core of Zero 7, appearing in a soldout show Sunday at the Hollywood Bowl. At left, singer Sia Furler will join the duo for the show.

Simone Joyner/Getty Images