zen fuse box

On every one of our albums, there are a few self-indulgent moments. This is one of the biggest. Originally a "hidden track" on the Zero Down Time cd, "Hit Stop Now (You Have Been Warned)" isn't a song, but more of a psychedelic audio collage. 

For this remix, we shortened it to its most essential elements, including the whispered discussion between Pete and Rich, (Extra bonus points if anyone can identify the book from which Pete was reading), and the ukulele outro by Steve that recaps lyrics from several…

The recording of this version of Greenhouse Blues predates the existence of Zen Fuse Box. It was recorded by Rich and Steve at Rich's home studio, maybe back before we even met Pete! No one is exactly sure when we met Pete, so it's a mystery for the ages. This was an instrumental knocked around by Rich's other band The Forefathers as part of their live set, but was never recorded on one of their albums. Steve, having sat in with that band on occasion, was familiar with the tune, so it made sense to lay down…

Secrets You Keep is the last proper song on our debut album, and that version is a heavy, dark arrangement reminiscent of Pink Floyd's more aggressive tunes. Steve wrote the song after watching an episode of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, which may be the only good thing about that show.

This "Low Budget Demo" version is just Steve on acoustic guitar and vocals, and was originally meant to preserve the song in order to teach it to the other guys. We never thought that 10 years later this humble demo would…

Strollin' was a tune Pete brought into the band in the very early days, and it's rumored this is the first song he wrote while he was learning some elementary guitar chords. For the longest time, Steve and Rich called this song Absence, until it's true title was revealed to us. This remix is mostly a cleanup and re-EQ kind of thing, resulting in a more punchy and present sounding tune.

We remember being really excited to hear this played on WMNF radio's Traffic Jam program back in the day! It was the first…

Here’s the No Pants Zoom remix of “Back Home!” This song became the first collaboration between ZFB and the Preston Contemporary Dance Theatre in a really fun performance at The Lyric Theatre in Stuart, Florida.

The video of that show can be found on our YouTube channel. 

This version is a stripped down version, presenting the essential trio elements of the song.

Back Home (No Pants Zoom Remix) - Spotify

Back Home (No Pants Zoom Remix - Youtube

In the Twilight was one of the songs Steve composed for our debut album. While the original mix is certainly enjoyable, we always felt that it didn't live up to the song's full potential. That's why Steve decided to remix the song in acknowledgment of the 10th anniversary of the Zero Down Time album. Of course, he went overboard and we got a full 11-track cd out of it, but this song is the genesis of the remix idea.

This new mix is more punchy and tight. The main difference is the deletion of two strummy…

A nugget from our 10th Anniversary of Zero Down Time album, the "Home Alone (Drumbotron Abbreviation)" is Steve's drum solo contained within the original tune. It's noteworthy for inclusion, as it's the only documented extended drum solo Steve has recorded for ZFB to date. Attentive listeners may notice that the drums quote the melody of the "still hate being home alone" lyric on the tom-toms.

At the beginning of the track is the radio-flip intro that opens the original Zero Down Time album, included here…

"Roses Red" was a song that Pete brought into the band during the fabled weekend section for the Zero Down Time album. Pete's country influences are apparent here, and this song was written with the great Patsy Cline in mind. Steve and Rich took to it quickly, and the song remains an integral part of any ZFB live performance to this day. Musical highlights of this song include some dulcimer from Rich, a pretty slide guitar intro from Steve, and some tasty harmonica from Pete, which inspired a well-known UK…

The new "fonkedelic" remix of "Like This" from 10th Anniversary Re-Imaginations of Zero Down Time, contains a few fun surprises. In addition to the general clean up and EQ touches, we added a few bars here and there for dramatic effect. The song benefits from a new updated drum loop too!  

This was probably the funkiest we got on the original Zero Down Time album, and the new mix is even funkier. Some might call it fonky.  

There has long been talk of the backwards banter at the beginning of the track being…

The second track on our 10th Anniversary Re-Imaginations of Zero Down Time project is the Fog Lifted Remix of "Silly Stuff." Mostly we just cut a bunch of reverb (hence, the "fog lifted" designation). We also deleted the radio-flip intro and the ending trombone blast. If you love those things, they still exist on the original, which we continue to wholeheartedly endorse! Other modifications include cutting out the drums on the bridge and some general clean up.

Silly Stuff has the distinction of being the…