Ever since the release of their debut album Outro Lado, the music of Zuco 103 has been acclaimed as one of the most exciting mixtures of electronics and Brazilian music, forever pushing musical boundaries and enthusing audiences everywhere with an explosive live performance.

To bridge the gap between their acclaimed "Tales Of High Fever" and their next one "Whaa!", the band put together this a double CD which explored two very different aspects of the band's multiple talents.

CD1 showcases Zuco 103 at their acoustic, jazzy best. 9 tracks, recorded in a spirit similar to that of many jazz albums of the '60s : acoustic instrumentation, very few overdubs, warm & intimate atmosphere. The material consists of four originals and four totally re-arranged, "unplugged" versions of Zuco classics.

CD2 contains a live recording of one of the band's legendary shows. It will certainly provide an exciting listening experience to all those who have seen Zuco 103 live, as well as to those who haven't, and therefore cannot suspect how incredibly powerful this band is...

This second CD also include three bonus tracks : Gerd's remix of "Treasure", David Walters' remix of "Peregrino", and the mighty new version of "Get Urself 2gether", produced by Morcheeba's co-producer Chris Harrison and featuring young Canadian rapper Tara Chase.

The Guardian wrote:

Zinguiboom is the label that has come to epitomise the new Brazilian cool, from the experimental work of the late Suba to the latest batch of laid-back female singers like Cibelle. Zuco 103 are deemed worthy of a place on the roster although the band is largely European. Stefan Kruger (drums and programming) and Stefan Schmid (keyboards and programming) were playing jazz and electronic styles when they met up with the Brazilian singer Lilian Viera in Rotterdam, and together they set out to mix up both strands of the new Brazilian scene.

This double-CD starts with an unplugged session in which they mostly use a piano, bass and drum backing to showcase their singer's cool, soulful vocals on songs that range from late-night jazz ballads with a funk and bossa nova edge through to a burst of reggae. On the second album, they then rework or remix many of the same songs, or those from their previous set Tales of High Fever, bringing far more energy and attack and a barrage of extra influences, from hip-hop to drum'n'bass. It's odd - but effective.

Robin Denselow
Friday October 31, 2003
The Guardian