London Zoo is the third studio album by English musician Kevin Martin under his alias The Bug. It was released on 7 July 2008 by Ninja Tune to widespread critical acclaim.[1] The Wire named London Zoo the record of the year in its annual critics' poll.[2]

London Zoo
Studio album by
Released7 July 2008 (2008-07-07)
Genre
Length45:30
LabelNinja Tune
ProducerKevin Martin
The Bug chronology
Pressure
(2003)
London Zoo
(2008)
Angels & Devils
(2014)

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic90/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [3]
Drowned in Sound9/10[4]
The Guardian     [5]
Mojo     [6]
The Observer     [7]
Pitchfork8.6/10[8]
PopMatters9/10[9]
Q     [10]
Uncut9/10[11]
URB     [12]

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 90, based on 10 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[1]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Angry" (featuring Tippa Irie)3:37
2."Murder We" (featuring Ricky Ranking)
  • Ricky Ranking
  • Martin
3:53
3."Skeng" (featuring Killa P and Flow Dan)
  • Killa P
  • Flow Dan
  • Martin
4:39
4."Too Much Pain" (featuring Ricky Ranking and Aya)
  • Ricky Ranking
  • Martin
3:54
5."Insane" (featuring Warrior Queen)
  • Warrior Queen
  • Martin
4:20
6."Jah War" (featuring Flow Dan)
  • Flow Dan
  • Martin
2:56
7."Fuckaz" (featuring Spaceape)
5:19
8."You & Me" (featuring Roger Robinson)
  • Roger Robinson
  • Martin
4:06
9."Freak Freak"Martin4:53
10."Warning" (featuring Flow Dan)
  • Flow Dan
  • Martin
3:47
11."Poison Dart" (featuring Warrior Queen)
  • Warrior Queen
  • Martin
6:06
12."Judgement"
  • Ricky Ranking
  • Martin
6:06
Total length:45:30

Personnel

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Credits adapted from liner notes.

  • The Bug – production
  • Kevin Metcalfe – mastering
  • Fefe Talavera – artwork
  • Claire Emeh – photography

Release history

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Region Date Label Format Catalog no. Ref.
United Kingdom July 7, 2008 Ninja Tune CD ZENCD132 [9][13]
3X gatefold LP ZEN132
Worldwide MP3 download bundle ZENDNL132
United States August 12, 2008 CD

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Reviews for London Zoo by The Bug". Metacritic. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  2. ^ "2008 Rewind: Records of the Year Top Ten". The Wire. No. 299. London. January 2009. p. 26 – via Exact Editions.
  3. ^ Hoffman, K. Ross. "London Zoo – The Bug". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  4. ^ Anonymous, Adam (4 July 2008). "Album Review: The Bug – London Zoo". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 14 August 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  5. ^ Macpherson, Alex (4 July 2008). "The Bug, London Zoo". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  6. ^ "The Bug: London Zoo". Mojo: 64. 2008.
  7. ^ Thompson, Ben (13 July 2008). "The Bug, London Zoo". The Observer. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  8. ^ Patrin, Nate (30 July 2008). "The Bug: London Zoo". Pitchfork. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  9. ^ a b Gabriele, Timothy (10 August 2008). "The Bug: London Zoo". PopMatters. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  10. ^ "The Bug: London Zoo". Q (265): 132. August 2008.
  11. ^ Pattison, Louis (October 2015). "How to Buy... Kevin Martin". Uncut (221): 78.
  12. ^ Rodriguez, Ryan E. (20 August 2008). "The Bug :: London Zoo". URB. Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  13. ^ "London Zoo". Ninja Tune. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
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