Sweet Steve is the man behind Baron Zen. His recording career as Baron Zen started back in 1988, collected in At the Mall.
Baron Zen is DIY music that wears its pop influence on its sleeve: covers of Joy Division, Gap Band, Katrina and the Waves, and high-energy disco classic “When I Hear Music” by Debbie Deb play alongside Sweet Steve’s originals.
At the Mall was followed up by the At the Mall: Remixes album in 2007 featuring remixes by the likes of Peanut Butter Wolf, dam-funk, James Pants, Madlib, Arabian Prince, Tekblazer, M-80, and J.Roc, among others.
Steve then re-connected with Tekblazer for Baron Zen’s Rhythm Trax Vol. 3 in January 2009, the third installment of Stones Throw’s DJ Friendly Rhythm Trax Series, and the follow-up to his early '90s four-track post-punk masterpiece, At The Mall. On Vol. 3, Baron Zen departs from his garage band roots summoning the spiritual essence of early '80s electro pioneers such as Alexander Robotnik
and Ryuchi Sakamoto. The soundscapes of this Rhythm Trax contribution satisfy the need for synth-drenched funk while maintaining a murky atmosphere intended to move even the haughtiest New Wave revivalist.