tiombe lockhart, daud sturdivant, nick hook. brooklyn techno-soul disguised as ethnic disco. a fool's gold passport. don't cry → night slugs → fool's gold. four years that ran the whole loft circuit.
Cubic Zirconia. The grimy techno-soul of downtown NYC, late-2000s into the 2010s — Tiombe Lockhart out front, Nick on keys + beats, Todd Weinstock back from the MWC days. A real band, six-piece live, four-person crew.
The scene was Drop The Lime + Trouble & Bass on one side, the Lucky Me crew across the Atlantic on the other. Cubic Zirconia lived in the middle of all of it.
First record dropped April 2009 — Fuck Work, SVG003 on The Savant Guard. 12-inch black vinyl, 130-gram, four-color label, full-color sleeve. Boutique launch — physical at Turntable Lab and Other Music, digital across Beatport, Traxsource, Bleep. Aggressive $2.99 digital point so it'd land on every DSP.
Promo run out of London by Your Army — James Pitt, head of Virgin Dance promo for a decade, hand-delivering 175+ promo CDs to the most relevant DJs in the world. Plus Music2Mix (Pete Tong's former manager) and Release Promo for chart contributors. Long-lead press serviced to URB, XLR8R, Mixmag, DJ Mag, Filter, The Fader, Vice, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, Pitchfork, iheartcomix, Daytrotter, KEXP.
First UK run kicked off February 2009 — Cargo, the Notting Hill Arts Club, the kind of small-room dates that turn into the actual fanbase.
March 2010 — Carniville SXSW. Mexican American Cultural Center, outdoor stage, 12:15 PM slot. The crew rented a two-bedroom house on 13th and Concho for the festival run.
34 confirmed shows 2009–2012. Sónar, Boiler Room, Low End Theory, Pitchfork Festival, BPM.
El-P sat in for live sets. "First time we met Flying Lotus, Gaslamp Killer, Ras G" was a Cubic Zirconia show at Low End Theory.
Catalog moved over time — Savant Guard first, then Lucky Me + RBMA, then the whole thing landed at Lockhart Dynasty × Calm + Collect for the long haul. Six releases under LDCC: Josephine (LDCC001), Black & Blue f/ Spoek Mathambo (LDCC002), Hoes Come Out At Night (LDCC003), Follow Your Heart (LDCC004), Take Me High (LDCC005), Darko (LDCC006).
All six live at /releases under the LDCC imprint.
![Into You (feat. Roses Gabor) [Cubic Zirconia Remix]](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/7vj6i0c4/production/74a3aabb2d81ade0e8dd5751e7e6f48a6073218e-640x640.jpg?w=440&h=440&fit=crop)
- 2009Form as the duo of Tiombe Lockhart and Nick Hook — out of Brooklyn into the global club circuit.
- April 2009Debut release "Fuck Work" lands on Speakers Don't Vibrate (SVG003). The track that opened every door.
- February 2009First UK run — Cargo + Notting Hill Arts Club, London.
- March 2010SXSW Carniville with Diplo. Begins the year of mainstream-press visibility.
- 2011"Lucid In The Sky" project arc — multi-format release across Calm + Collect's pipeline.
- 2012Lockhart Dynasty × Calm + Collect catalog launches as the joint platform for the duo's later output.
34 dates · 4 years
click any year to expand the full date list.
20098 shows
- 2009-01New York, NY(CZ launch shows)First CZ shows; MeanRed promo started Jan 2009; 1000 flyers printed
- 2009-07New York, NYSantos Party House · DJ Assault, Dam Funk, Chicomann, Head HunterReferenced as prior notable show in Bowery email
- 2009-08New York, NYRBMA x SummerStage East River Park · Drop The Lime (Luca Venezia), Flosstradamus, AraabmuzikFree outdoor; 30min live + 30min DJ confirmed MeanRed email Aug 4 2009
- 2009-02-18New York, NYSantos Party House (Dre Day) · Michna, Project Matt, Rok One, Taste CrewDre Day 2009 @ Santos Party House. Load in 7:45pm. Nick + Michna + Project Matt + Katie. Colt 45 sponsor. Photos sent Feb 20 2009
- 2009-07-02New York, NYSantos Party House (CZ F*ck Work release) · Head Automatica (Daryl Palumbo), Dam Funk, DJ Assault, Chico Mann, Kool Hersh, Mike The 2600 KingCZ 'F*ck Work' record release party. MeanRed newsletter confirmed exact date July 2 2009. CZ 'just got back from UK tour, having played alongside La Roux, Afrik
- 2009-12-31Brooklyn, NYOld American Can Factory (MeanRed NYE) · Michna, Project MattMeanRed NYE 2009→2010 at 232 3rd St Brooklyn. Colt 45 open bar + champagne toast midnight. 'Goodbye to the 00s' - Ticketfly
- 2009New York, NY(various) – Yak Ballz shows · Yak BallzArtist-reported: 'def djed various shows for yak ballz.' Multiple shows. Note: Yak Ballz also performed at final MWC show (Blender Theater Dec 29 2008). Dates T
- 2009-01-16New York, NY(CZ first show – venue TBC)1000 flyers ordered by Jan 8 2009; MeanRed promo blast confirmed. First CZ show ~mid-Jan 2009
201012 shows
- 2010-01-30Brooklyn, NYMusic Hall of Williamsburg4pm load-in
- 2010-02-13St. Louis, MOFUBAR · Rocky Knuckles, Tef Peo, Kool HershHometown show
- 2010-03-20Tokyo, Japan(noon show)Yamada had original MWC merch; noon show confirmed
- 2010-06-25New York, NY(NYC show) · SBTRKTSBTRKT flew in from London June 25
- 2010-11-19Dublin, Ireland(Dublin venue) · Lucky Me crewRyanair Dublin-Glasgow tickets confirmed
- 2010-02-18Brooklyn, NYMusic Hall of Williamsburg (Dre Day) · Michna (eggfooyoungster), Project Matt, Rok OneDre Day 2010 @ Music Hall of Williamsburg. Nick: 'venue is fine.. wburg music hall.. i had this plan to assemble a band to do a few songs.' Jan 28 2010 email. C
- 2010-05-29New York, NYDark Disco party (venue TBC) · EgyptrixxDark Disco party. Set times sent May 28 2010 - Egyptrixx + Nick Hook on Serato. Settlement email June 6 2010 ('Jen is doing the $ for dark disco'). Launch of 'B
- 2010-11-20Glasgow, UK(Glasgow venue) · Lucky Me crewLucky Me weekend
- 2010-12Brooklyn, NYBEMF – Music Hall of WilliamsburgBrooklyn EMF 2010;
- 2010-06-25New York, NYScion Sessions NYC · SBTRKT (US debut), MichnaNick's email confirms: 'june 25- sbtrkt (US debut)- michna nick hook'. SBTRKT's US debut at this show
- 2010-07-30New York, NYScion Sessions NYC · DJ Sega (Mad Decent), MichnaNick's email: 'july 30th- dj sega (mad decent) michna nick hook'
- 2010-08New York, NYScion Sessions NYC (3rd date) · TBC3rd monthly Scion Sessions date confirmed in booking email. Exact date TBC
201110 shows
- 2011-02Austin, TXSXSW 2011Official SXSW 2011 invitation confirmed
- 2011-06-25Roubaix, FranceLe Social Club / La Condition Publique
- 2011-08Isle of Wight, UKBestival – Big Top Stage · L-Vis 1990Shared bill with L-Vis 1990; PMR Records show
- 2011-08-03London, UKThe Lexington
- 2011-08-04Brighton, UKGreen Door Store
- 2011-08-05Eastnor, Herefordshire, UKBig Chill Festivalwithholding tax claimed back
- 2011-08-06Paris, FranceParis Social ClubAdvanced directly with Sandra
- 2011-11-01Brooklyn, NYMusic Hall of Williamsburg · SBTRKT
- 2011-02-09New York, NYMercury Lounge · Party SuppliesCatchdubs intro email Jan 12 2011; confirmed Feb 9. 'CZ setting up a show with Party Supplies'
- 2011-09-27New York, NYScion Music(less) Music ConferenceNick's 1st choice was Sept 27 per booking email. Studio tour filmed (YouTube). Independent Dance Music panel
20124 shows
- 2012-06-23Brooklyn, NYBrooklyn Bowl · Los Campesinos, Yellow Ostrich, Nobody Beats the DrumCZ on late show; XXXChange 11:30pm
- 2012-02-04New York, NYDROM (Nextah) · Andrea Balency (Mexico, RBMA 2011), Michna (Ghostly), Project MattNEXTAH party at DROM, 85 Ave A. CZ LIVE + music video shoot on site. Andrea Balency (French/Mexican RBMA alum) special guest. Nick Hook (Fools Gold) as resident
- 2012-10-25Vienna, AustriaZentrale (Viennale)Bill as 'Nick Hook (Cubic Zirconia)'
- 2012-05-09New York, NYCameoNick's email May 16: 'great time played at cameo last week with Adrian.' ~May 9 2012. July 5 date discussed for follow-up
press archive
every outlet that covered this era. click any card to read.
