Basement Jaxx | ||
| Allmusic Biography : From their 90s singles to the more ambitious projects they tackled in the decades to come, Basement Jaxx were one of the U.K.s most respected -- and enjoyable -- progressive house acts. While virtually everything South London production duo Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton released was rooted in house, they mutated several styles (R&B;, U.K. garage, ragga, Latin jazz, ambient techno) with an unmatched restlessness. They constantly shuffled the deck, all the while collaborating with an endless array of vocalists both known (including Biz Markie, Siouxsie Sioux, and Yoko Ono) and unknown. Before they met (at a Thames riverboat party organized by Buxton), Ratcliffe grooved to the deep Latin funk of War and George Duke, while Buxton was turned on to Chicago house. Ratcliffe and Buxton formed Atlantic Jaxx Records in 1994 and were undoubtedly honored to count among fans of their first release none other than DJ legend and Basement Jaxx influence Tony Humphries, who played "Da Underground" from the EP on his New York mix show consistently during 1994-1995. For their second release, the duo recruited vocalist Corrina Josephs, who later became practically a member of the team herself. The 1995 single "Samba Magic" was picked up for distribution by Virgin, and in time, Basement Jaxx were drawing praise from all corners of the American and British house community as one of the top house production units. The pair spent much of 1996 working on remixes (for the Pet Shop Boys, Roger Sanchez, and Lil Mo Yin Yang, among others), then released a third Basement Jaxx EP. One track from the EP, "Flylife," became a Top 20 hit in England after being re-released by Multiply in mid-1997, and the single proved one of the most popular anthems of the year on the worldwide club scene. Late that year, Ratcliffe and Buxton released a compilation of their most crucial Atlantic Jaxx sides. After being courted by several major labels, Basement Jaxx signed to the independent XL Recordings (also home to the Prodigy) and readied their debut full-length, Remedy, for a 1999 release. Second album Rooty followed two years later, an outgrowth of the duos similarly named club night. Kish Kash followed in 2003 and featured the hit "Good Luck," a collaboration with Lisa Kekaula that became the theme to BBCs Euro 2004 coverage. That year, the album won the first-ever Best Electronic/Dance Album award at the 47th Grammy Awards. The year 2005 saw the release of the aptly named The Singles collection, as well as a gig headlining the Pyramid Stage at that years Glastonbury Festival when Kylie Minogues cancer diagnosis forced her to cancel. The following years sprawling Crazy Itch Radio featured collaborations with Robyn and Lily Allen. In 2008, Basement Jaxx contributed to the track "Rocking Chair" on Cyndi Laupers Bring Ya to the Brink, writing and producing the song; they also released the Planet EP series that year. On 2009s Scars, which featured cameos by Yoko Ono, Yo! Majesty, Lightspeed Champion, and Santigold, the duo returned to the leaner approach of the Remedy days, saving their more experimental material for the companion album Zephyr, which arrived late that year. Basement Jaxx vs. Metropole Orkest, which featured versions of the duos previously released songs arranged for a 70-piece orchestra, arrived in 2011, along with the score to Joe Cornishs film Attack the Block, on which they collaborated with Stephen Price. That year, Buxton and Ratcliffe announced they were working on a new album, and over the next couple of years began previewing tracks from it during their live sets. They premiered the single "Back 2 the Wild" on their YouTube channel in April 2013, with "What a Difference Your Love Makes" and "Unicorn" following soon after. The uplifting Junto -- which means "together" in Spanish -- featured appearances by Mykki Blanco, DJ Sneak, and Shakka, and arrived in August 2014. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 23 Title: EP Released: 1994 Tracks: 4 Duration: 24:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Deep Inside Your Love (06:56) 2 Undaground (05:19) 3 Dont Stop It (06:34) 4 Deep in tha Night (05:55) |
 | Album: 2 of 23 Title: Summer Daze EP Released: 1995 Tracks: 5 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Paradise (?) 2 Phase 2 Hi (?) 3 325 (?) 4 Samba Magic (?) 5 Arpino Jam (?) |
 | Album: 3 of 23 Title: EP2 Released: 1995 Tracks: 5 Duration: 27:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Be Free (07:03) 2 Deep Jackin (05:26) 3 I’m Thru With You (07:38) 4 Dusk Til Dawn (07:36) 5 [untitled] (?) |
 | Album: 4 of 23 Title: Sleazycheeks EP Released: 1996-05 Tracks: 5 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Eu Nao (?) 2 Moradi (?) 3 Get Down Get Horny (?) 4 Jump (?) 5 Stanley (?) |
 | Album: 5 of 23 Title: EP3 Released: 1996-08-10 Tracks: 4 Duration: 25:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Daluma (06:29) 2 Jus Becuz (06:38) 3 Fly Life (06:33) 4 Slide Slide (06:06) |
 | Album: 6 of 23 Title: The Urban Haze EP Released: 1997 Tracks: 4 Duration: 23:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 City People (07:36) 2 Urban Haze (03:20) 3 Set Yo Body Free (06:59) 4 Raw Shit (05:16) |
 | Album: 7 of 23 Title: Jaxx Unreleased: Additional Jaxx Additives and Remedies Released: 1999 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:06:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Red Alert (Jaxx radio mix) (03:38) 2 Razocaine (08:27) 3 Miracles Keep on Playin (Red Alert mix) (05:58) 4 All U Crazies (06:47) 5 Jump n’ Shout (radio edit) (03:40) 6 La Photo (04:01) 7 I Beg U (08:37) 8 U Cant Stop Me (Stephen Emanuel mix) (05:54) 9 Red Alert (Jaxx Nite dub) (06:23) 10 Jump n Shout (Boo Slinga dub) (08:56) 11 Rendez-Vu (03:43) |
 | Album: 8 of 23 Title: Remedy Released: 1999-05-10 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:03:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Rendez-Vu (05:47) 2 Yo-Yo (04:30) 3 Jump n’ Shout (04:43) 4 U Can’t Stop Me (03:41) 5 Jaxxalude (00:36) 6 Red Alert (04:18) 7 Jazzalude (00:24) 8 Always Be There (06:24) 9 Sneakalude (00:11) 10 Same Old Show (05:56) 11 Bingo Bango (05:58) 12 Gemilude (00:48) 13 Stop 4 Love (04:53) 14 Don’t Give Up (05:15) 15 Being With U (03:54) 16 Better Days (06:07) |
| Remedy : Allmusic album Review : The duos long-awaited debut album is one of the most assured, propulsive full-lengths the dance world had seen since Daft Punks Homework. A set of incredibly diverse tracks, Remedy is indebted to the raw American house of Todd Terry and Masters at Work, and even shares the NuYoricans penchant for Latin vibes (especially on the horn-driven "Bingo Bango" and the opener, "Rendez-Vu," which trades a bit of salsa wiggle with infectious vocoderized disco). True, Ratcliffe and Buxton do sound more like an American production team than a pair of Brixton boys would -- they get props (and vocal appearances) from several of the best American house producers out there including DJ Sneak, Erick Morillo, and Benji Candelario. And "U Cant Stop Me" is an R&B production that could probably have gotten airplay in major rap markets across the U.S. Elsewhere, Buxton and Ratcliffe chew up and spit out mutated versions of hip-hop, ragga, Latin, R&B, soul, and garage -- the varied sound that defined the worldwide house scene of the late 90s. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 23 Title: Rooty Released: 2001-06-25 Tracks: 13 Duration: 42:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Romeo (03:36) 2 Breakaway (03:22) 3 SFM (02:39) 4 Kissalude (00:20) 5 Jus 1 Kiss (04:24) 6 Broken Dreams (03:07) 7 I Want U (03:26) 8 Get Me Off (04:49) 9 Where’s Your Head At (04:42) 10 Freakalude (00:29) 11 Crazy Girl (03:20) 12 Do Your Thing (04:40) 13 All I Know (03:47) |
| Rooty : Allmusic album Review : Sophomore album blues from a pair of producers who just want to party all night and make a few tracks during the day? Not a chance. Two years of globetrotting as house superstars fortunately havent dulled the keen blade of Basement Jaxxs production style. So raw you cant believe they spent over an hour per track, so perfect youre glad they stopped noodling about long before most producers would, and so poppy they should get picked up by commercial radio in America as well as the rest of the world, Rooty is the second straight triumph from a pair of producer/DJs who look set to carry the torch for dancefloor electronica in the years to come. Titled after the duos just-recently-closed club night, this is a true party album -- shot through with no-attention-span tangents, bridges, and interrupted samples, nowhere better than on the psychedelic soul of "Broken Dreams," with its Tijuana Brass horns and Middle Eastern flute. Though its missing the genre-spanning flair and red-line energy that made 1999s Remedy the best dance album of the 90s, Rooty comes very close, with a similar emphasis on swinging rhythms and slapping percussion. Its much funkier than Remedy, much closer to commercial pop, and much more sensuous, with several tracks of moaning, juiced-up funk from the Prince playbook. The opener, "Romeo," is groovy and luscious enough to be the next single from Destinys Child (with a tad more vocal histrionics), and almost every track features vocalists who sound less like professional singers (or flavor-of-the-month robots) and more like theyve been tapped as finalists at a posh karaoke bar. (A few of those female-sounding vocalists are actually the Jaxx themselves, altered slightly.) Add a little filtered disco ("Jus 1 Kiss"), a track of rowdy New York house (the Gary Numan-sampling "Wheres Your Head At," with background shouting from Erick Morillo and Junior Sanchez), bleepy acid house ("Crazy Girl"), and some P-Funked-up house ("Breakaway") and the result is a stunning, diverse album thats not only an immediate winner but a great album down the line as well. You can take the boys out of Brixton, but you just cant take Brixton out of the boys. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 23 Title: Xxtra Cutz Released: 2001-11-01 Tracks: 7 Duration: 36:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Wheres Your Head At (Jaxx Nite dub) (06:08) 2 Bongoloid (06:01) 3 Jus 1 Kiss (Sunship mix) (05:22) 4 Twilite (04:57) 5 Romeo (acoustic mix) (03:37) 6 Camberwell Skies (03:28) 7 Wheres Your Head At (Stanton Warriors remix) (06:47) |
 | Album: 11 of 23 Title: Span Thang EP Released: 2001-11-19 Tracks: 3 Duration: 18:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Span Track (07:05) 2 U Took My Love (05:33) 3 Greek Thang (06:12) |
 | Album: 12 of 23 Title: Kish Kash Released: 2003-10-20 Tracks: 14 Duration: 50:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Good Luck (04:38) 2 Right Here’s the Spot (04:24) 3 Benjilude (00:10) 4 Lucky Star (04:31) 5 Petrilude (00:10) 6 Supersonic (05:24) 7 Plug It In (04:51) 8 Cosmolude (00:54) 9 If I Ever Recover (03:22) 10 Cish Cash (04:19) 11 Tonight (04:02) 12 Hot ’n Cold (04:00) 13 Living Room (02:25) 14 Feels Like Home (07:27) |
| Kish Kash : Allmusic album Review : With two full-length masterpieces behind them, Basement Jaxx still hadnt recorded a bum note, nearly ten years after getting together. But while their third record, Kish Kash, is still miles ahead of the various formula relied upon by scores of dance producers, it isnt the same filler-free party classic as Remedy and Rooty. In fact, it reveals the duo perhaps relying too much on their own formula, the jumped-up Prince production with tech-heavy percussion and effects exploding all over the mix. Granted, Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe ably deflect most criticisms with this LP, shot through with high-profile collaborations -- nearly all of them intriguing tracks with star turns. Post-punk hero Siouxsie Sioux shows various electroclash victims just what it means to be a postmodern diva for "Cish Cash," while *NSYNCs JC Chasez is a surprising success on the beguiling "Plug It In." Teenage garage-rap sensation Dizzee Rascal turns in a fabulous outré performance on "Lucky Star," but the Indian filmi sample driving the song displays Basement Jaxx in a light theyve never been in before: behind the times. And while MeShell NdegéOcello is a steely, assured vocalist for the propulsive "Right Heres the Spot," the final two minutes are so close to Prince the track becomes more rip-off than homage. Theres really no way to make a splash with a third full-length that sticks so close to the formula, even one they helped create. Still, while Kish Kash may be the best dance record of 2003, its the least imaginative record Basement Jaxx have ever released. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 23 Title: The Singles Released: 2005-03-21 Tracks: 29 Duration: 1:55:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Red Alert (03:36) 2 Good Luck (03:31) 3 Romeo (03:25) 4 Oh My Gosh (03:57) 5 Bingo Bango (radio mix) (03:47) 6 Wheres Your Head At (03:58) 7 Rendez-Vu (03:43) 8 Jump n’ Shout (03:38) 9 Lucky Star (03:53) 10 Plug It In (03:18) 11 U Don’t Know Me (03:35) 12 Do Your Thing (04:15) 13 Jus 1 Kiss (03:37) 14 Fly Life (04:04) 15 Samba Magic (04:57) 1 Magnificent Romeo (04:28) 2 I Beg U (03:42) 3 Mere Pass (04:49) 4 Miracles Keep on Playin (Red Alert remix) (04:34) 5 Bongoloid (04:22) 6 Good Luck (live) (04:53) 7 Rendez-Vu (Latin version) (04:07) 8 Broken Dreams (acoustic) (02:42) 9 Ha Choo (02:35) 10 Onyx (04:10) 11 I Live in Camberwell (03:38) 12 Camberskank (05:43) 13 Jus 1 Kiss (The Isley Bootleg) (05:02) 14 Romeo (acoustic) (03:35) |
| The Singles : Allmusic album Review : It took several years for house producers to catch up with Basement Jaxx. Alternately, as some might argue, several years passed before Basement Jaxx decelerated enough for anyone sharing a vaguely similar stylistic slant to meet up with them. Even if 2003s Kish Kash wasnt bubbling over with new ideas and previously unfathomable contortions and combinations of old ideas, as Remedy and Rooty had done before, the Jaxx still did it better than anyone else, melting down 30 years of dance and pop, simultaneously casting fresh looks on both forms. They are to house what Miles Davis is to jazz, what Chuck Berry is to rock, what Public Enemy is to rap. The Singles, a timely and nearly faultless stop-gap compilation, picks the A-sides from the three albums, adding earlier cuts "Samba Magic" and "Flylife," only two examples of why the debut LP was so heavily anticipated. Heres the only bad aspect: despite boldly displaying most of the duos strengths, all of these A-sides just happen to be intended for clubs and high-speed driving, so the set doesnt show casual fans how adept the Jaxx have been at mellow material, let alone the moments that disconnect completely from house constructs without any hiccups. Those who are fully aware of the duos versatile brilliance and hang on their every beat might also do well to pick up the disc; the single edits offer some slight variations on the album versions, and the manner in which they are presented, typically stripped down to three-minutes-and-change, makes a durable argument for the duo as supreme pop songwriters. Theres also a pair of new tracks. The rubbery "Oh My Gosh," easily the best of the two, is deliciously flirtatious and cartoonish, if more of a fitting Jaxx-past-in-miniature parcel than an indication of what lies ahead. Its just as pleasurable as saying the name of the songs vocalist, Vula Malinga, out loud. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 23 Title: Crazy Itch Radio Released: 2006-09-04 Tracks: 16 Duration: 58:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Intro (00:37) 2 Hush Boy (03:59) 3 Zoomalude (00:50) 4 Take Me Back to Your House (05:08) 5 Hey U (04:53) 6 On the Train (04:14) 7 Run 4 Cover (04:14) 8 Skillalude (00:36) 9 Smoke Bubbles (04:19) 10 Lights Go Down (05:13) 11 Intro (reprise) (00:36) 12 Everybody (05:53) 13 Keep Keep On (02:24) 14 U R on My Mind (03:46) 15 Trouble (03:20) 16 Hush Salsa (Hush Boy remix) (08:47) |
| Crazy Itch Radio : Allmusic album Review : Basement Jaxx capped a run of three marvelously progressive and near-perfect albums with a singles compilation deserving of the stature shared by Pet Shop Boys Discography, New Orders Substance, and the Smiths Singles. Where to go from there? Away with 1999, in with Gypsy Beats and Balkan Bangers and other expectedly unexpected inspirations. Out pops Crazy Itch Radio, a disc loosely wrapped around the concept of the duo running their own station. They could have just as easily sold this as an original cast recording to a nonexistent stage production. Then again, the music is so color-packed, so off-the-wall that it could also work as the soundtrack to Rat Fink renderings of scenes from a movie dreamed by Baz Luhrmann. Its too big to fit on a stage and in an orchestra pit that would have to accommodate the Jaxx, a very active horn section, the London Session Orchestra, a Russian accordionist, a pile of vocalists and MCs -- including Linda Lewis, Biz Markie, and Robyn, along with the relatively unknown likes of Vula Malinga (previously heard on the non-album single "Oh My Gosh"), Lady Marga, Martina Bang, Skilla, Younger Sensation & Charmzy -- and 30 kids from Malawis Nanthomba Orphan School. The album takes the form of a nearly linear narrative involving the ups and downs of an alcohol-fueled romance between a boy and a girl. Given the assorted voices and the unflagging flow of recombinant sounds, its easy to be thrown off this trail, but there is a definite method behind the pacing and sequencing, and the emphasis on songcraft and the making of a thematic whole is more than apparent. The story begins with a dinner at an unfinished Mexican restaurant (the sparkling, hilarious, rush-inducing "Hush Boy") and moves to his place (the "Cotton Eye Joe"-destroying banjo-house jam "Take Me Back to Your House"). In "Hey U," the boy lowers the boom on the girl, tells her hell "always be a travelin man," and then declares on the following "On the Train," over shades of the Stray Cats "Stray Cat Blues," that "mamma gave me dancing legs." During and after these events, there is some longing, a lot of heartache, a healthy amount of playground-style spite, and some resolution. The songs, when added up, dont amount to the heights of the previous albums. They dont pack the same immediate wallop. While they do benefit from repeated listens, that familiar urge to rewind and commit to memory isnt as powerful. The Jaxx, however, are as adept as ever when it comes to unlikely fusions and unexpected twists that lord over anything else that could be termed left-field dance-pop. At this point, its impossible to imagine them topping themselves; an album that is merely deeply engaging and wildly entertaining cannot be considered a flop in any way. Next time out, theyd do well to further explore the direction taken by the unlisted track that closes the album. A sinuous slow jam not terribly unlike Remedys "Being with U," its seductive simplicity is at odds with everything else in the program. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 23 Title: Hey U Released: 2007-03-05 Tracks: 3 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Hey U (Switch & Sinden remix) (?) 2 Hey U (Jaxx Accordian mix) (?) 3 Hey U (High Contrast remix) (?) |
 | Album: 16 of 23 Title: Planet 1 EP Released: 2008-08-18 Tracks: 3 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Twerk (?) 2 War (?) 3 My Turn (?) |
 | Album: 17 of 23 Title: Planet 2 EP Released: 2008-10-03 Tracks: 4 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Facepaint (?) 2 Shake-Up (?) 3 Saga (?) 4 Saga (dubb) (?) |
 | Album: 18 of 23 Title: Scars Released: 2009-09-20 Tracks: 34 Duration: 2:23:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Scars (04:15) 2 Raindrops (04:08) 3 Shes No Good (03:25) 4 Saga (02:41) 5 Feelings Gone (03:42) 6 My Turn (04:51) 7 A Possibility (02:45) 8 Twerk (03:30) 9 Day of the Sunflowers (We March On) (05:58) 10 Whats a Girl Gotta Do (04:04) 11 Stay Close (03:00) 12 Distractionz (05:03) 13 Gimme Somethin True (05:28) 14 One More Chance (04:51) 15 Feelings Gone (alternate version) (03:22) 1 Intro (00:19) 2 Peace of Mind (07:13) 3 Alkazaar (03:42) 4 Hip Hip Hooray (02:53) 5 Walking in the Clouds (03:39) 6 Where R We Now (05:14) 7 Dark Vale (01:32) 8 Check the Fuse (00:54) 9 Sunrising (02:02) 10 Ascension (05:51) 1 Scars (SBTRKT remix) (05:25) 2 Raindrops (Doorlys Under New Management remix) (06:12) 3 My Turn (Stonebridge remix) (06:58) 4 Twerk (Basement Booty mix) (05:24) 5 Feelings Gone (Floating Points remix) (04:15) 6 Raindrops (Joker & Ginz dub) (03:43) 7 Twerk (Sub Focus remix) (04:51) 8 Raindrops (Funkagenda & Paul Thomas Redux) (07:47) 9 Scars (Seiji remix) (04:53) |
| Scars : Allmusic album Review : Previewed by "Twerk" -- their booty-disco, "Maniac"-quoting team-up with Yo Majesty -- plus the uplifting perfection of the five-star track "Raindrops" -- sung by member Felix Buxton with Auto-Tune on the assist -- Scars is an obvious return-to-form effort for Basement Jaxx, reigning in the big conceptual ambition displayed on Crazy Itch Radio for better or worse. Getting back to everyday business sounds like sweet relief on tracks like the good-timing "Twerk," and while this is the lunk-headed party theme youd expect from such a pairing, two of the other marquee-worthy collaborations far exceed expectations. First up is the hot-stepping, Santigold cut "Saga," which suggests that a shared love of the Clash and the Specials was discussed ahead of time. More stunning is the Yoko Ono team-up "Day of the Sunflowers (We March On)" which takes a "Walking on Thin Ice" strategy, supporting Yoko Onos stark poetry reading with a razor sharp, no wave dance track. The wistful "My Turn" with Lightspeed Champion is like that grand, danceable dreamer that shows up towards the end of the best Pet Shop Boys albums, leaving only the Amp Fiddler effort, "A Possibility," up for debate, since adding new, rather average lyrics to Santo & Johnnys classic instrumental "Sleepwalk" seems an unispired move from this innovative crew. Still, it hardly breaks the album, and theres nothing here you could write off as true filler, but that perfect flow that made their masterpieces so thrilling is missing, plus the increased number of doubtful or regretful numbers referenced by the albums title seems to come from a totally different song cycle than the busy, rump-shaking stunners. Even if this is a bumpier ride than expected, Scars is a worthwhile throwback to the freak attitude that kicked off their career over a decade earlier. Anyone excited by the idea will find plenty to love. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 23 Title: Zephyr Released: 2009-12-07 Tracks: 10 Duration: 33:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Intro (00:19) 2 Peace of Mind (07:13) 3 Alkazaar (03:42) 4 Hip Hip Hooray (02:53) 5 Walking in the Clouds (03:39) 6 Where R We Now (05:14) 7 Dark Vale (01:32) 8 Check the Fuse (00:54) 9 Sunrising (02:02) 10 Ascension (05:51) |
| Zephyr : Allmusic album Review : Originally intended to be part of a double album with Scars, Basement Jaxx instead chose to release their more experimental 2009 effort, Zephyr, on its own merits, a wise decision considering its collection of downtempo and ambient self-described "soundscapes" would more than likely have gotten lost amidst the manic cut-and-paste vocal house of its more commercial alternative. Recorded over a two-year period across Berlin, New York, and London, its ten tracks still adhere to the usual "anything goes" Jaxx approach, but apart from the acoustic folk loops, hypnotic beats, and bilingual childlike melodies of "Walking in the Clouds" and the chaotic arcade game electro of "Dark Vale," its an altogether more reflective affair that allows Buxton and Ratcliffe to showcase their unique interpretation of a chillout album. Indeed, only "Where R We Now," a string-soaked collaboration with U.S. jazz baritone José James, would sit comfortably next to the coffee-table arrangements of Zero 7 and Morcheeba, as Jaxx instead revel in their more globetrotting influences, fusing twitchy sitars and brooding Leftfield-esque atmospherics on "Hip Hip Hooray"; blending sci-fi sound effects with flamenco guitars and bossa nova beats on the seductive lounge-pop of "Alkazaar"; and combining their love of ragga, dancehall, and Latin jazz on the melting pot of sounds that is six-minute closer "Ascension." Elsewhere, there are flashes of vocals from Yoko Ono (who appeared on Scars "Day of the Sunflowers") on the new age-inspired "Sunrising," "Peace of Mind" combines skittering Balearic breakbeats with shimmering 70s Fleetwood Mac guitar hooks, and "Check the Fuse" is an all too short 54-second slice of hazy Americana. The latters "blink and youll miss it" running time presents Zephyrs only real problem, as clocking in at just under a rather measly 30 minutes, Buxton and Ratcliffe never really give themselves the opportunity to explore their more ethereal nature. Which is a shame, as while it certainly doesnt contain any potential hits, its a creative and playful curiosity that adds yet another string to their genre-straddling bow. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 23 Title: Basement Jaxx vs. Metropole Orkest Released: 2011-07-08 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:02:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Battlement Jaxx (01:03) 2 Red Alert (04:12) 3 Raindrops (03:59) 4 Mozarts Tea Party (01:36) 5 Bingo Bango (03:41) 6 Hey U (04:59) 7 Lights Go Down (05:44) 8 Violin Solo (01:20) 9 If I Ever Recover (05:00) 10 Do Your Thing (06:54) 11 Where’s Your Head At (03:04) 12 Good Luck (03:59) 13 Drill Loops (01:44) 14 Hush Boy (08:22) 15 Samba Magic (07:07) |
| Basement Jaxx vs. Metropole Orkest : Allmusic album Review : Having previously written a piece specially for the London Tate Modern museum, genre-hopping dance duo Basement Jaxx further establish their rather highbrow credentials with this ambitious set of orchestral interpretations, recorded with Hollands cutting-edge Metropole Orkest. Co-produced with British composer Jules Buckley, the collaborative effort -- which also features the 40-strong Crouch End Festival Chorus, cabaret act Le Gateau Chocolat, and regular vocalists Vula Malinga, Sharlene Hector, and the Bellrays Lisa Kekaula, alongside the 70-piece orchestra -- features 15 studio recordings of tracks originally performed at their well-received live shows at Eindhovens Muziekcentrum and Londons Barbarican. Five of their six studio albums receive the classical treatment (only 2009s Zephyr is ignored), with the bouncy vocal house of "Red Alert" (Remedy) transformed into a stirring sci-fi theme; the carnival soundtrack "Do Your Thing" (Rooty) revamped into an authentic, toe-tapping big-band number; the Motown-tinged "Good Luck" (Kish Kash) turned into an anthemic piece of symphonic rock; the playful disco of "Hush Boy" (Crazy Itch Radio) given an extra Studio 54 vibe by its layers of 70s strings, and the vocodored synth pop of "Raindrops" (Scars) provided with a lush instrumental arrangement. For an act so synonymous with the dancefloor, its surprising just how effortlessly their material transcends to the opera houses, particularly the shouty industrial electro of "Wheres Your Head At," which is just as effective when the snarling vocals and buzzing basslines are replaced by operatic choirs, jaunty flutes, and even a harpsichord solo, and the summery samba of "Bingo Bango," which is re-worked into an enchanting silent movie-style number with its oompah band horns, medieval woodwind, and jazz trumpets. The four original compositions, such as the twinkling music box, fluttering violins, and plucked pizzicato strings of "Mozarts Tea Party" and the appropriately bombastic cinematic opener "Battlement Jaxx," suggests Felix Buxton could moonlight as a classical composer in between DJ gigs, but its the more familiar works which ensure that Basement Jaxx vs. Metropole Orkest is an uplifting, feel-good record which manages to straddle the unlikely worlds of classical and progressive house with ease. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 23 Title: Junto Released: 2014-08-22 Tracks: 13 Duration: 52:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Intro (01:16) 2 Power to the People (05:36) 3 Unicorn (04:10) 4 Never Say Never (04:23) 5 We Are Not Alone (03:42) 6 What’s the News (04:50) 7 Summer Dem (03:52) 8 Buffalo (02:27) 9 Rock This Road (03:50) 10 Sneakin’ Toronto (04:13) 11 Something About You (03:45) 12 Mermaid of Salinas (05:51) 13 Love Is at Your Side (04:27) |
| Junto : Allmusic album Review : After several ambitious projects that included 2009s back-to-back albums Scars and Zephyr, the following years collaboration with Metropole Orkest, and their Attack the Block score, Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton devoted some time to their lives outside of Basement Jaxx. Their break coincided with the EDM boom of the late 2000s and early 2010s, and their return feels a little like a critique of that movements sounds and attitudes. Unlike Daft Punks Random Access Memories, which expressed that sentiment by diving into late-70s and early-80s styles that ranged from disco to AOR, Junto evokes the heyday of 90s house, a revival that was already gaining traction with new artists as well as the styles originators. Fortunately, Basement Jaxxs return to their roots never feels too self-conscious, even on "Never Say Never," a piece of piano house with the refrain "the music brings me right back." The stark, kinetic single "Unicorn" sounds as fresh and timeless as anything off of Remedy, and at its best, Junto comes off as the missing link between that albums relentless rhythms and Rootys kaleidoscopic pop. One of the albums tours de force, "Whats the News," urges the listener to "let your body be free" in much the same way "Get Me Off" did; "Sneakin Toronto," which captures the joyous unity of a bustling dancefloor in its jostling beats and synths, is Juntos "Jump and Shout." While that track features Jaxx inspiration DJ Sneak, the albums vocalists are largely obscure, echoing Buxton and Ratcliffes early days and letting their production take the spotlight. "Something About You" remains a delicately layered pop fantasia despite its massive rhythm section, while "Buffalo" (which features Mykki Blanco) is dark and jagged, bringing the albums brighter songs into even sharper contrast. Juntos vivid, celebratory nature is a big part of what keeps it from being mere revivalism, and its messages of togetherness from its title onward are what make it uniquely Basement Jaxx. "Mermaid of Salinas," one of the tracks that heralded the albums arrival, gleefully mixes Spanish, Latin, and African elements into an irreverent, globe-trotting Carnival. Here and throughout Junto, Ratcliffe and Buxton arent at all concerned with seeming cool, an approach that delivers standouts like the roller skate jam "Summer Dem," where the lead singers thick Scottish burr adds to the playful sexiness, and the alien pop of "We Are Not Alone." Even if Junto isnt quite as brilliant as Basement Jaxxs early EPs or nearly flawless first three albums, it doesnt sound irrelevant or like the duo is chasing after past glories either -- instead, its some of their most exciting music in quite a while. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 23 Title: Angel Is Coming Released: 2015-03-02 Tracks: 4 Duration: 27:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Angel Is Coming (07:16) 2 Angel Is Coming (First dub) (07:12) 3 Blue Flute Basement Jaxx (07:03) 4 Jus Be Free With Your Body (Vibe mix) (06:22) |
 | Album: 23 of 23 Title: Junto Remixed Released: 2015-10-23 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:19:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Taiko Juntos (05:13) 2 Unicorn (Big Dope P & TT the Artist remix) (02:55) 3 Never Say Never (Wayward remix) (05:25) 4 We Are Not Alone (Fei-Fei remix) (04:42) 5 Whats the News (Sidney Charles remix) (06:22) 6 Summer Dem (Alex Metric remix) (05:38) 7 Buffalo (dub Phizix remix) (06:51) 8 Sneakin’ Toronto (The Martinez Brothers remix) (06:05) 9 Rock This Road (Catz n Dogz remix) (06:20) 10 Something About You (Adrian Hour remix) (05:15) 11 House Scene (Carlo Lio remix) (05:10) 12 Mermaid of Bahia (Eden Prince remix) (07:00) 13 Love Is at Your Side (Luciano remix) (09:11) 14 Power to the People (Zulu mix) (03:00) |