Justice | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Proving just how all-encompassing the French touch style can be, Justice builds on its vintage funk, disco, and house foundations by adding prog, metal, new wave, indie, and a lot of devil-may-care attitude. Starting with the Grammy-nominated 2007 single "D.A.N.C.E." and that years full-length † (aka Cross), the Parisian duo defined the brash, stylish, yet tongue-in-cheek appeal of their label, Ed Banger Records, in the mid- to late 2000s. From there, their music only grew bolder and more unexpected. They cranked up the riffs on 2011s Audio, Video, Disco, collaborated with the London Contemporary Orchestra on 2016s Woman and mashed up their own songs on 2018s Grammy-winning Woman Worldwide. With every release, Justice have reimagined the genre-bending possibilities of a world where all music is available to hear -- and recombine -- in an instant. Justices Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay began making music in the early 2000s, and first appeared on Musclorvisions Hits Up to You!, a 2003 compilation of songs intended to sound like Eurovision song contest entries. That year, Justice also remixed Simians "Never Be Alone" for a college radio song contest; Ed Banger signed the duo and released the single, which eventually became popular in England and Germany as well as France. In 2005, Augé and de Rosnay released Justices debut single, "Waters of Nazareth." During this time, they also established themselves as prolific remixers, reworking songs for artists including N.E.R.D., Britney Spears, Death from Above 1979, Fatboy Slim, Daft Punk, Franz Ferdinand, and Mr. Oizo. Justices breakthrough arrived in 2007 with the release of "D.A.N.C.E.," a catchy single with an attention-getting video that featured animated T-shirts. The duos first album, † (aka Cross), appeared that June and incorporated samples from unexpected sources like the Italian prog rock outfit Goblin along with more typical dance music. The albums accolades included nominations for Best Dance Recording for "D.A.N.C.E." and Best Electronic/Dance Album for † at the 50th Grammy Awards. The live album and concert film A Cross the Universe appeared in 2008, and the following year, Justices remix of MGMTs "Electric Feel" won a Grammy for Best Remixed Recording, Non Classical. Remixes of songs by U2 and Lenny Kravitz, as well as production work on the Birdy Nam Nam song "The Parachute Ending," kept them busy in 2009. Augé and de Rosnay returned in 2011 with their second album, Audio, Video, Disco, which was filled with prog rock sounds, guitars, and plenty of new wave-era influences. They toured extensively, with their second live album, Access All Arenas, released in 2013. Three years later, Justice returned with a pair of singles (Julys "Safe and Sound" and Septembers "Randy") that arrived ahead of the full-length Woman that November. Described by Augé and de Rosnay as their most joyful music yet, the album featured the London Contemporary Orchestra as well as vocalists including Morgan Phalen, Romuald, and Zoot Womans Johnny Blake. While adapting their songs to tour in support of the album, Justice liked the reworked versions so much that they recorded them in the studio. The results were Woman Worldwide, which Ed Banger and Because Music issued in August 2018. The following February, the album won the Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 8 Title: Never Be Alone / Steamulation / Anything Is Possible (Chateau Flight remix) Released: 2003-06 Tracks: 4 Duration: 16:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Never Be Alone (04:19) 2 Steamulation (03:42) 3 Anything Is Possible (Chateau Flight remix) (04:34) 4 Anything Is Possible (Chateau Flight bonus beats) (03:48) |
 | Album: 2 of 8 Title: Waters of Nazareth Released: 2005-09-19 Tracks: 3 Duration: 14:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Waters of Nazareth (04:45) 2 Let There Be Light (demo version) (04:53) 3 Carpates (05:11) |
 | Album: 3 of 8 Title: ✝ Released: 2007-06-06 Tracks: 12 Duration: 48:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Genesis (03:54) 2 Let There Be Light (04:55) 3 D.A.N.C.E. (04:02) 4 Newjack (03:36) 5 Phantom (04:22) 6 Phantom, Pt II (03:20) 7 Valentine (02:56) 8 Tthhee Ppaarrttyy (04:03) 9 DVNO (03:56) 10 Stress (04:58) 11 Waters of Nazareth (04:25) 12 One Minute to Midnight (03:40) |
 | Album: 4 of 8 Title: A Cross the Universe Released: 2008-11-24 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:14:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Intro (00:38) 2 Genesis (07:19) 3 Phantom, Pt I (02:50) 4 Phantom, Pt I.5 (04:45) 5 D.A.N.C.E. (02:44) 6 D.A.N.C.E., Pt II (02:39) 7 DVNO (02:58) 8 Waters of Nazareth (prelude) (02:14) 9 Two Minutes to Midnight (03:52) 10 Tthhee Ppaarrttyy (02:46) 11 Let There Be Lite (03:25) 12 Stress (07:38) 13 We Are Your Friends (reprise) (03:42) 14 Waters of Nazareth (06:46) 15 Phantom, Pt II (09:54) 16 Encore (01:07) 17 NY Excuse (06:13) 18 Final (02:55) |
| A Cross the Universe : Allmusic album Review : Designed to perpetuate their image as arena metal rock stars of the electro age, Justices second release, A Cross the Universe, exposes the French duos ability to whip a live audience to a frenzy by using a massive stack of Marshalls to amplify their laptops. The soundboard recording of their 2008 San Francisco performance, loaded with crowd noise, proves that you dont need a wealth of material, live instruments, or even microphones to put on an explosive show -- just an über-successful album with killer beats, a beast of a sound system, and a venue packed with people who like to D.A.N.C.E. Capitalizing on the critical and commercial acclaim of their debut, Cross, Gaspard and Xaviers set is almost completely made up of material from their 2007 release, and the only tracks left off the bill are "Newjack" and "Valentine." While this may sound like its merely Cross with additional background screams, its far from anything that conventional. Here, the pre-recorded sequences of fan favorites "DVNO," "Tthhee Ppaarrttyy," and "D.A.N.C.E." are born again, flipped and redecorated with aggressive house beats to the point that they feel fresh, but they still retain enough familiarity to get fists pumping and mouths singing along. Moods are brought to a peak as the parts build frenetically into strobe-like pulses, then die down into relieving ballads. In the shows climax, "Stress" raises blood pressure until ultimately releasing into a slow-swaying, lighter-provoking power ballad remix of Simians "Never Be Alone (We Are Your Friends)." For an ensuing encore, two other remixes are unveiled: a chopped-up Soulwax track, "NY Excuse"; and "Justice X," a blistering mashup that blends "Tthhee Ppaarrttyy" with Metallicas "Master of Puppets." [The true draw of the package is the accompanying DVD, an hourlong documentary that chronicles a three-week tour in the States. Live footage is included, but rather than focusing closely on Justice as they perform on-stage, the footage is edited in a hurried pacing that matches the shutter-speed stutter of their songs. While you never get a definite sense of what makes these cool kids in leather tick, or any real insight to their musical process, you do catch a backstage glance at their mysterious offstage personas. Bad-boy debauchery and rock & roll excess are the cornerstones of their existence, it seems -- one member breaks a bottle over an overzealous fans head, and the other gets married in Vegas with a whiskey bottle in hand, for starters -- but the most intriguing part of the viewing experience is just how huge and passionate their crowds have become in such a short span of time.] | ||
 | Album: 5 of 8 Title: Audio, Video, Disco. Released: 2011-10-07 Tracks: 11 Duration: 46:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Horsepower (03:40) 2 Civilization (03:38) 3 Ohio (04:01) 4 Canon (primo) (00:27) 5 Canon (03:39) 6 OnnOn (04:30) 7 Brianvision (03:11) 8 Parade (04:01) 9 New Lands (04:14) 10 Helix (04:28) 11 Audio, Video, Disco. / Presence (10:31) |
| Audio, Video, Disco. : Allmusic album Review : In their first half-decade of existence, the great paradox of the French duo known as Justice is that they have always been familiar, and yet you can’t quite pin them down. No one could advocate for their debut full-length without mentioning Daft Punk, but the unique Justice voice was there in the mix too, becoming more obvious with each return visit. Four years later, its follow-up comes with the same appeal as prog rock, pop-metal, and that big drum thunk of the ‘80s, which are all touchstones for the overall sound. Still, the heart of the album comes from the duo’s increasingly good songs and performance touches that are identifiably Augé and de Rosnay, as dreamy vocals echo underneath crisp percussion and very Euro-styled synths. Guitars plays a bigger role than ever as “Brianvision” comes with some Phil Manzanera-style riffage, while “New Lands” brings reminders of the Cars in all their new wave glory. Just so the dancefloors don’t go hungry, the rhythmic thump is present on big singles like “Civilization”, the title track, and the great “Helix,” which sounds like Italo-disco going post-punk. With so many genres having heavy influences on this mash, Audio, Video, Disco might just be the quintessential example of pop music in the Internet world where everything is available, and available to shuffle, but the main point is good times, great record. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 8 Title: Access All Arenas Released: 2013-05-06 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:19:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Genesis (07:46) 2 Helix (04:06) 3 Phantom (04:42) 4 Civilization (06:04) 5 Canon (04:11) 6 D.A.N.C.E. (05:58) 7 Horsepower (05:24) 8 New Lands (04:30) 9 Stress (05:36) 10 Waters of Nazareth (06:53) 11 Audio, Video, Disco. (10:05) 12 Encore (00:46) 13 OnnOn (05:35) 14 Phantom, Part II (08:00) |
| Access All Arenas : Allmusic album Review : Just as Daft Punk were putting the finishing touches on their similarly titled live release Random Access Memories, Frances second-largest arena-filling electronic duo released their second live album, Access All Arenas. With only two actual records behind them, it may seem puzzling that Justice would release another live album so quickly. That said, when comparing this with A Cross the Universe from five years prior, it becomes evident that Gaspard Augé and Xavier De Rosnay have grown into seasoned performers. In this set from Les Arènes de Nimes on July 19, 2012, their transitions are smoother, the songs are spliced up more, and they are more dexterous with their mashed material (take, for instance, the subtle Billy Ocean and Prince drops in "Helix"). It would be a stretch to say the bad boys of house have matured, but this is a tight set that shows their skills on the decks and their ability to work a crowd (check out the vicious, goosebump-inducing ramp-up in "Phantom") have improved substantially. Pulling songs evenly from the slightly softer Audio, Video, Disco and the harder-edged Cross, all of the material translates surprisingly well. In an age when electronic acts are the arena superstars, Justice is one of the top acts of the business. One minor expected issue is that a live CD only presents half the picture, especially when dealing with electronic acts, since so much depends on the accompanying blinding light show and the energy of the dancing crowd, so there is the occasional feeling of missing something when the audience roars in reaction to something unrelated to the audio. For this reason, its worth considering the other live option, A Cross the Universe, which includes an excellent live DVD and documentary. However, for music alone, this performance is superior. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 8 Title: Woman Released: 2016-11-18 Tracks: 10 Duration: 54:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Safe and Sound (05:45) 2 Pleasure (04:16) 3 Alakazam ! (05:11) 4 Fire (05:34) 5 Stop (04:57) 6 Chorus (07:09) 7 Randy (06:38) 8 Heavy Metal (04:31) 9 Love S.O.S. (05:04) 10 Close Call (05:08) |
| Woman : Allmusic album Review : Stylish nostalgia is the pan et beurre of a lot of French dance music, including -- for better and worse -- Justices third album. Arriving five years after Audio, Video, Disco, Woman is built on layers of fondly remembered vintage funk and disco, pre-EDM French Touch, and Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnays own work. The duo lead with the most broadly appealing side of their music: with its choral vocals and popping bass, "Safe and Sound" sounds like a slowed-down version of "D.A.N.C.E." with a hint of roller disco, while the gleaming synths and chugging rhythms of "Alakazam!" and "Fire" keep going like perpetual-motion party machines. Individually, these tracks are a lot of fun, but taken together, they give the impression that the pop whimsy and prog metal tangents of Cross and Audio, Video, Disco are strengths Justice preferred to leave in the past. Just when it seems Woman is consistent to a fault, Augé and de Rosnay bring some of that weirdness back to their music without derailing their grooves. The luxe vocals on the aptly named "Chorus" lend some oddball 70s sci-fi majesty to its gritty beat (and the final track, "Close Call," adds to the impression that Woman is secretly the soundtrack to a space fantasia). Meanwhile, "Heavy Metal"s frantic counterpoint has as much in common with Audio, Video, Discos metal fixations as it does with kitschy classical pop. "Randy," which features vocals from longtime contributor Morgan Phalen, blends chugging guitars and strings courtesy of the London Contemporary Orchestra into one of the albums finest examples of genre-mashing; similarly, the breezy "Love S.O.S." proves the duos range remains. Even if Woman sometimes sounds more like two EPs than a cohesive set of songs, its still an enjoyable album -- especially when Justice use their flair for looking back creatively. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 8 Title: Woman Worldwide Released: 2018-08-24 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:24:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Safe and Sound (07:32) 2 D.A.N.C.E. (03:16) 3 Canon x Love S.O.S. (04:47) 4 Genesis x Phantom (04:45) 5 Pleasure x Newjack x Helix x Civilization (05:39) 6 Heavy Metal x DVNO (04:43) 7 Stress (05:48) 8 Love S.O.S. (04:45) 9 Alakazam ! x Fire (06:10) 1 Waters of Nazareth x We Are your Friends x Phantom 2 x Alakazam ! (06:32) 2 Chorus (06:05) 3 Audio, Video, Disco (06:18) 4 Stop (04:27) 5 Randy (07:34) 6 D.A.N.C.E. x Fire x Safe and Sound (06:23) |
| Woman Worldwide : Allmusic album Review : Its customary for Justice to release a concert album at the end of each of their tours, but with Woman Worldwide, they add a twist: instead of releasing an especially inspired live set, this time Xavier de Rosnay and Gaspard Augé recorded the arrangements they came up with for Woman Worldwide in the studio. While Woman Worldwide might be missing some of the audience energy of a true live album, it keeps the focus on Justices formidable skill at mashing up sounds. Using a decades worth of albums and remixes as fodder, de Rosnay and Augé are at the peak of their mixing powers, combining their body of work with architectural precision and coming up with dynamic new forms along the way. As they reinvent "Safe and Sound" and "D.A.N.C.E." into an impressive opening salvo, they balance Womans streamlined approach with the crowd-pleasing energy of Cross. Indeed, Justices debut album provides the glue that holds together several of Woman Worldwides standouts, whether its the duel of "Heavy Metal x DVNO" or the complex layers of "Waters of Nazareth x We Are Your Friends x Phantom 2," which also throws in the duos remix of Simians "Never Be Alone" for good measure. As head-spinning as the mixes can get -- "Pleasure x Newjack x Civilization" spans nine years of the duos career within minutes -- Justices meticulous craft never detracts from the excitement of these new juxtapositions of familiar sounds. A celebration of the duos music, Woman Worldwide rewards fans who want to delve into its musical connections as well as those who want to get lost in its momentum. | ||