(Photo Courtesy of Atlantic Jaxx)Basement Jaxx has been producing electronic dance music with creative flare since the ‘90s. The 2001 single, “Where’s Your Head At,” reached the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 2002, introducing mainstream music listeners to electronic dance music.
The Basement Jaxx continues to evolve with “Junto,” an album following the 2009 release of “Zephyr.”
The British duo, consisting of Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe, is back, producing electronic dance music with interesting style combinations.
“Junto,” meaning together in Spanish, was created to “do something that felt more at one with the world,” Buxton said during an interview with BBC.
“Power to the People” is a fun, energetic yet smooth hit that is sure to end up on many house music fans’ end of summer mixes.
Songs like “Rock This Road” and “Mermaid of Salinas” bring an interesting exotic flavor to the album, mixing some African and Spanish flavor into the mix and showcasing the duo's ability to incorporate bold and unique music choices into the usual electronic dance music offerings.
Buxton and Radcliffe bring hip-hop to “Junto” on tracks like “Buffalo” a fun, download-worthy stand out.
“Something About You” is a smooth, experimental track the perfectly marries electronic, hip-hop and house music with strong lyrics, creating a great end-of-summer track.
Songs “Unicorn” and “We Are Not Alone” are dance worthy pop-flavored hits while “Never Say Never” is a seamless combination of high energy and laid back vibes, definitely making the track one of the most commercial on the album.
The final song on the album “Love Is At Your Side” is an easygoing listen, incorporating rock inspired vocals with a splash of EDM beat that make the track perfect listening for a study session, or a relaxed day at the pool.
“Junto” stands up to the duo’s previous albums like “Scars,” which primarily featured collaborations with a number of mainstream artists, proving the Basement Jaxx are masters of creativity and eclectic style, even without collaborating with major names.
The album is consistently interesting and energetic, making the album an easy listen from beginning to end, and including a number of tracks that will be a joy to bring to the dance floor.
Reach the reporter at Samantha.Shotzbarger@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @SShotzbarger
