Basement Jaxx
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Template:Reqphoto Basement Jaxx are a critically acclaimed UK house music duo comprised of Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe that rose to popularity in the late 1990s.
Contents |
History
Basement Jaxx started in Brixton, south London in 1994 (see 1994 in music), where they held a regular club night called Rooty, which would later become the name of their second artist album.
In 1999, the group released their first full length album, Remedy, to wide acclaim. Remedy includes the "Red Alert", "Rendez Vu", "Jump N' Shout", and "Bingo Bango" singles. "Red Alert" was used in a Coca-Cola commercial. Basement Jaxx also released Jaxx Unreleased, a compilation of b-sides, remixes, and other assorted material, in 1999.
Their next full length album, 2001's Rooty included singles "Romeo", "Jus 1 Kiss", "Where's Your Head At?", and "Get Me Off". The music video for album opener "Romeo" is a parody of a Bollywood movie. "Where's Your Head At?", which relies on a sample of Gary Numan's "M.E." for its hook, became a huge international hit in 2002 (see 2002 in music) and is perhaps Basement Jaxx's best known song. Traktor's video for "Where's Your Head At?" (monkeys with human faces) has been praised by Mixmag as the best dance music video ever made. Xxtra Cutz was released just after Rooty, containing b-sides from this album's singles.
2003 brought Basement Jaxx's third full length album, Kish Kash, which included contributions from Lisa Kekaula (of the Bellrays), Me'shell Ndegeocello, Dizzee Rascal, Cotlyn Jackson, J C Chasez, Siouxsie Sioux, and Phoebe. Kish Kash won the 2004 Grammy for best dance album. From this album, the tracks "Lucky Star", "Good Luck" and "Plug It In" were released as singles. The track "Good Luck" was re-released in 2004, after exposure from being the theme to BBC's Euro 2004 coverage, with a special remix. "Good Luck" is also in the soundtrack of Appleseed, an anime movie released in 2004. The album won the Grammy for Best Electronic/Dance Album in 2005.
In 2005, the duo released The Singles, comprising of all the singles from their previous 3 albums, some earlier releases (featured on Atlantic Jaxx Recordings: A Compilation), and two new tracks, "Oh My Gosh" and "U Don't Know Me", which were both released as singles. The Singles (Special Edition) was also released, which contained the original compilation, as well as a bonus disc entitled Bonus Traxx, which contained many previously unreleased tracks, as well as some remixes of existing Basement Jaxx songs. The video for "U Don't Know Me" featured a drunken, carousing, and violent Queen Elizabeth II lookalike and was banned from daytime rotation on MTV. They are currently developing their next album, which is yet to be titled and will be released in early 2006.
In addition to their own work, Basement Jaxx have become in-demand remixers. Their more prominent work includes "4 My People" by Missy Elliott (which turned the song into a massive chart and club hit), "Like I Love You" by Justin Timberlake and "She Wants to Move" by N.E.R.D.
They appeared as a headline act on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury Festival in 2005.
Discography
Albums
Compilations
- Atlantic Jaxx Recordings: A Compilation (1997)
- Jaxx Unreleased (1999)
- Xxtra Cutz (2001)
- The Singles + Singles Special Edition (2005) #1 UK
- Atlantic Jaxx Recordings: a Compilation Vol.2 (2006)
Singles
EPs<h4>
- "Sleezycheeks" EP (1996)
- "Urban Haze" EP (1997)
- "Summer Daze" EP (1997)
<h4>From Atlantic Jaxx Recordings: A Compilation<h4>
- "Fly Life" (1997) #19 UK
- "Samba Magic" (1997)
<h4>From Remedy<h4>
- "Red Alert" (1999) feat. Blue James #5 UK
- "Rendez-Vu" (1999) #4 UK
- "Jump N' Shout" (1999) feat. Slarta John #12 UK
- "Bingo Bango" (2000) #13 UK
<h4>From Rooty<h4>
- "Romeo" (2001) feat. Kele Le Roc #6 UK
- "Jus 1 Kiss" (2001) #23 UK
- "Where's Your Head At?" (2001) #9 UK, #16 Australia, #22 US
- "Get Me Off" (2002) #22 UK, #43 Australia
- "Do Your Thing" (2003) #33 Australia
<h4>From Kish Kash:<h4>
- "Lucky Star" (2003) feat. Dizzee Rascal #23 UK
- "Good Luck" (2004) feat. Lisa Kekaula #12 UK, #22 Australia
- "Plug It In" (2004) feat. J C Chasez #22 UK, #43 Australia
- "Good Luck" (2004) (re-issue) feat. Lisa Kekaula #14 UK
- "Cish Cash" (2004) Feat. Siouxise Sioux - [Video Only]
<h4>From The Singles<h4>
- "Oh My Gosh" (2005) feat. Vula Malinga #8 UK, #36 Australia
- "U Don't Know Me" (2005) feat. Lisa Kekaula #26 UK, #56 Australia
<h4>From Rooty / The Singles<h4>
- "Do Your Thing" (2005) (UK release) #32 UK
[edit]See also
- List of Number 1 Dance Hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
[edit]External links
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