Basement Jaxx

Product Details

* Audio CD (June 26, 2001)
* Number of Discs: 1
* Label: Astralwerks
* Catalog Number: 10423
* ASIN: B00005K9V5
* Other Editions: LP Record
* Average Customer Review: based on 93 reviews. (Write a review.)
* Amazon.com Sales Rank: #63,702 in Music (See Top Sellers in Music)
Yesterday: #64,925 in Music

Listen to Samples
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1. Romeo Listen Listen
2. Breakaway Listen Listen
3. SFM Listen Listen
4. Kissalude Listen Listen
5. Jus 1 Kiss Listen Listen
6. Broken Dreams Listen Listen
7. I Want U Listen Listen
8. Get Me Off Listen Listen
9. Where's Your Head At Listen Listen
10. Freakalude Listen Listen
11. Crazy Girl Listen Listen
12. Do Your Thing Listen Listen
13. All I Know Listen Listen

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com's Best of 2001
Since Simon Radcliffe and Felix Burton of Basement Jaxx released the unbelievable Remedy in 1999, house music has experienced a slight identity crisis. But even as trance and Fatboy Slim-style big beat saturate the dance floor, the primal, funky soul of true house that the Jaxx duo know and love clearly reverberates beneath it all. With Rooty, Radcliffe and Burton finish the job they started on Remedy by listening to their instincts, stripping away the gloss, taking some creative risks, and coming up with some of the rawest grooves in recent memory. The first track and single "Romeo" doesn't waste any time, parlaying an irresistible hook and a relentlessly up vibe into the most danceable three and a half minutes of 2001. Frankie Knuckles-era Chicago house and War's deep Latin funk are audible throughout, along with an adventurous production sense; "SFM" packs in a wild kaleidoscope of howls and cross-rhythms while slinking along and rubbing itself on the furniture like a cat in heat. Still, given the level of creative license at work here, the record sometimes misses the mark. Songs like "I Want U" reach for progressive funk, but forget the low bass end that can give a silly, airy song some gravity. But more often that not, the band's decision to eschew beats in favor of dirtier, sexier means of rhythmic expressions pays off. Witness the fat bass line at work in "Get Me Off," as a breathy tease of a lead vocal turns into an outright come-on. Somehow both relentlessly modern and a throwback to simpler, funkier times, Rooty is an effective way to jog the memory should you have forgotten the egg that came before the trance chicken. --Matthew Cooke

From URB Magazine
If 1998's Remedy innocently shined a light into the dank back room of daring creativity that house once occupied, then Basement Jaxx's infectious follow-up should serve as the next chapter in their brazen, genre-disrupting saga. Though it's hardly a mere continuum of their tough, dirty sound (standard issue on Remedy and Atlantic Jaxx). Instead of picking up where the sonic carnival of Remedy left off, Rooty drifts into a hall of mirrors, where Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe entertain themselves with carefree new twists on R&B, pop and house. So if you can shake off the initial shock of Kele Le Roc's sassy vocal on the album's opener "Romeo" or the guilty Mentos pleasure of "Jus 1 Kiss," you just might be hooked.

Perhaps believing there's safety in numbers, Rooty features a few notable guest "vocalists" like Derrick Carter (on "Freakalude"), Junior Sanchez and Erick Morillo (both on "Where's Your Head At?"). Supporting cast aside, though, it's the lyrics that once again shine through, distancing the Basement Jaxx from the muted track-churning legions of house music producers. As with Remedy, signature tales of wilted romance and tormenting vixens are deftly woven into a contagious mix. What's different here is the utter lack of restraint and rhythmic playfulness that oozes from most of the disc.

Of course, a daringly fun record like this will attract haters, especially with lines like, "She's a funky feline machine/Crazy cat inside your dream" trading places with "You're neurotic like a yo-yo/U used to be my Romeo." But if that bothers you, you're probably missing the point: The Basement Jaxx don't want you posturing along the wall with the tough guys. Theirs is a world where being cool is the last thing on the list, having been completely overshadowed by a rambunctious party full of noise-making revelers like the ones found at their Brixton club night that gave the album its name. The Jaxx truly believe that your ass will follow your newly freed mind.

For longtime fans, there are the familiar rallying points. "Breakaway" is as turbo-charged as anything the Jaxx have done. It's a sexy cut-and-paste burner that the album could use a few more moments of. And the punkish "Where's Your Head At?" is this album's "Yo Yo," its flanger effects and Gary Numan-sampling guitar dredge reminiscent of that weird dream you had where the Beastie Boys sang over a DJ Sneak set. I disengage at "Do Your Thing" though, a goofy mess that sounds like a Jackson 5 reunion show. What you can't forget is that these songs are best served with little regard to composure, context or rules. And they take some warming up to. If you're not prepared to lift your hands and let a smile displace your cool exterior, you may want to avoid this 43-minute temptation. However, if you've been hiding a silly grin behind a falsely tepid demeanor, it's likely that Rooty will cut it loose instantly and lead you straight onto the dance floor.

Raymond Leon Roker
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
Let Rooty Shake Your Booty!, May 24, 2002
Reviewer: MoonGoddess (Ontario, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)
Lately I've been buying electronic music like there's no tomorrow but out of them all I'd have to say that this is by far one of the best albums in this overcrowded genre. I bought Rooty by Basement Jaxx about 2 months ago yet I'm still playing it like it's brand spankin new. All the songs here have irresistible hooks with catchy and lusterous female vocals that are wispy and fun, circling around all this funky house music. The singer's vocal styling for "I Want You" sounds a lot like Nelly Furtado with a crazy, warped-out melodie that is oddly accessible while songs like "Jus 1 Kiss" and "Broken Dreams" are loaded with heavy bass lines accompanied by sometimes poppish or sometimes funky house soul. Not all these songs will make you want to dance but they will most certainly make you tap your foot or bob your head up and down to the appealing dance beats. Prince even has an evident source of usage here on songs like "Crazy Girl". The only song I didn't care for was "SFM" with it's electronic hip-hop. And while the beat is highly contagious the rapping is completely out of place, even amidst all this influential old-school. The most recognizable songs here are probably "Where's Your Head At" (which was a huge club hit) and "Do Your Thing" (which was used in some kind of commercial, which I fail to remember...) Out of all of these song, though (which are destined to become classics, I'm sure) my favorites would have to be the naughty "Get Me Off" and "All I Know".

Overall I'd say that this CD is one that ALL electronic dance fans should own. Without Rooty to shake my booty my collection would be completely lost. (And that goes for you as well.) So buy it already!

This is highly recommended.… (más)

Product Details

* Audio CD (August 3, 1999)
* Original Release Date: August 3, 1999
* Number of Discs: 1
* Label: Astralwerks
* Catalog Number: 6270
* ASIN: B00000JPVF
* Other Editions: Audio Cassette | LP Record
* Average Customer Review: based on 112 reviews. (Write a review.)
* Amazon.com Sales Rank: #57,022 in Music (See Top Sellers in Music)
Yesterday: #51,150 in Music

Track Listings

1. Rendez-Vu Yo-yo
2. Jump N' Shout
3. U Can't Stop Me
4. Jaxxalude
5. Red Alert
6. Jazzalude
7. Always Be There
8. Sneakalude
9. Same Old Show
10. Bingo Bango
11. Gemilude
12. Stop 4 Love
13. Don't Give Up
14. Being With U

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Finally, Basement Jaxx's long-awaited full-length, Remedy, has been issued in the U.S. It's aptly titled, to be sure: the production duo's record is a remedy to the dull, faceless house and techno that populates dance floors. The duo are unrepentantly pop savvy, bringing vocals and lyrics to their unique blend of electro, house, hip-hop, salsa, and soul. It's a weird combo, but like the best of all pop songs, Basement Jaxx tracks stick like putty to the ears within a few listens. In fact, you may feel that you've already heard much of Remedy when you give it a spin on your CD player. With their boisterous samples, vocal hooks, and funked-out, catchy bass lines, the songs "Rendez-vu," "Yo-Yo," and "Red Alert" seem like familiar friends, rather than just the next big thing. --Tricia Romano

Product Description:
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). 15 tracks, including 'Red Alert' and 'Rendez-Vu', on this Astralwerks release.
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4 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
Dissapointed, March 9, 2000
Reviewer: "anaisnine" (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews
Always on the lookout for a new hot cd or the next artist who will totally blow me away, I stumbled upon Basement Jaxx's highly-touted single "red alert" and the subsequent cd "remedy". I purchased said cd and guess what...I was Not impresed. Dont get me wrong, some songs were ok like "rendevous", but overall, the beats and production did not blow me away(generic house with bland instrumentation) If u really want some excellent french-house/techno, check out Daft Punk, Dj Dimitri, Cassius, or as a last resort, Air, but leave Basement Jaxx in the basement-A.N.… (más)