The Singles

by Basement Jaxx

Overview

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 2003's Kish Kash wasn't 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. Here's the only bad aspect: despite boldly displaying most of the duo's strengths, all of these A-sides just happen to be intended for clubs and high-speed driving, so the set doesn't 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 duo's 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. There's 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. It's just as pleasurable as saying the name of the song's vocalist, Vula Malinga, out loud. ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	11/17/2014
Label:	Xl
UPC:	0634904018719

Tracks

1. Red Alert
2. Good Luck
3. Romeo
4. Oh My Gosh
5. Bingo Bango
6. Where¿¿¿s Your Head At
7. Rendez-Vu
8. Jump N¿¿¿ Shout
9. Lucky Star
10. Plug It In
11. U Don¿¿¿t Know Me
12. Do Your Thing
13. Jus 1 Kiss
14. Flylife
15. Samba Magic

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Basement Jaxx   Primary Artist
Blue James   Primary Artist,Vocals
Kele Le Roc   Primary Artist,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
JC Chasez   Primary Artist,Vocals
Dizzee Rascal   Primary Artist,Vocals
Slarta John   Primary Artist,Vocals
Lisa Kekaula   Primary Artist,Vocals
Vula Malinga   Primary Artist
Elliot May   Primary Artist,Vocals
Felix   Vocals
Michael Moog   Vocals (Background)
Gavyn Wright   String Conductor
Erick "More" Morillo   Vocals (Background)
Sharlene Hector   Vocals (Background)
Junior Sanchez   Vocals (Background)
London Session Orchestra   Strings
Hugo Delmirani   Soloist,Keyboards
Mad Man Swyli   Shouts
Marsha Smith   Vocals (Background)
Nadia Cielto Steele   Vocals (Background)
KDL Allstars   Vocals (Background)
Nomvula Malinga   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Francine Kufonji   Vocals (Background)
Corryne Dwyer   Vocals (Background)
Skillah   Rap
Cassie Watson   Vocals
Mona   Vocals
Alma Duah   Vocals (Background)
MC Onyx   Horn
Charlotte Hodson   Vocals
Damien Peachey   Vocals
Nathan "Tugg" Curran   Drums
Cherokee Ty   Vocals (Background)
Natasha Awuku   Vocals (Background)
Mandy Senior   Vocals (Background)
Wil Malone   Conductor
Daniel Pearce   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Paul Simonon   Composer
Simon Ratcliffe   Composer
Basement Jaxx   Mixing,Producer
Fabio Capanni   Composer
Gary Numan   Composer
Jorge Dalto   Composer
Blue Mitchell   Composer
Felix Buxton   Composer
Lisa Kekaula   Composer
Geoff Pesche   Mastering
M. James   Composer
Patrick Duffy   Design,Art Direction
Richard Steaker   Composer
Wil Malone   Arranger