On Rooty (Astralwerks), their highly anticipated second disc, the Basement Jaxx sound as if they’ve been possessed by Prince. That is not necessarily a bad thing, considering the fresh and unforgettable dance tracks that his royal highness laid down at the height of his popularity. Take the bold beats and slightly sped up vocals of “Romeo” as a sign o’ the times, because the songs that follow, such as “S.F.M. (Sexy Feline Machine),” “Jus 1 Kiss,” the Wendy & Lisa-like “Broken Dreams,” “Get Me Off,” and “Crazy Girl,” sound as if they could be from a lost (and now found) Prince album. Still, this is undeniably a Basement Jaxx disc, as you can tell from just one listen (although you’ll be back for more) of the stomping “Breakaway,” “Where’s Your Head At,” “Do Your Thing,” and “All I Know” (which recalls “Romeo”).
Grand Tourism (CyberOctave) by Grand Tourism is too good to save for your usual after-hours chill-out gathering, break this one out like it was your best champagne or your most practiced dance move. A step above your average French DJ fare—this one soars. From the modern-day disco of “Jim Clark Theorem” (soon to be heard in the new Steve Martin movie Novocaine), “Snakeplayer,” and “Act Of Love” to the ecstatic drum ‘n bass of “Hybrid Story” and “La Baie du Fakir” to the hipster chic “Les Courants d’Air” (featuring the unmistakable vocals of the legendary Terry Callier), this disc is a trip and a half, and you don’t need a passport.
Can you believe that it’s been 10 years since the Utah Saints (Tim Garbutt and Jez Willis) released a full-length domestic disc? While the rest of the world was catching up with innovations, they’ve been busy DJing and remixing (King Curtis’s “Watermelon Man” on the Electro Lounge disc, for example). But, 10 years? So is the ironically titled Two (Nettwerk America) worth the wait? You bet it is. With guest appearances by mega-Utah Saints fan Michael Stipe (the spoken portions of “Sun,” “Punk Club,” “Rhinoceros,” “Wiggedy Wack”), a nearly unrecognizable Chrissie Hynde (“Lost Vagueness”), and Iggy Pop (“Technowledgy”), this album is more than a comeback, it’s an affirmation. Don’t forget, the Utah Saints have already showed us what they were made of with their samples of Kate Bush (“Something Good”) and the late Gwen Guthrie (“What Can You Do For Me?”) on their first album. They are still made of the same novel and electronically driven stuff.
Maybe this time more people will pay attention.