Album Review: JUNO REACTOR

C.D. REVIEW
Artist: Juno Reactor
Album: Gods & Monsters
Label: Electric Melt
Year: 2008.
Review by: Kwelagobe Sekele

Juno Reactor is back! Ben Watkins and his Cinematic entourage and travel accomplices are back. This album is a festival of trance and cinematic fusions, what Juno Reactor is known for and all the electronic and orchestration elements are still there, forever. The album front cover is of a blue under-water character with scuba headgear sitting in a lotus position making you wonder what’s inside. Once en-trance – into the C.D. that is, the music moves from minimal electro-dub to electronic orgasms. From the first song, up-tempo ‘Inca Steppa’, a jungle number that will get even the non-jungle fanatic loving it. I can’t wait to hear this one on the thunderous and smoky dance-floors. Ghetto Priest is on vocals on this track and they are great, gelling perfectly with the music, the vocals don’t leave the music hanging on it’s own like they were two different entities. Oh my Word! Track 2, ‘Tokyo Dub’ is such an anthem and a stoner’s soundtrack. Look out for it. The vocals are a haunting reverb memory and it’s not a female vocalist, which was the impression I got, it’s Ghetto Priest once again doing what a good vocalist would do…surprises.

I like the live elements on this album, the flutes, Piano, guitars, and bass to mention a few, compliment the electronics and the drums and the outstanding engineering brings all these elements together like glue. It’s got some of the finest instrumentalists from out of London and South Africa, such as Byron Wallen and Mabi Thobejane to name a few. The album has the ability to move from dance floor to a cinematic surround sound to rock to electro acoustic with great vocals and poetry embellishments but all this you must hear for yourself. The album has some political and social commentary as well as physics and mystic vibes. Track 7 ‘Tanta Pena’

Albeton and Native Instruments lent their hand in this project but I should give credit to both them and the musicianship on this project for a great album that’s about to close another decade of Juno Reactor. It’s electrifying, cinematic and out of body. Not for the spineless but they can try it. If you are a Juno Reactor or Trance fan then get this album definitely.