NoBasement Jaxx
Rooty
(XL/Delabel)
Named after their legendary clubnight in Brixton, Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe’s second LP is much the same as their first: big, bouncy party tracks with all manner of crazy flavors thrown in. If 1999’s hugely successful “Remedy” united house, Latin and ragga, then “Rooty” brings together a more progressive variety of music, from punk to R’n’B. Tracks like “Romeo” encapsulate this sound perfectly, with a guest vocal spot from R’n’B queen Kele Le Roc, while “Where’s Your Head At” cuts a wedge from the industrial funk of a 21st century George Clinton. The Londoners are just starting to kick up a storm in the States and with live dates soon to be announced on both sides of the Atlantic, the Jaxx are set for big things. Warning: this record could seriously soundtrack your summer. Out June 25
Stereo MC’s
Deep Down & Dirty
(Mercury/Island)
Rob Birch, and the Stereos have a lot to answer for in terms of their musical output in the early-’90s. They revolutionized British hip hop, initially by becoming the first ever UK rap group to chart in the US (with 1990 single “Elevate My Mind”), next by producing 1992’s “Connected” — one of the first hip hop records to use live instrumentation rather than sampling borrowed beats. Then, they completely disappeared. Rumors of drug addiction and breakups were never properly dismissed, but despite the wait, signs of life emerged last year on the Stereo’s DJ Kicks compilation, which showcased three new cuts, “Rhino Parts 1-3.” “Deep Down & Dirty” is a continuation of those funky-looped bass lines getting all the way down with the dapper beats and dope rap style of “Supernatural.” Nothing much has changed in almost a decade — boundaries are still being blurred and bridges burned.
V/A
Axe On Music
(Shaoline)
So, the world tunes into France’s new found credibility thanks to dance music’s acceptance of lyric-less (read French-less) songs, only to find the sweet smell of success drowned by the body odor of a, ahem, hygienically-challenged nation. Enter the AXE marketing team, armed with a tin of deodorant, a box-full of house records and a branché DJ to glue them together and hey, it doesn’t smell too bad after all. Laurent C, resident jock at the Gibus, grapples with the wheels of steel, dropping a tasty selection of four-four favorites. It’s a shame that tracks as old Superfunk’s “Young MC” have to be dragged in to hide the banality of more recent songs (Lake Soul’s “Autour de Toi” for instance), but classic cuts from Soul Division, Phunky Data, and Kings of Tomorrow recompense for the dull blips on an otherwise okay compilation. Out now
King Britt presents SYLK 130
Re-Members Only
(Ovum/M10)
King Britt, the doyen of ’80s radio station WISH 130, broadcasts his show to the airwaves of a new generation, for a party not seen since the days of “Dallas” and “Dynasty.” Philadelphia’s finest aurally invite you to an ’80s extravaganza, with remixed joints featuring the likes of digital soul divas Alison Moyet and Kathy Sledge. Slow-burning hip hop from Pos and Trugoy of De La Soul mingle with soulful, sanguine house as the most requested cuts pour into the studio from Philly listeners. Check the vocals from Vikter Duplaix on “I’ll Do It for You” and Grover Washington Jr. on “For Love,” and you’ll agree that this is the disc you wish you could have bought in 1986. Out now
Radiohead
Amnesiac
(Parlophone)
The electro-clonking experimentation of Radiohead’s last release, “Kid A,” was fairly well received by die-hard fans and Warp-aholics alike. Still, both sides raised questions concerning a rock band’s presence on the electronic scene, the most suspicious coming from the rock contingent. “Amnesiac,” however, should calm any fears that Thom Yorke and his Oxford bandmates have forgotten how to play their guitars. Songs like “You And Whose Army” and “Pyramid Song” have been played live for the last 12 months and are in fact — like all the titles on “Amnesiac” — products of the “Kid A” recording sessions. The overall sound is more developed toward commercial tastes, but non—the—less retains Radiohead’s experimental trademark. So if “Kid A” was the curious 5-year-old looking through mom and dad’s record collection, then “Amnesiac” is its older brother with a collection of his own. Out June 4
Swayzak
Himawari
(Medecine/Small)
This deep, soulful techno opus has been around for a while now, simmering away on the backburners of loungecore’s range. But with the exception of the 12” single “State of Grace,” which did the rounds on the radio playlists chez Nova and FG, the rest has gone almost unnoticed. Which is a shame. The London-based duo, James Taylor and David Brown, sculpt dub, electro and minimal house into a form that oozes from your speakers with a depth and warmth rarely achievable with inorganic techno machines. Perfect for long, hot, lazy nights. Out now
