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Plus One
The 11 best Basement Jaxx tracks
Ranking the best of Basement Jaxx ahead of a summer of outdoor shows and headline festival gigs
Fact: You don’t have to be a dance music aficionado to fully appreciate the genius of Basement Jaxx. In fact, anyone that spent a large portion of the early noughties plastered in a field, or snogging the face off someone in the local student union will carry a torch for this iconic electronic duo. They just had so many bangers, all fired out in quick succession like some grotty yet amazing house party that went on for days and days – the ones where you lost your heels, smashed up your iPod and woke up under a parka on some stranger’s couch (who would then kindly make you a cuppa and send you into the too-bright morning armed with a cigarette and a pair of cheap sunglasses).
Nostalgia aside, duo Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe have crafted some of the world’s most recognisable dance hits. After cutting their teeth on the UK’s underground 90s house scene, they have since gone on to write a shed load of internationally acclaimed singles, win Best Dance Act at both the 2002 and 2004 BRIT Awards, and mix tunes for the likes of ‘Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott, Justin Timberlake and N.E.R.D.
They also happen to be playing a bunch of shows this summer. So, to get you limber for all the sick shapes you’re about to style out in the crowd, here are the very best Basement Jaxx songs, ranked…
11. ‘Oh My Gosh’
(The Singles, 2005)
Released as the lead single from the band’s greatest hits album, ‘Oh My Gosh’ is a slick little slice of popsicle chicanery. Featuring Vula Malinga and rapper Skillah on vocals, the song also features a very of-its-time acoustic guitar breakdown (Justin Timberlake was also a fan) and its infectious disco syth is perfect summer listening.
10. ‘Lucky Star’
(Kish Kash, 2003)
With cheeky chappie Dizzee Rascal on lead vocal, accompanied by Mona Singh (daughter of ‘godfather’ of bhangra Channi Singh) ‘Lucky Star’ is like some Bollywood-esque mash-up, fusing Rascal’s punchy delivery with a 90s rave synth line that would make The Prodigy look twice. It’s mildly hectic, yet really really good.
9. ‘Jus 1 Kiss’
(Rooty, 2001)
The second single from the Jaxx’s second studio album Rooty, there’s something so undeniably Balearic about ‘Jus 1 Kiss’. It’s like it’s been designed to hardwire our brains into seeking out warm sunsets, cold beers and lifting hands to the lasers. Euphoric. Sparkly. Utterly gorgeous.
8. ‘Samba Magic’
(The Singles, 2005)
Sampling Airto’s ‘Samba De Flora’ (1989), dance music doesn’t come much more joyous than this. (Spoiler alert: this writer is actually desk raving while writing this). An absolute tribute to the magic of Brazilian music and all that sail in her rhythm, ‘Samba Magic’ is perfect summer playlisting. Hips: activated.
7. ‘Hush Boy’
(Crazy Itch Radio, 2006)
Released as the first single from their fourth studio album, ‘Hush Boy’ is yet another example of the Jaxx’s ability to craft a pop song that sounds cartoonish yet completely credible. A frantic cacophony of effects, lollipop-sweet lyrics and brass, this track isn’t perhaps as well known as their other bangers, yet it’s been too long overlooked. Great fun when played very loud.
6. ‘Rendez Vu’
(Remedy, 1999)
Oof, that guitar intro. The weird distorted dum-dums. This was how the Jaxx entered the dance music lexicon, and damn, we couldn’t get enough. A tad darker than their subsequent singles, ‘Rendez Vu’ set the pace for what was to become an absolute star run of massive hits. From shitty UK dancefloors to the white sands of Ibiza, this track was it.
5. ‘Romeo’
(Rooty, 2001)
Now, I’m sure many of you are of the opinion that ‘Romeo’ should have ranked higher, but quite honestly, we can’t chuck any of the following barnstormers out of the top four. So, ‘Romeo’ has taken the hit. It did feel for a long time like this iconic single was never off the radio (and the less said about the stripped-back acoustic version that clogged up fusion restaurant playlists for what felt like a decade, the better), but fairs fair: it’s a great tune, and is sure to get the Jaxxers dancing when played live.
4. ‘Do Your Thing’
(Rooty, 2001)
No notes. Just absolute dancefloor perfection.
3. ‘Red Alert’
(Remedy, 1999)
Bloopy, bass-bumping and completely brilliant, ‘Red Alert’ shook up late 90s dancefloors and cemented Basement Jaxx as one of the most exciting talents in the UK dance scene. That cello drop. Blu James’s glass-shattering squeal once you hit the bridge. It’s hectic and deliriously mental, but ‘Red Alert’ is arguably the tune that introduced ravers to the Jaxx’s signature sound. Love love love.
2. ‘Good Luck’
(Kish Kash, 2003)
There’s something about belting out ‘Good Luck’ at two in the morning with your tribe, when everyone collectively hating on that dickhead that broke your heart only the week before. It’s so evocative of its time, with Lisa Kekaula’s insane vocal ripping through everything you thought you loved about the guy, and a flipped-bird reminder that none of us have to put up with this shit. This writer has a particular memory of a great friend screaming “no more lies” repeatedly while dancing in our drab kitchen flat, mascara streaming down her face as she ugly cried/laughed Kekaula’s bitch-spat lyrics into the night. If it wasn’t for the final tune, this 100% would have been number one on the list.
1. ‘Where’s Your Head At’
(Rooty, 2001)
And here we are. The track that tops this illustrious Basement Jaxx best of, and yes, of course it’s ‘Where’s Your Head At’. Based on samples taken from Gary Numan‘s songs ‘M.E.’ and ‘This Wreckage’, this was a track that brought so many non-dance music fans into the fold, with its heavy af synths, dark bass line and maniacal alarms, all melded together with the crunchiest of beats. Monkeys were running the asylum. Metal fans were raving with house DJs. ‘Where’s Your Head At’ is the definition of absolute carnage, and we’ll never get enough of it.
